Midwestern progressive metal act, The Contortionist, return with another chapter in their transformation story. This particular collection of tracks making up a quick, yet most satisfying, EP is entitled Our Bones (eOne Music). While the group has moved on from their deathcore character, harsh vocals return to this release that brings some promise for future releases as well.Continue reading
The term Stoner / Sludge is an insult to US quartet Torche and, what’s more, has never even come close to defining them or their blend of crushing backgrounds and soft harmonies. Fifth album Admission (Relapse Records) sees Jonathon Nũnez assume guitarist duties from the departed Andrew Elstner, with Wrong frontman and former Kylesa bassist Eric Hernandez taking over the bass role.Continue reading
Highly-respected Ulster Sludge/Doom outfit Slomatics is as well known for its countless splits, most prominently with fellow Doom yellers Conan, as it is for its own produce. So it’s something of a surprise to discover that Canyons (Black Bow Records) is the band’s sixth album in its fifteen-year existence, but as expected it shows a soupçon of originality in the unrelenting, slothlike heaviness.Continue reading
Veteran musician / producer Bryan Richie, known best bassist for American rock band The Sword, has announced a new solo project under the pseudonym Galactic Protector. Full of synths and dreamy Pop and post-Rock song stylings, the project is a respite from the crusty stoner rock jams Bryan was known for in his previous work. Galactic Protector’s debut LP, Evening, will see a June 28 release via UK boutique label Burning Witches Records (Daniel Davies, Deadly Avenger). Watch the clip for “Liseran Sand” now! Continue reading
Ghost Cult is proud to present the brand single new stream from Denver’s post-Rock leaders Altas and their track ‘A Break In The Damage Path’. The track comes from their upcoming sophomore release All I Ever Wanted Was due out on May 31st, Altas unifies together the best components the genre has to offer, mixing in new flavors you’ve never heard before as well. The track, like the band, is a creative and emotive force; offering a spatial palette of sounds composed to take the listener on a transformative journey. Not only is the band intent on breaking music barriers, but they’re also smashing cultural ceilings as well, since the band composed entirely of women and minorities, rare in rock music, especially in the instrumental/post-rock genre. Jam out to ‘A Break In The Damage Path’ now. Continue reading
When allied to a sonic experience the term ‘Dreadnought‘ usually alludes to a bruising encounter with little imagination or subtlety. Not so the Denver quartet bearing that name, whose brand of Prog Metal is an eclectic mix of the weird, heavy and profoundly charming, and which spans many genres of music.Continue reading
With a penchant for wistful, stirring music, Parisian post-Rockers Lost In Kiev encapsulate euphoria and Industrial melancholy. Given this, third album Persona (Pelagic Records) has added import as a practical soundtrack to the recent devastation of their home city’s finest cultural landmark, as well as being the score for their accompanying film. Despite the opening title track’s initial sequences carrying more than a hint of Jean-Michel Jarre, that stark metallic synth adds a sinister element: while the inclusion of rampaging, howling leads in tandem with Yoann Vermuelen‘s metronomic drums gives a resonating power.Continue reading
The West Country, the South East corner of England famed for its history and beauty, is also renowned for producing devastating heaviness with a soupçon of versatility. Step forward Cracked Machine who, since emerging from Wiltshire in 2015, have surfed both cosmos and deserts out of the reach of radar.Continue reading
Just as their geographical namesake suggests, Latitudes are an expansively-minded post-everything band with their view set far beyond the immediate horizon. Part Island (Debemur Morti), the band’s fourth album, isn’t just broad in its musical palate – which takes cues from the likes of Neurosis and Alcest – it also uses its sparse rural setting to tackle themes of desperation and emptiness in an always engaging way.
I think Holy Fawn summed themselves up brilliantly with their band summary: “four creatures making loud, heavy, pretty noises”. Combining ambience, walls of distortion and ethereal vocals, Death Spells (Holy Roar) is the embodiment of these contrasting musical textures.Continue reading