Greenleaf - "Rise Above The Meadow" (Album Review)

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Full length
Date Released: 26/02/2016
Label: Napalm Records

Swedish heavy rockers Greenleaf return with their sixth(!) full length and “A Million Fireflies” kicks off the album with distorted bass, rumbling drums and fuzzy guitars. It manages to be both raucous and measured at the same time.  Musically, I suppose, this falls somewhere between Cream and Fu Manchu, but rather than just bludgeon the listener, the band combine weight with a lightness of touch- particularly with regards to the vocal melodies.  Overall, If you like heavy rock, fuzzy guitars and vocals that stick with you then this album is one to check out.

“Above The Meadow” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1. A Million Fireflies
2. Funeral Pyre
3. Howl
4. Golden Throne
5. Carry Out The Ribbons
6. Levitate And Bow (Pt. 1 & 2)
7. You´re Gonna Be My Ruin
8. Tyrants Tongue
9. Pilgrims

The Review:

Swedish heavy rockers Greenleaf return with their sixth(!) full length. “A Million Fireflies” kicks off the album with distorted bass, rumbling drums and fuzzy guitars. It manages to be both raucous and measured at the same time, with quieter moments and an archetypical Swedish vocal- think Witchcraft...

“Funeral Pyre” is similarly earth shaking with some cracking riffs and a lovely reverb heavy drum sound. Musically, I suppose, this falls somewhere between Cream and Fu Manchu- think that sounds good? It is!  “Howl” goes for a more mellow but equally direct approach. Until a BIG riff kicks in at the three minute mark that is...

“Golden Throne” is a short, sharp ditty with a propulsive rhythm and strong melodies. “Levitate and Bow” is an expansive workout which spans over seven minutes of shifting sounds; ambitious and wholly effective. The likes of “You're Gonna Be My Ruin” and “Tyrants Tongues” are more direct in  approach, but always maintain a keen sense of melody- as the record does as a whole. Rather than just bludgeon the listener, the band combine weight with a lightness of touch- particularly with regards to the vocal melodies. “Pilgrims” finishes this fine and heavy rocking effort in style with a fine building track which is a memorable crystallisation of what the band does best. If you like heavy rock, fuzzy guitars and vocals that stick with you then this album is one to check out.

“Above The Meadow” is available here

Band info: facebook

Familiars - "Migration" EP (Review)

By: Victor Van Ommen

Album Type: EP

Date Released: 23/01/2016

Label: Independent

“Migration” DD track listing:

1). The Wild Horses of Sable Island

2). Runners of the Woods

The Review:

The last we heard from Familiars was in January 2015. They had just released a self-titled EP ( review) that was chock full of crunchy, Dozer-like riffs and smoky vocals that hung low in the mix.

Now a year down the line, Familiars is back with a new EP, “Migration,” and as the title suggests, their sound has shifted. The thing still bites like its predecessor does but there’s less gas being given on these two tracks. “The Wild Horses of Sable Island” is a touch more hypnotic than what their first EP while the vocals in “Runners of the Woods” fill the cracks in the music just right, hanging onto that Deftones influence.

It’s hard to say if these two songs are a sign of a new direction for Familiars or if it’s hinting at a balanced full-length that will draw on mesmerizing riffs as much as upbeat ass-kickers. I’m hoping for the varied full-length scenario because these two EP’s complement each other very well.

“Migration” is available here

Band info: bandcamp | facebook

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

Interview with Greenleaf @ Paradiso, Amsterdam, NL, December 8th 2015

By: Victor Van Ommen

Camera: Martin Luyckx

Greenleaf is the heavy rock power house built around guitarist Tommi Holappa. We know Tommi best from the Swedish stoner rock trailblazers Dozer. What a band that is. The status of Dozer is left somewhat in the middle – will they or won’t they? – so until we know anything more from that camp we can jump on board with Tommi’s other musical endeavor, Greenleaf. 

Greenleaf got their start around 2001. The band started out as more of a project than a band, never having a consistent line up but instead a revolving door of musicians borrowed from Dozer, Truckfighters, Lowrider, and probably every other Swedish band you know. As the years passed, the band got more and more recognition thanks in no small part to their powerful performances at our favorite parties. 

2016 is going to be an even bigger year for the band because they’re beginning to settle on a formation of musicians and are slated to release a new album on February 26^th called, “Rise Above The Meadow.” They’re just off a tour with Clutch and have released a killer lead-off single named “A Million Fireflies” which you can watch here

I got to sit down with guitarist Tommi and singer Arvid after their show with Clutch and ask them a few questions about their past, their current state, and what they hope to see happen in 2016. You can watch that interview here:

Band info: facebook