REVIEW: HAAN - "Sing Praises" EP

By: Chris Tedor

Album Type: EP

Date Released: 14/10/2016

Label:  Kaos Kontrol

A riveting debut from a band that successfully integrates the feel of noise-rock with the fury and aggression of hardcore, spitting out an arty hydra of epic proportions.

"Sing Praises" DD//LP track listing:  

1). The Cutting (03:03)

2). Shake the Meat (03:08)

3). War Dance (03:40)

4). Pastures/Abuelas (08:34)

The Review:

I threw this on at work and the thing that came to mind was SMASH STUFF.  As I cannot punch any of my patients, I stayed tuned in for an abrasive blend of noise rock and hardcore.  HAAN’s debut EP "Sing Praises" starts heavy and ends heavy.  Starting with the caustic opener "The Cutting" which never lets up throughout its length, gorging us on a riff-fest of epic proportions.

The second track "Shake the Meat" has a crazy layout and jumps furiously all over the place with scything guitar over rolling drumbeats.  Syncing into the heavy but brief head nodding chorus which transitions on second pass into a nice brief open section before coming back with some furious almost tremelo picked punk fury definitely a fun song that I'm sure is killer live.

The third track "War Dance" starts with a plucked Native American feeling open riff with some simple but pretty decent clean singing.  With a cool moving chorus when HAAN breaks back into the verse they add some cool rhythmic syncopation that I can only describe as being similar to Tomahawk's more straightforward songs.  

Closing their debut EP "Pasture/Abuela" starts with some choice bass grind moving under some feedbacking guitar melody as the vocals kick in.  A song that begins almost strangely out of place, "Pasture/Abuela" delves into deeper sonic territory then the proceeding tracks and includes a slick noise/feedback guitar freak-out in lieu of a chorus.  The bridge of "Pastures/Abuela" brings the song back to ground with a spiralling Unsane style riff which meanders into some cool changes.  An awesome track that literally flips genre mid song but is written so well it's completely seamless.  As the track concludes I am left wondering which tracks are my favourites and honestly they are all really good.

A riveting debut from a band that successfully integrates the feel of noise-rock with the fury and aggression of hardcore, spitting out an arty hydra of epic proportions leaving me eagerly wishing for a full length/full US tour. 

“Sing Praises” is available here

Band info:  facebook || bandcamp

FFO: Helmet, Unsane, Whores.

The Moth Gatherer - "The Earth Is The Sky" (Album Review)

By: Chris Tedor

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 27/11/2015

Label: Agonia Records

The excellent songwriting continues on every track and The Moth Gatherer leaves just the perfect amount of space between the heavy and quieter parts and transitions in places that sound fresh and exciting. The way the last song on the album, “In Awe Before The Rapture,” ends even echoes Cult of Luna's “Vertikal” with an impressive melodic ambiance that few muster correctly but all fans of the genre love.  “The Earth is the Sky” was criminally overlooked on everybody's year end list, it’s never too late to check it out because it’s not just a good album, its fucking great.

“The Earth is the Sky” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1). Pale Expressions

2). Attacus Atlas

3). Probing the Descent of Man

4). Dyatlov Pass

5). The Black Antlers

6). In Awe Before The Rapture

The Moth Gatherer is:

Victor Wegeborn | Vocals, Guitar, Programming

Alex Stjernfeldt | Vocals. Bass

Svante Karlsson | Drums

The Review:

It's always awesome to get a review for something you already bought and loved. This was on my personal list of best albums for 2015 at number two behind Elder's seminal “Lore” and I'm more than happy to share my thoughts on it. The Moth Gatherer's second full-length “The Earth is the Sky” is a deep record that will immerse you in waves of spiralling consciousness if you let it. To begin, yes it is post-metal, but it is very, very different than almost every post-metal album I've heard. The Moth Gatherer uses some very interesting guitar effects that give the tones a very unique feel. In addition, the electronic programming is very good and very tasteful as can be seen almost immediately upon the album starting. The vocals that kick in shortly after the album start has distorted hardcore singing and some clean singing that sounds eerily like someone from Red Fang. You can tell almost immediately that THIS album is different than anything else you've heard. My favorite part of the album is the last half of the second track “Attacus Atlas” which actually has a part just past the seven minute mark which echoes the Mass Effect 3 soundtrack with some great synth programming. The best overall song of the album is the instrumental third track “Probing the Descent of Man” which has one of the best beginnings of anything I've ever heard in music. The way the electronics swirl in the background and the drums cut in is absolutely perfect. The coldness of the digital sound builds up into a construct that screams emotion, conjuring up images in your mind of ruined cities spanning the horizon.

The excellent songwriting continues on every track and The Moth Gatherer leaves just the perfect amount of space between the heavy and quieter parts and transitions in places that sound fresh and exciting. The way the last song on the album, “In Awe Before The Rapture,” ends even echoes Cult of Luna's “Vertikal” with an impressive melodic ambiance that few muster correctly but all fans of the genre love. The recording and mix on the album is great and features knob twiddling by Karl Daniel Liden known for his work drumming for Dozer and Greenleaf. The guitars sound huge and the layering of different tones, particularly on the quieter melodic sections is fantastic. All the voices can clearly be heard and sound huge. I'd also strongly recommend that you check out their first release “A Bright Celestial Light” which is also fantastic and worth checking out. “The Earth is the Sky” was criminally overlooked on everybody's year end list, it’s never too late to check it out because it’s not just a good album, its fucking great.

“The Earth is the Sky” is available here

Band info: facebook

Kalamata - 'You' (Album Review)

By: Chris Tedor

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 21/09/2015

Label: Pink Tank Records

Channelling the sounds of 70's space rock and the 80's/90's underground stoner/doom scene, they cover an exciting amount of ground and seamlessly fuse their influences into an intense journey.  What really impresses me about these guys is that they just started a year ago, which is a great sign.  A band who’s sound is this fully realized, this early on,  should move from being really good to exceptional.

“You” LP  track listing:

1). You (07:04)

2). Have (06:33)

3). To (07:17)

4). Die (07:36)

5). Soon (03:57)

6). Mother (03:31)

7). Fucker (07:14)

Kalamata is

Guitar | Peter Jaun
Bass | Maik Blümke
Drums | Olly Opitz

The Review:

Hildesheim Germany's Kalamata come blasting out and taking off with their first release “You.” Channelling the sounds of 70's space rock and the 80's/90's underground stoner/doom scene, they cover an exciting amount of ground and seamlessly fuse their influences into an intense journey and confirming our hatred of Europe for having cooler new bands than us. On to the review!

A long open lead line with just a bit of slap back delay begins the first track “You” while setting the tone for the rest of the album. Preparing you for when the rest of the band kicks in full gear. It's pretty cool song writing how Kalamata waits to kick the drums in after the rest of the band comes in heavy giving them that much more impact when they hit. The highlight of this track is the guitar solo which is a wah drenched tonefest with some tasteful playing.

The second track “Have” begins with a huge opening section which reminds me of a lower tempo “Age of Winters” era The Sword a bit. Dropping into the slow burning groove that dominates the rest of the song with some nice melodic guitar work. What brings this track together is an interesting tremelo picked lead guitar on the chorus which is not something often heard in stoner/psych instrumentals but really fits the mood.

The third track “To” opens with a riff that reminds me of some of Joe Walsh's slower tempo work on the James Gang's seminal 1970 album “James Gang Rides Again.” This is my favourite track on the album as it moves through some cool dynamic changes, starting with a very 70s vibe and moving into a heavier Kyuss-esque section. The song writing on this track is very smooth as all the parts flow together particularly well.

The fourth track “Die” starts with a deep drum and bass groove setting a nice mood for the rest of the track. Ripping into a short open section with splashy chords and some nice bends. The plodding riff right before the guitar only break in the middle of the song, is a really cool transition which touches on some more unexpected influences (King Crimson's Red perhaps?). These little dynamic cool sections are the rug that really tie these songs together and prevent “You” from falling into the common pitfalls that instrumental albums make, everything sounding the same.

The fifth track is a strange left turn in riffing, channelling some early 80s doom riffs and alternating with some interesting chromatic bass lines under some dissonant guitar chords. This is the song where you can really hear the King Crimson influence they list on their facebook page with some of the crazy fun style changes.

“Mother,” the second to last track, is the most rocking of the songs with a heavy 70s hard rock four on the floor feel. The wah infused guitar on the bridge is a really fun section. This is the shortest track on the album and it ends a bit abruptly and feels like it could be a little bit longer.

Closing the album, “Fucker” starts with a doomy opener over stomping drums. This is the most open feeling and doomiest song on the album. They don't quite reach Electric Wizard level of doom but this is a solid track and relies heavily on some nice rhythm section playing and the bass sounds noticeably fuzzier. I feel like I should mention here, that to non-musician's it might seem weird to compliment the rhythm section on the lowest tempo and least busy song on the album, but in a lot of ways being able to swing a slower tempo and make your fills propel the song without muddying the groove can be just as difficult as shredding, and Kalamata exhibit some very tasteful choices throughout. Also the bass seems fuzzier and less overdriven on this track and as anyone who is going to read this site agrees. MORE FUZZ = BETTER.

My only real critique of the tracks is that parts of the drum kit could be a touch higher, particularly the cymbals and occasionally the kick drum, as they seem to be noticeably quieter than the rest of the kit during some sections, and the fuzz bass would probably benefit from being fuzzier and less overdriven in parts. That being said there is some great musicianship on this album particularly in the guitar work and tone department. What really impresses me about these guys is that they just started a year ago, which is a great sign.  A band who’s sound is this fully realized, this early on,  should move from being really good to exceptional.

FFO: King Crimson, Kyuss,

Vinyl info:

300 copies total

75 copies blood red incl. Poster and Download Code ( Pink Tank exclusive edition)

100 copies opaque white incl. Poster and Download code (Band exclusive edition)

100 copies standard black

All on 180g high quality Vinyl pressed in Germany

350g heavyweight Cover

Poly lined inner sleeve

Early Bird pre-order for the limited Edition is online:

Pink Tank exclusive Edition

http://www.pink-tank-records.de/vinyl-shop/kalamata-kalamata-blood-red-12-vinyl-exclusive-pink-tank-records-edition/#cc-m-product-9982832794

Standard Edition

http://www.pink-tank-records.de/vinyl-shop/kalamata-kalamata-standard-black-12-vinyl/#cc-m-product-9982829394

 

 

Band info: Bandcamp | facebook

Clouds Taste Satanic - 'Your Doom Has Come' (Album Review)

By: Chris Tedor

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 01/09/2015

Label: Self Release

‘Overall a very strong follow up for Clouds Taste Satanic, releasing two great albums within such a short time-frame of each other is an impressive feat and let's hope they can keep this pace up and start some heavy touring. If this is your first introduction to Clouds Taste Satanic I STRONGLY suggest you pick up their debut “To Sleep Beyond the Earth” as well, because it is also excellent.’

‘Your Doom Has Come’ CD//DD//LP track listing:

1). Ten Kings

2). One Third of the Sun

3). Beast from the Sea

4). Out of the Abyss

5). Dark Army

6). Sudden...Fallen

The Review:

The opening bars of “Ten Kings” let you know right off the bat what you are in for. A slow building menacing riff opens up into a doomy vista stretching across the horizon. The drums kick back into a harder Sabbath-esque mid paced riff. The second track “One Third of The Sun” picks up the tempo a bit with a chugged rhythm figure over bouncing drums. What would function as a chorus on this song is a pretty awesome southern-sludge riff with a nice lead. By far the shortest song on the album clocking in at 4:24, this might be the strongest song with a perfect head nodding flow and I'm sure it crushes live.  The third track “Beast From The Sea” is a huge epic riff salad that moves through huge amounts of sonic territory through its length. My favorite part of the track is about 2:17 in Clouds Taste Satanic does a nice tremolo picked lead over a moving sludge riff and bouncing drums. Another highlight of this track is the pedal tone riff bridge section that covers most of the fifth minute. Some enlightened song writing displayed here.

“Out of the Abyss” moves into some more rockish territory with some Kyuss style riffs around the midway point. Continuing this trend the fifth track “Dark Army” also has some more stoner rocky fast sections interspersed with some heavy atmosphere. What really shines on these two tracks is some excellent rolling drumbeats with perfect changes throughout the different feels. The solo near the end of “Dark Army” is fantastically spacey and recalls some of Earth's more western feels. A touch shorter then it could be but still really cool. The final track “Sudden...Fallen” begins with an eerie building riff that moves into a hardcore influenced stoner riff. I really like how the band brings the opening riff back into a movement into the final section which begins with a riff that sounds somewhat familiar to something Unida did off of their last unreleased yet leaked album “The Great Divide.” A fitting end for a great release.

The production on “Your Doom Has Come” sounds improved with a little more expansive stereo mix and a slightly improved balance on the instrumentation. The tones here remain similar to their last release except a touch better sounding reverb when used on the lead guitar. In addition, the rhythm playing and rhythm section feels a bit tighter on this release. Overall a very strong follow up for Clouds Taste Satanic, releasing two great albums within such a short time-frame of each other is an impressive feat and let's hope they can keep this pace up and start some heavy touring. If this is your first introduction to Clouds Taste Satanic I STRONGLY suggest you pick up their debut “To Sleep Beyond the Earth” as well, because it is also excellent.

‘Your Doom Has Come’ is available here

Band info: Facebook | Bandcamp

Khemmis - 'Absolution' (Album Review)

‘From the opening riff of the album you can pretty much tell ‘Absolution’ is great. Laying somewhere between Pallbearer and perhaps a downtempo Ghost, Khemmis' first full-length is one of the best albums you will hear this year, Period!!’

Album Type: Full-Length

Label: 20 Buck Spin

Date Released: 07/07/2015

‘Absolution’ CD//DD//LP track listing:

1). Torn Asunder

2). Ash, Cinder, Smoke

3). Serpentine

4). Antediluvian

5). Burden Of Sin

6). The Bereaved

Review:

From the opening riff of the album you can pretty much tell ‘Absolution’ is great. Laying somewhere between Pallbearer and perhaps a downtempo Ghost, Khemmis' first full-length is one of the best albums you will hear this year, Period!! ‘Absolution’ will be one of the consensus best releases of the year, it IS that good. So far this year, depending on your preferred flavour of doom, I'd say this and Elder's ‘Lore’ are the best so far.

The second track ‘Ash, Cinder, Smoke’ is my favourite of the album, sounding Pallbearer-esque but with guitars that groove harder. The vocals here are exceptional with great lyrics and soaring clean melodies. Some great song writing as well, transitioning from open verses to subtly different feels from the initial little break between the first two verses to the bridge. Beginning with a menacing Wino style riff, the third track ‘Serpentine’ kicks some heavy 80's underground vibes as the opening verse slinks into view. Staying low and slow throughout most of its length, ‘Serpentine’ boasts a great solo with an exceptional, yet short, shred fest. When the tempo kicks into high gear for the bridge some duelling guitar leads move into a really nice rhythm guitar riff with a nice bass line moving beneath.

The fourth track ‘Antediluvian’ begins with a riff that sounds like a stuttering Karma to Burn riff. Moving through the riffs there's some really nice feel changes on the riffs where they almost feel to change tempo mid-riff and the drumming here is pretty exceptional as the drummer rolls everything nicely. The fifth track ‘Burden Of Sin’ begins with a heavy rocking chugging riff into a nice stompy note hold riff. The progression of the riffs in ‘Burden Of Sin’ is really nice as the fills at the end of Khemmis' riffs stay interesting and they keep a lot of movement on their riffs. 

The final track ‘The Bereaved’ begins with a riff that somehow manages to convey it is the last song of the album from the opening riff. Moving quickly into the most epic solo of the album with some impressive phrasing on the melodies beginning with a few soaring notes. This is my second favourite track on the album as the vocals here are very well done with a great melody and the not-quite-chorus between verses here is the best ones on the album.  The rocking middle section is epic with a very heavy rocking Sword-esque fast run.  Keeping it doomy with transitions back to slower tempos. Khemmis' transitions are absolutely seamless and almost not even noticeably even when doing huge tempo swings.   

The mix here is sublime with everything clearly audible and cutting through nicely. The guitars are crushing with nicely balanced leads, the drum kit is clearly audible and booming with a great low end on the kick and toms in particular, the bass is rumbling and room filling, while the vocals perfectly sit in the mix. A great listen, Khemmis are based in Colorado and they are currently playing shows there, definitely worth seeing as these songs should lend themselves nicely to a live environment.   

Words by: Chris Tedor

‘Absolution’ is available on CD and digitally here

  
For more information:

Like: http://khemmis.bandcamp.com/

Follow: https://twitter.com/khemmisdoom

A Light Within - 'Body Matter' EP (Review)

‘I can honestly say this is an incredible record to immerse yourself in and let the textures wash over you.’

Album Type: EP

Date Released: 7/7/15

Label: Static Tension Recordings

‘Body Matter’ track listing:

1. Torn Page #21
2. Page #22 _No Charge
3. Page #51 _Between Shores
4. Page #29 _World Through the Window
5. Page #13 _To Have; To Hold
6. Page #47-48 _Glaso

A Light Within is:

Jeff

Andy

Josh

Nick

Kyle

Review:

A Light Within's new second EP “Body Matter” is a pretty fascinating genre blend. This is one of the catchiest album's I've ever heard that incorporates an authentic sounding “underground” sound. The vocals in particular are a strong point, with thoughtful lyrics and a powerful diverse delivery; I can honestly say this is an incredible record to immerse yourself in and let the textures wash over you. The instrumentation is seamless and mixes ambient to heavy and back in a way that I've only heard a few bands like Junius do.

Jumping around a bit, the fourth track “World Through the Window” has the most heavy Junius vibes, particularly in the beginning with some epic singing and atmospheric guitar-work. Then it moves into some Deftones territory (the good Deftones stuff) with a sweet guitar interlude that isn't quite a solo. The rhythm section does a great job of not overplaying on this track with very tasteful bass lines and some really nice rolling drum-fills.

Speaking of drumming the vamp the drummer does on the final track is really well done as he slowly builds tension over the first couple of minutes with an unusual stomping beat. Jumping back, the way the EP begins is extremely well done with a short ambient wash with some murmured background vocals kicking into the second track “No Charge” which echoes “A Pillow of Winds” with a rooty delay wash beginning. The band meddles a bit further on the second to last track “To Have to Hold” with classical piano melodies floating over some arpeggios.

As different as A Light Within sounds, I will say the vocalist sounds creepily like the guy from Ghost Brigade at times. About an average length EP without any filler, this is a cool introduction to the band, although after starting with two solid EPs we can hope for a full-length in the near-term future. Overall a nice look into where these guys are going and I strongly recommend checking out their first EP “Preface” which is also excellent.

Words by: Chris Tedor

‘Body Matter’ is available here

For more information:

Listen:  http://alightwithin.bandcamp.com/album/2015-body-matter-ep

Like: https://www.facebook.com/ALWaudio

Alustrium - 'A Tunnel to Eden' (Album Review)

Listening to "A Tunnel to Eden" I get the feeling that this might be the album that "makes" this band

Album Type: Full-Length

Date Released: 24/7/2014

Label: Self Release

‘A Tunnel to Eden’ track listing:

1. A Tunnel To Eden
2. The Atheist Phenomenon
3. In His Own Image
4. Wander
5. Slackjaw
6. Procreate, Eviscerate
7. My Possessor
8. Lucid Intervals
9. The Illusion of Choice I
10. The Illusion of Choice II
11. The Illusion of Choice III

Alustrium is:

Jerry Martin | Vocals
Chris Kelly | Guitar, vocals
Mike DeMaria | Guitar
Kevin Penny | Bass
Chaz Squillace | Drum

 Review:

My relationship with death metal has been a little odd over the years.  There's something innately primal about listening to it.  The harsh sound and brutal changes shroud an often awe-inspiring level of musicianship, but some bands in the genre can leave a listener suffering from what I like to call "ear-fatigue" where it becomes difficult and samey sounding to listen to after a half hour or so of non-stop pummelling.  That being said, this doesn't apply whatsoever to Alustrium's newest release "A Tunnel to Eden" which covers a huge amount of sonic ground while dabbling its toes in the pools of progressivism.  This is a death metal album in the vein of the actual band Death, fearless and groundbreaking.  The musicianship here is absolutely peerless with everything from Scandinavian lead work to even some blues licks thrown in the solos.  The drumming is also singularly impressive throughout its length, avoiding genre pitfalls with a deep groove.  From a production standpoint the album is rather dry, as most albums with fast tempo riffing are, and the production reminds me a lot of the aforementioned band Death or perhaps Tombs release "Savage Gold" from last year.     

To give an example of the cools song writing on display here, track 5 "Slackjaw" moves into some Gojira-esque territory with fast tempo palm muted melodic riffs with some cool and different rhythm changes, sometimes mid-riff.  The solo on "Slackjaw" moves over an almost 80s thrash riff and the solo closes into a definitely Scandinavian dual lead section.  The intro riff to track seven "My Possessor" has an almost 90's video game bouncing melody and resolves into a very different complimentary riff.  What sounds like a touch of synth creeps into the background for the epic sounding chorus.  "My Possessor" is a great example of brilliance in riff writing as each section fits perfectly but is radically different in feel giving the song a huge amount of movement through it's length.  The surprising instrumental break in the rough center of the song moves into some post-rock then develops into some Russian Circles territory atmosphere.  As "A Tunnel to Eden" moves through it's track length it becomes gradually more and more progressive.    

The closing three tracks are essentially one huge song in three different chapters.  Clearly the centrepiece of the album, these three tracks compromise a touch over thirty of the album's seventy-five minutes of length and cover just as vast a sonic territory as the early tracks if not more.  These tracks are where the musicianship really comes out in the slick machinelike riff changes and the blistering leads. 

Throughout its length you can tell "A Tunnel to Eden" has got to be pretty epic live.  These guys appear to be based out of Philly and seem to have mostly toured the Northeast from what I can tell pawing through their facebook page.  If they make it in your area make sure to check them out, these songs have great energy on record and I'm sure live it’s even better.  Listening to "A Tunnel to Eden" I get the feeling that this might be the album that "makes" this band, so no joke try to catch them now so you can brag to you're friends how you saw them in a tiny club and they were awesome. 

Words by: Chris Tedor

‘A Tunnel to Eden’ is here
 

For more information:

Like: https://www.facebook.com/Alustrium

Listen: https://alustriumofficial.bandcamp.com/

Kehlvin/Fleshworld - “To Deny Everything That's Mundane” Split LP (Review)

Album Type: Split

Date Released: 6/4/15

Label: Division Records,

Unquiet Records,

Dullest Records, Grains of Sand

“To Deny Everything That's Mundane” Split LP//DD track listing:

1). Kehlvin – Perspective & Growth

2). Fleshworld – Moire

3). Kehlvin – Fishful of Coins

4). Fleshworld – Wrecking Constructs

5). Kehlvin – To Deny Everything That's Mundane

Review:

Splits are always interesting releases in that you can get some crazy match ups sometimes. On this particular split, Kehlvin and Fleshworld are very complementary artists utilizing a unique brand of sludge/post-hardcore/post-metal/etc. It's becoming harder and harder these days for newer artists to make their mark in these ever-overlapping genres but both Kehlvin and Fleshworld succeed in making their own mark on this split.

The opening track by Kehlvin, “Perspective & Growth” is a surprisingly complex and sophisticated arrangement with a song that covers a lot of different paths. The guitar tones here are very reminiscent of the band Cable's 2009 release “The Failed Convict,” and the song writing takes a similar artsy bend as it begins with some pounding hardcore riffs and develops into a cool middle section. The middle section is really well done as it starts with a melodic theme then develops it into the next section seamlessly. The vocals are suitably pissed to match the guitars.

Fleshworld enters the fray on the second track “Moire” which begins with some nice ambient guitar passages. Building into a shifting frenzy of subtle rhythm changes, Fleshworld has some really nice guitar layering during their shifting verses. Some of the lead work on the beginning section reminds me of “Leviathan”-era Mastodon a bit in the best way possible. For any post-metal band the dynamic shifts and interesting song structures are really the hallmark of whether your band is good or not and Fleshworld does a great job on “Moire” with some really nice tribal drumming over the central break in the song and leaving enough space between the guitar melodies to build a great atmosphere.

A long build-up begins the third track “Fistful of Coins” displaying some really nice fuzzy bass lines. Moving into a nice moving verse riff, the song moves through some nice changes with some awesome rhythm guitar work. At around the 4:45 mark Kehlvin brings back the intro riff which has some truly great writing on the cool simple melody lead and the almost djenty prog chug contrast. A more experimental track than Kehlvin's first track of the split, I like this for the best song on the album.

The fourth track “Wrecking Constructs” which is Fleshworld's second contribution to the split displays a very different sound then “Moire.” The first portion of the song begins with open chords and space moving into a double time center section. The guitar tones employed in this track are very different then Fleshworld's earlier track and the mix as well sounds very different. A little more open sounding and the instruments have a little more separation.

For the final and title track we go back to Kehlvin. Continuing in what seems to be the theme of this split of covering a lot of different sounds and song structures this track is no different. It's weirdly hard to describe “To Deny Everything That's Mundane” in that it's familiar but different sounding. Which admittedly sounds cheesy, but the riffs are more chordy here and the short rhythmic breaks at some of the transitions are something not often heard and nicely break up the song.

After hearing this release I would really like to hear these two bands get together for a week in some location and rock out a couple songs all together a la Desert Sessions or that crazy In The Fishtank releases as their sounds, although different, go together pretty well. Overall this is a pretty great release that shows some brilliant song writing and exceptional rhythmic playing by both bands. The subtle time shifts and smooth transitions set a claustrophobic and intense feel that lingers after listening.

Definitely worth the time to check out.

Words by: Chris Tedor

“To Deny Everything That's Mundane” is available here

For more information:

KEHLVIN:Like: Facebook
Official: Website
Listen: Bandcamp

FLESHWORLD:Like: Facebook
Listen: Bandcamp

City of Ships - ‘Ultraluminal” (Album Review)

Album Type: Full-Length

Date Released: 20/3/2015

Label: Translation Loss

‘Ultraluminal” CD//DD track listing:

1). The Light You Stole

2). Alarm

3). Metadata Blues

4). Preeminence

5). Private Party

6). Illwarra Escarpment

7). Lost It

8). Hardwired

9). The Old Man

10). Mile High

City of Ships is:

Andrew Jernigan

Eric Jernigan

Eric Soelzer

Review:

Ah Translation Loss, one of my favorite indie labels having brought us many other releases from great acts like Rosetta, Mouth of the Architect, Giant Squid, East of the Wall, Generation of Vipers, and Intronaut. City of Ships returns after the very strong release “Look What God Did to Us.” The question of where have their travels taken them after the intervening years is an interesting one, as City of Ships has since refined their sound. What has remained is the floating melodies, great production, and nice layering of different harmonies. The primary improvement on 'Ultraluminal' is in the songwriting. City of Ships has tightened their song writing up and 'Ultraluminal' is definitely a release of a more mature band boasting very slick transitions and lots of chord changes. Some of the heavy in the guitar department does seem to be gone as there is no heavy rhythmic-based riffs a la “March of the Slaves” from their previous release. They seem to have dialled the distortion down a little bit as well going for more of a rock-fuzz tone.

Boasting ten solid tracks none of which clocks in past the 4.5 minute mark, this is a relatively short full-length weighing in at a svelte thirty-eight minutes. My favorite track by far is the sixth track “Illwarra Escarpment” which begins with what sounds like some ring modulated bass and moves into a really nice clean/delay guitar verse section right off the bat. The weird bendy effects laden guitar solo is a particular highlight and I wish it went a touch longer. The bass tone is extremely well recorded and sounds fantastic throughout the album as well. And I salute you sir for rocking a Peavey T-40 natural finish, a HIGHLY underrated piece of gear. My second favorite track would be “Hardwired” which displays City of Ships rhythm section at its finest and has a different feel then the rest of the tracks moving from Russian Circles-esque back to Helms Alee territory in the transitions.

Continuing their run, City of Ships continues to impress and continues to improve and refine their sound. This album is a well-crafted and deep work that is a definite grower. Although one minor critique is the song quality does seem to improve, particularly from tracks 6-10, over the songs that open the album. This doesn't really take anything away from it as it gets better the longer you have it on, and with being only thirty-eight minutes it burns through pretty quickly. One other great thing about City of Ships is they always seem to tour with other great bands, check out “Ultraluminal” then check them out on tour.

Words by: Chris Tedor

‘Ultraluminal’ is available here

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