Vow are a UK post-metal band and this is their second release.
Is this an EP or an album? The promo blurb says album, but then it only contains two tracks and lasts a total of 17 minutes. Either way, it’s worth getting your hands on, as Vow’s experimental post-metal is very tasty indeed. Continue reading “Vow – Icarian (Review)”
Wear Your Wounds are a post-rock band from the US and this is their third album.
Featuring current/ex-members of Converge, The Red Chord, Cave In, Hatebreed, and Trap Them, don’t let these band names fool you – this might not be what you are expecting. Rust on the Gates of Heaven is not a hardcore supergroup. Rather, it’s a 53-minute journey into reflective post-rock waters, and has more in common with bands like Crippled Black Phoenix, Mogwai, Angels of Light, Russian Circles, and, yes, hints of Cave In, than any of the other bands listed. Continue reading “Wear Your Wounds – Rust on the Gates of Heaven (Review)”
Ravens are a post-rock band from Ireland and this is their debut release.
This release contains two songs, has less than 9 minutes of music, and is instrumental in nature. It’s basically to whet the appetite. Continue reading “Ravens – Comfort Is a Slow Death/Freedom from Worry and the Fear (Review)”
We Have A Ghost are from the US and this is their début.
The band play Electronica/Industrial-laced Rock. Think Nine Inch Nails/Mogwai/Ulver and you’re on the right lines.
Other points of reference include the little-known/remembered Electronic Rock band Vitro, who released an excellent album named Distort in 1999 of a similar style, as well as the fantastic experimental Paradise Lost album Host.
This is surprisingly complex music that weaves elaborate soundscapes around itself like a cloak of static and charged beats.
Atmosphere and tone are an important part of the We Have A Ghost sound, as well as fostering a futuristic sense of mystery.
A feeling of foreboding is hidden throughout this album. Sometimes it’s hidden underneath energetic sections and other times it’s right out there in the open.
This reminds me of the build-and-release style of Post-Rock/Metal if it had been given an Electronic/Industrial overhaul and the build/release sections were chopped up, warped and separately focused down into shorter songs.
Varied and expansive, this is a great listen, especially if you’re in the mood for something a bit different. The entire thing plays out like some form of soundtrack and the album is suitably cinematic in scope in this regard.
A slow builder that impresses on first listen but nonetheless really shows its charms after repeated spins; this album is a keeper.
Check this out – highly recommended.
