RIFF REWIND (24/06/2013): Reproacher - "Nothing To Save"

Reproacher began in late 2009 in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Formed from the remnants of dissolved local bands, Joel joined TJ and Jarret and produced two demos in 2010. Jon joined in late 2010 and the band began writing and touring more seriously. After a handful of shows in March 2011, Reproacher travelled to Salt Lake City to record a self-titled album with Andy Patterson, which was self-released. The band did two west coast tours with defunct Denver grinders Clinging To The Trees Of A Forest Fire and Death Of Self. Reproacher would later record a Tour Demo in October of 2011 with Patterson once again which was released via Dimlight Records. In the summer of 2012, Reproacher drove coast to coast in a 38-day US tour

“Nothing to Save” their second full length dropped in June 2013 and the band’s misanthropic sophomore release delivered 11 merciless tracks of metallic hardcore mixed with rumbling blasts of low-end vocal snarls. “Nothing to Save” was recorded in 4 days during January 2013 in Salt Lake City by Andy Patterson (Gaza, Call of the Void). 

Fast forward three years and split 7 later, Reproacher would return with their third full length, “Nature’s Bastard” an album where huge, awkward riffs dominate the landscape and their ugly, discordant racket is reminiscent of Converge at their nastiest.”Nature’s Bastard” is a mighty offering, a captivating combination of savage intensity and considered dynamics, but today we’re rewind the clock 4 years to the day and revisiting an album that exposed THE SLUDGELORD to this amazing band, a band you’d be a fool to miss second time around.  So if you missed it the first time, be sure to remedy you error by checking out our review of “Nothing to Save” in full below. Reproacher breeds hate and disease through sonic decimation. 

By: Richard Powley

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 11/06/2013

Label: Self Released

“Nothing to Save” is a remarkable album, marrying grind, crust, sludge and hardcore, yet never failing to provide anything other than caustic forward momentum. The inclusion of more subdued moments adds wonderfully to the emotional weight of the lyrics whilst also giving the record great replay value. Basically it rules.

“Nothing to Save” DD track listing:

1. Intro
2. Casemate
3. Sophists
4. Averse Arrest
5. Ballast
6. Marginal Being
7. Repose
8. The Champion is Fucked
9. A New Dark Age
10. Crippled Wolves
11. New Skin

The Review:

I’m going to go ahead and admit I had never heard of Cheyenne, WY’s Reproacher before receiving “Nothing to Save” to review.

I am now a massive fan of Cheyenne, WY’s Reproacher.

“Nothing to Save” contains 11 crusty, sludge fuelled hardcore tracks, overflowing with bile and rage. The fact that Reproacher wouldn’t sound out of place on a bill with Cursed, Full of Hell, Baptists et al is big praise indeed, but one the band wholeheartedly deserves with this release.

As soon as Intro’s pummelling build up is complete, Reproacher lurch into “Casemate”, complete with Colohan-esque distorted vocals, short grind bursts, dissonant breaks and a propulsive tempo, with the latter three setting the band apart from the many Cursed copyists formed in their wake. Further across the first part of the album, Reproacher fuse elements of d-beat, sludge, hardcore and Converge style tempo changes and dissonance into a disgustingly cohesive whole.   

With “Ballast”, the band has crafted a perfect centrepiece to the album. Slowing things down ever so slightly and giving more emotional weight to the bleak and desolate lyrical content, the track ends with a plaintive, mournful riff bringing the first half of the album to a suitably grim climax.

“Marginal Being”’s downtempo, doomy intro belies the tracks surge into furious hardcore, whilst “The Champion is Fucked” tells of the treachery often born of greed and ambition over a furious amalgam of grind and d-beat hardcore. “Nothing to Save” closes with “New Skin”, opening with a slow feedback laden riff that wouldn’t sound out of place coming from Manatees, before settling into a calmer passage that’s ends the record in an unexpectedly thought provoking manner.

“Nothing to Save” is a remarkable album, marrying grind, crust, sludge and hardcore, yet never failing to provide anything other than caustic forward momentum. The inclusion of more subdued moments adds wonderfully to the emotional weight of the lyrics whilst also giving the record great replay value. Basically it rules.

Band info: Bandcamp || Facebook

Tangled Thoughts of Leaving - 'Yield To Despair' (Album Review)

By: Richard Powley

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 17/04/2015

Label: Pelagic Records

Fans of instrumental music, soundtracks and post-metal will undoubtedly find much to love within ‘Yield to Despair’, but to describe it as simply another post-metal album would be to do the band a great disservice. Their fresh and nuanced take on the genre, including noir-jazz and noise amidst crushing walls of sound is something to truly behold.

‘Yield To Despair’ CD//DD//LP track listing:

1). The Albanian Sleepover  - Part one

2). The Albanian Sleepover – Part Two

3). Shaking Off Futility

4). Downbeat

5). Yield To Despair

Tangled Thoughts of Leaving is:

Ron Pollard | Piano, Synth
BeHn Stacy | Drums, Noise
Andrew McDonald | Guitar
Luke Pollard | Bass, Samples 

The Review:

Owing as much to ambient, jazz and noise music as they do to the slow-building and weighty sound of post metal, Tangled Thoughts of Leaving deliver atmosphere in spades throughout ‘Yield to Despair’.

As the first song reaches its mid-way point, you have been treated to a weighty and slow building exercise in tension, before the jazzy piano runs that have defined TTOL as something unique amongst the instrumental rock scene, take centre stage and lead the track to its thrilling conclusion.   It’s here that TTOL have made a vast improvement, the restraint used in the playing allows a much more crushing tone to envelop the piece, the piano no longer stealing from the overall sound but engaging with and elevating the drama of the song to a higher degree than before.

As “The Albanian Sleepover” reaches its second part, a more noir-ish feel takes over amidst a Dillinger-like yet entirely more stable flurry of percussion. As the song ebbs and flows, different lines and instruments come to the forefront before the song reduces itself to a simple noisescape. A lone piano line reminiscent of Bohren & der Club of Gore accompanies the various scraping sounds and noise-work, creating an intense and ominous atmosphere. From here the song becomes a crushing dirge bringing to mind the mountainous sound of Omega Massif as it approaches in its thrilling climax.

Employing differing tactics and skills to create a momentous atmosphere is where TTOL really shine. Not once does any facet of the music sound out of place, and while different instruments and players do undoubtedly take centre stage at various points throughout ‘Yield to Despair’, it is never for the sake of virtuosic arrogance and only serves the mood they are trying to elicit.   What feels like the albums centre-piece is ‘Downbeat’  where all of this becomes most complete, with a breath taking and emotionally taxing example of everything that Tangled Thoughts of Leaving do so well, delivered with absolute precision throughout its 18 minute runtime. It feels like the albums most complete “song” and also its most energetic piece, all the instruments blending together to paint a picture of pure destruction.   

Fans of instrumental music, soundtracks and post-metal will undoubtedly find much to love within ‘Yield to Despair’, but to describe it as simply another post-metal album would be to do the band a great disservice. Their fresh and nuanced take on the genre, including noir-jazz and noise amidst crushing walls of sound is something to truly behold.

‘Yield To Despair’ is available here

FFO: OMEGA MASSIF, BOHREN & DER CLUB OF GORE, JOHN ZORN, GUAPO, NEUROSIS.    

Band info: bandcamp | facebook | official

Live Review : Bohren & Der Club of Gore, St. Johns on Bethnal Green, London, UK – 5/4/2014

Review :  

Doomy Noir Jazz legends Bohren & der Club of Gore in such an inspired choice of venue obviously seemed too much to miss for many Londoners, and with the performance being sold out over a month in advance, we were lucky to be there for such a captivating evening of droning soundscapes and mysterious laments.

To begin the evening event we were treated to Dean McFee, a solo guitarist playing what could only be described as Sun Ra jams on downers. Whilst suitably cosmic and droning, moments straying into more folk-ish territory seemed ill-fitting with the nights headliners, and minus any shifting atmospherics had just too much of an air of deja-vu to be truly captivating.

St Johns on Bethnal Green turned out to be the perfect setting for Bohren & der Club of Gore.  Any worries regarding the sound quality of a practicing worship church were swept away as every note of the set reverberated around the building, lending an otherworldly tone to an already magical body of work.

Illuminated by four spotlights placed above their instruments, the band crept through their latest and most romantic opus ‘Piano Nights’ in full, stopping only to introduce themselves and offer a quick joke regarding the song Unrasiert (translated as Unshaven, and named after “a sexual preference”).

With only these two short breaks Piano Nights was allowed to unfold majestically amongst it’s surrounding, the crowd not only engulfed in its sound but also the monumental amount of smoke filling the venue.  With drummer Thorsten Benning absent, the band admirably played on to a pre-recorded drum track and saxophonist and vibraphone player Christoph Closer became the central focus of the stage switching between his illuminated instruments with ease and grace.

Breaking with tradition and playing two encores, the band ended with what sounded like an excerpt from Black Earth, closing the performance on a chilling and unforgettable note. A rare treat to see live in the UK, Bohren & der Club of Gore succeeded in turning a simple church in Bethnal Green into a more seductive and ominous proposition altogether and with both band and venue working in tandem, Piano Nights was given an unforgettable introduction to the UK.

Words by : Richard Powley 

You can read our review of Piano Nights here

For more information :

http://www.bohrenundderclubofgore.de
http://www.facebook.com/bohrenofficial
http://www.pias.com/uk/
http://ipecac.com    

Bohren & Der Club of Gore - Piano Nights (Album Review)

 

 

Album Type : Full Length

Date Released : 10/2/2014

Label : PIAS (UK/EU) / Ipecac (US)

Piano Nights, album track listing :

1). Im Rauch
2). Ber Rosarotem Licht
3). Fahr Zur Hölle
4). Irrwege
5). Ganz Liese Kommt Die Nacht
6). Segeln Ohne Wind
7). Unrasiert
8). Verloren (Alles)
9). Komm Zurück Zu Mir

Bio :

 

The sublime slowness which has propelled Bohren & Der Club of Gore for over 20 years is in good health. Returning with the suggestively titled Piano Nights, Bohren have not departed from their obdurate approach, yet in its title, much is revealed about the content. In to their sound has subtly crept the presence of a giant, and the name of the album shows nothing but exemplary respect for the instrument which governs here – the piano.

 

Inadvertently born out of Christopher Clöser’s boredom before a concert in Moscow, Piano Nights started as an idea when he tinkered with a grand piano, and resonated with the sheer depth and enormity of the instrument. Proving to be too noble, too powerful, what you hear on this album is not a grand piano, instead, they chose to utilise the sound of a Yahama electric – more ambiguous, less lofty and most significantly, not quite so serious. Energy is instantaneously channelled into sonic space through the interplay of piano, organ and vibraphone, governed solely by the Bohren laws which dictate the intense appreciation of slowness. The band has worked meticulously on this sonic space, uncovering some new and interesting aspects within their familiar aesthetic, and within themselves as musicians.

 

The four musicians, who consider Piano Nights to be their best album since Black Earth, are at pains to stress than the album title is not satirical, but a standard, a framework they set themselves. Considering their intermediary 2011 release Beileid, with its standout cover of Warlock’s ‘Catch my Heart’ (complete with vocals from antihero extraordinaire, Mike Patton), the routes open to Bohren were multiple and myriad. In this context, Piano Nights actually appears to be something of a return to their roots, albeit based on complex arrangements and a broader palette of sound. Packing in the sounds of mellotron, vibraphone, organ, saxophone, bass, drum, spirit choir – Bohren actively resist and refute the trappings of the word ambient, their instinctive musicianship creating the most slender of jazz; understated in its virtuosity, ambiguous in its transparency. Every minutiae, every fleck of colour, every spark and snap of percussion has the meticulous knowledge and unlimited patience of Der Club of Gore behind it – yet, unfathomable and beyond calculation, Bohren’s music is something which is best enjoyed and accepted. Sidestepping the pitfalls of routine and familiarity, Piano Nights poses the question of what to do when the acoustic information being relayed to you is outside of the parameters in which you can process? The answer, is to trust yourself, and let it wash over you – give it time, plenty of time, and you will see.

 

They are confirmed to play in London on Saturday 5^th April at St John On Bethnal Green.

 

The Band :

 

THORSTEN BENNING | (Drums),
CHRISTOPH CLÖSER | (Saxophones, Fender Rhodes, Piano, Vibraphone),

MORTEN GASS |  (Organ, Vocoder, 8-String Bass, Synthesizer, Mellotron, Fender Rhodes),
ROBIN RODENBERG | (Bass, Double Bass)

 

Review :

 

Bohren & Der Club of Gore. Not much can be said that hasn’t been said before, the group are simply as consistent as the seasons.  The soundtrack to a thousand lost film noir classics, a late night bus ride through sprawling urban decay, and a tragic love story filmed in black and white.

 

Bohren know what they do, and quite simply, they are and most likely will remain the best at it. With every release they subtly add a new element, albeit discreetly, to an unwavering formula. You may wonder what a band so steeped in noir jazz and soundtrack work is doing featuring on The Sludgelord, but that would be to miss the point.

 

The trio wield such an unforgettable mastery over slow motion laments of loss, mystery, intrigue and despair that they can appeal to even the most hardened of doom and sludge fans, whilst remaining true to their own sonic path. As with fellow masters of snail-paced melancholia, Warning, the sheer heaviness of Bohren’s work comes from the space in between the notes. The atmosphere, thick with the smoky aroma of cigarettes and whisky found in a thousand jazz club basements, is where Piano Nights excels.

 

Adding far more noticeable touches of electric piano has accentuated the choral, church like nature of the music, allowing the usual beds of ambience to float eerily past with every reverberating note. Sometimes during Piano Nights, the upfront piano and bass work will allow you to hang on a moment of uplifting joy, a chord progression that lifts you from the dystopian turmoil and melancholia prevalent in almost all of their recorded work and it feels as epic as any musical climax from Sigur Ros or Mogwai. The only difference being ,this is simply one bar of a song, and the band consist of a keyboardist, up-right bass player, saxophonist and drummer.

 

And that is where the true genius of Piano Nights (and Bohren & Der club of Gore in general) lies, in the bands ability to pull and push your emotions at will, even whilst crawling at a pace usually reserved for the bleakest of funeral doom.

 

Every album by these guys is a journey, and Piano Nights is no exception. It’s the same Bohren on Piano Nights as on every past release, but maybe this time they pushing you towards the light at the end of the tunnel, with a sound as timeless as the instrument that inspired the album.

 

Words by : Richard Powley

 

For more information :

http://www.bohrenundderclubofgore.de
http://www.facebook.com/bohrenofficial
http://www.pias.com/uk/
http://ipecac.com       

Mutoid Man - Helium Head EP (Review)

Album Type : EP

Date Released : 29/11/2013

Label : Magic Bullet Records

Helium Head, track listing :

1). Gnarcissist 02:32

2). Scavengers 02:48

3). Scrape the Walls 02:11

4). Friday the 13/8 02:38

5). Sacriledge 02:00

6). Lost in the Hive 02:13

7). The Manimals 02:29

Bio :

The energy these MUTOID MAN guysnaturally create when they jam-out is almost unspeakable. A jacked-up album firing on all cylinders as well as a few nitro tanks and rocket boosters opened to the max, Helium Head is like classic rock on bath salts and a case of energy bars. One envisions Brodsky’s hands literally combusting as prog-fueled rock leads and hammering riffs reduce speaker cabinets to smoldering piles, his soaring vocals carrying not just an appropriately harmonious clean edge but also bringing out some of that searing wrath only the earliest of Cave In’s catalog will document. And Koller’s ridiculously intense, rabid percussive attack is of course in top form, unstoppably up-tempo and plied with more textured fills than all of Interstate 95 in both directions.

“To come up with all this stuff, Ben and I riffed-out at a rehearsal space in Brooklyn for about a year” explains Stephen Brodsky. “The material picks up from where we left off with the Cave In Shapeshifter/Dead Already cassingle, written with Ben in the band. The two of us ran with that sound and formula and took it as far as we could go.”

The Band :

Stephen Brodsky

Ben Koller

Review :

There has been much fanfare surrounding Mutoid Man of late and deservedly so.  The band, made up of drum god and Converge sticks-man Ben Koller, Cave-In’s Stephen Brodsky and bassist Nick Cageo, have unleashed a propulsive, adrenaline fuelled and hook laden record with Helium Head.

Taking the kinetic energy of Converge and early Cave-in, the intricacies of 70’s prog and Torches pop-sensibility, Mutoid Man have crafted a record that refuses to let you go from the first track.

Throughout the album Brodsky treats us to a feast of off kilter and psychedelic riffage, whilst Koller tirelessly unleashes a whirlwind of percussion, never resting on his laurels for a second. Brodsky’s feral scream peppers the albums heavier moments while his unmistakable singing voice takes centre stage on the records hookier moments, reminding everyone that Cave-In should have been the biggest band on the planet in late 90’s and early 00’s.

Away from the conceptual and emotional shackles of their main bands, the most striking thing about Helium Head is how much fun the two main contributors seem to be having. Allowing their breakneck riffage and hook-tastic melodies to intertwine over the seven presented tracks leaves barely enough time to take breath or over-analyse the complicities of the music, allowing for maximum fun and also great replay value.

Make no mistake, Helium Head is a fantastic and well balanced effort, shining a light on a seldom scene side of two well-known veterans of the scene. Sit back, relax and let Mutoid Man taker you away to some place more fun. 

Words by : Richard Powley

You can buy it here

For more information :

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mutoid-Man/565982076754955
http://www.facebook.com/magicbulletrecords
https://twitter.com/magicbulletrecs

http://www.magicbulletrecords.com

Live Review : Astrohenge, Manatees, Erlen Meyer, Light Bearer, Camden Underworld, UK, 10/11/2013

It was a particularly wet and unforgiving Sunday night in the capital, but with UK DIY Post-Metal heroes Light Bearer making a rare UK headlining appearance, the promise of new and currently unreleased Manatees tracks and the chance to catch Astrohenge on home turf, this show was not to be missed. 

Due to leaving work and arriving with just enough time to grab some well-earned falafel and lager, we unfortunately missed opener In the Hills, arriving just in time for Astrohenge to kick the night off proper.

Having never seen Astrohenge in the live setting before, but knowing of various members involvement in Necro Deathmort and Yards, anticipation was high. The band knocked out a variety of Mr Bungle meets Mastodon riff histrionics in front a small but interested crowd. The set was peppered with enough atmospheric moments to captivate fans of all the other bands, but also delivered a keen sense of fun with circus stylled, odd-time signature riffing that started the night off in fantastic style, especially on a rainy Sunday night such as this.

Next up were Manatees, who although headlining the rest of the tour played third out of five tonight. Last time I saw Manatees was at the Camden Unicorn some years ago, and at that time they were searching for a new home to release their 3^rd album, Helvellyn. Tonight, playing mostly cuts off of the new record, Manatees were on fire, their legendary volume and atmospherics providing a stunning account of what is to come with album number 3. A faster, almost hardcore influenced track broke out mid set worked perfectly in its placement, offering a lively alternative to the usual stunning sludge melodicism’s, and the eerie Queens of the Stone Age meets krautrock ending was both pummelling and surprising in its groove. Without a doubt *shelsmusic have made a fantastic choice letting this long awaited record see the light of day in early 2014.



Having been non-plussed with Erlen Meyers debut released this year, we decided to watch the French bands set from the balcony. With what appeared to be a giant widescreen television stage left displaying artwork of varying degrees of hopelessness and an impassioned performance they captivated a large portion of the crowd, although this reviewer was left unfulfilled, feeling that they are, in the flesh as on record, Will-Haven-lite with just a little too much monotony to find truly captivating. With more work on varying the elements of their tracks however, I’m sure Erlen Meyer could become a truly great force in metal.

Next up were Light Bearer who I’ve been fortunate enough to see twice in London this year (the first at their Silver Tongue release at the Urban Bar). Not often making UK appearances due to geographically scattered members and with the promise of a far higher sound quality than the Urban Bar, a sizeable crowd stood awaiting the coming onslaught.

On record, Light Bearers mammoth albums often top 60-70 minutes, filled with lush orchestration and long ambient/noise interludes that wonderfully set up each track and offer rest bite from the emotion fuelled sludge pummelling. Live is a different set-up for the band,  with only a short time to fill and with lengthy songs, the band go for the jugular. Whilst recorded material is often close to Post-Metal, live the band breath an impassioned post-hardcore air, as close to crust and hardcore in its delivery as it is to Cult of Luna’s atmospheric restraint.

Airing material from both their debut Lapsus and this years’ Silver Tongue the band traverse the quiet and serene moments of the albums and also the glorious post-metal riffage they are perhaps better known for. The band seems to escape the pitfalls of bringing their highly conceptual recordings to the live stage by offering an all-encompassing performance full of dedication, atmosphere and ultimately joy.

Massive props to *shelsmusic and Patrice at the Underworld for such a rad Sunday evening. Be sure to check all these bands recorded material and support your local scenes.

Words : Richard Powley

Photos : Yvonne Schirmer

For more information :

https://www.facebook.com/astrohenge
https://www.facebook.com/manatees.uk
https://www.facebook.com/ErlenMeyerBand
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Light-Bearer/170210949664188



Coilguns - "Commuters" (Album Review)

By: Richard Powley

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 25/02/2013 

Label: Pelagic Records

The fast pace of the album allows no part to overstay its welcome and its frequent twists and turns both confuse and enthral in equal measure, leaving a record that will unfold over time to the listener. Repeated sessions unveil more intricacies and hidden moments of wonder amongst the chaos of “Commuters”.

“Commuters” CD//DD//LP track listing

1. Commuters Part 1 (3:02)

2. Commuters Part 2 (11:35)

3. Hypnograms (1:53)

4. Machines of Sleep (2:49)

5. Plug-in Citizens (1:33)

6. Submarine Warfare Anthem (2:04)

7. Minkowski Manhattan Distance (6:46)

8. Blunderbuss Committee (4:09)

9. 21 Almonds a Day (3:23)

10. Flippists / Privateers (3:58)

11. Earthians (8:43)

The Review

Coilguns latest record, “Commuters”, kicks off as it means to go on. Insanely complex drum and guitar interplay and a shifting structure that boggles the mind, deranged vocals bellowing atop a shifting smorgasbord of odd metered riffs that will leave you feeling as though you need to break something nearby, very quickly. 

After the initial punch to the face that the first track ‘Commuters Part 1’ brings, the band bring it down a gear with ‘Commuters Part 2’, showing a more atmospheric side as repetitive guitar lines drift under rambling vocals, bringing to mind the post-hardcore sound of At the Drive In or Unwound. It’s clear from these two tracks that Coilguns are a band who can cover a large amount of musical ground quickly and seamlessly. Throughout its 12 minute run time, the song lulls you into dreamlike haze before the final chaotic climax, lasting around 4 minutes. The song explodes, but carries on building in intensity until its final moments.

The fast pace of the album allows no part to overstay its welcome and its frequent twists and turns both confuse and enthral in equal measure, leaving a record that will unfold over time to the listener. Repeated sessions unveil more intricacies and hidden moments of wonder amongst the chaos of “Commuters”.

A standout of the middle section of the album is 'Plug in Citizens'. Imagine a more distorted Jesus Lizard playing a socially charged Ramones song and you might be close to what this short track brings to mind. Another mid album highlight ‘Minkowski Manhattan Distance’ features some Daughters like riffing amongst its hammer to face bludgeoning.  The final three tracks of this release however, really bring Coilguns to a higher level. Blastbeats, huge riffs, atmospheric sludge moments and the continuation of a spellbinding vocal performance end the album on its highest peak.  If this is a teaser of where Coilguns are heading they will make me a very happy man indeed.

All in all 'Commuters' is an outstanding release that blurs the line between mathcore, punk rock, noise rock and atmospheric sludge. If you’re a fan of Botch, Cult of Luna, Unwound, Every Time I Die or Dillinger Escape Plan you will find plenty to love in this release. I cannot recommend this highly enough.

“Commuters” is available here.

Band info: facebook || bandcamp