If you are in the mood of a fantastic mix of hopeful, dark and anarchic post-rock and instrumental music, Valerinne has something for you. Valerinne is an atmospheric, haunting, loud and emotional instrumental music project from Bucharest and they are well known for their ability to craft brilliant stuff complemented by wonderful production.

Valerinne is Liviu Stoicescu (bass), Mircea Smarandache (drums) and Alexandru Das (guitar, soundscapes) and they seem to have created an epic soundtrack without a movie with their latest release titled Arborescent that was recorded live in Bucharest. Again the three guys give proof of their original approach to math rock with multiple guitar layers able to create a spacey and introspective sound. Arborescent is a rich and captivating album that keeps the listener on the move for about an hour – four out of five tracks are above ten minutes in length and they all burn soon so you don't need to wait so long to get their mood.

'Golden Hour/Blue Hour' opens up the album and you are immediately brought into the sonic experience of Arborescent. The first track is an absolute killer that doesn't offer any pause to the listener. The use of bass brings a flavour that I very rarely listen. I particularly like the following track 'Étoile De Mer' with its universal mindset, changing from volatile melodic rhythm to a stretched embrace of drums and crashing cymbals before it reverts back to its origin. This song is a work of art.

Luckily Valerinne can switch from space rock to post-rock to prog rock in a ride that will blow your mind. Following the path of the previous two tracks 'The Only Ghost I Ever Saw' stands right in the album's center working as a sort of interlude and it is a sonic experience of approximately five minutes where guitar riffs and drum beats create a vertigo that traps the listener in a space that gradually becomes smaller and smaller till when there's no more space left and the only option is to capitulate in front of the wall of sound's impressive strength. 

The beat is the focal point of almost all five songs and it's the protagonist of also 'Hysterema' and 'Atonement' where Valerinne push the sound into more experimental rock waters with atmospheric post-rock textures here and there.

Throughout the whole album the Romanian trio choose to maintain structure, developing a theme and finding a logical conclusion. Someone could think that this is a mere repetition. I do believe that it's a matter of discipline that each time creates further tension. 'Atonement' concludes an album that demonstrates the ability of Valerinne to create a sound unique in its style and to keep the listeners totally hypnotised.

The last two minutes of Arborescent are stunning.

As part of their apparent mission, Graveborne are working to resurrect the classic black metal sounds of yesteryear. On their second full length album, Through the Window of the Night, they conjure their Scandinavian heritage to offer something deathly similar to the likes of Mayhem and early Behemoth.

The band was founded in 2009, and soon independently released an EP entitled Astride Over the Grave. In 2011, Graveborne released their first LP, Pure Negativity, with new vocalist Raato. The album is a chilling whirlwind of black metal that very clearly showed what the band was capable of. WithThrough the Window of the Night, Graveborne further prove their talent and mastery of the traditional elements of black metal. The album is a violent, uncompromising stream of dark, grisly music that grips the listener and does not let up for a single moment.

The first track, 'Burn the City of God' charges through the gates with a swift, bludgeoning intro from founding member and drummer Pentele. With that, Through the Window of the Night is off with a boom. It sets the pace for the rest of the album, with each song taking no time for lengthy intros or drawn out reprises. Graveborne opts for the quicker and more deadly brand of black metal, with most songs clocking around four minutes each.

After the head banging roil of 'Burn the City of God' is through, Graveborne shift immediately into even higher gear. The third track, 'Root of Evil' contains some of the hookiest riffs on the album. While Pentele blasts away, guitarists Marchosias and Brutalust thrash through shifting chords reminiscent of viking metal. Bassist Kalmo’s frenetic plucking somehow manages to keep up with the rest of the group’s pace, effortlessly matching the guitarists’ progressions on 'Root of Evil'.

Vocalist Raato is at his most brutal and on point on Through the Window of the Night. His grisly screams are set just right in the cacophony, adding just the perfect amount of chaos to each track. 'Pyhää Verta' is a standout track that features guest lyrical and vocal support from …Of Oceans’ K-2T4-S. Raato and K-2T4-S trade vocal duties back and forth as the song charges on until an unforeseen yet welcome sluggish reprise chugs in. The change in pace calls for a pair of devil horns held high and proud.

Fogwarnings resound throughout the end of 'Todkrieg', leading into the album’s closer, 'Men Behind the Sun'. The finale features Marchosias and Brutalust tearing through their most diverse and varied compositions. The song is a fitting end to a thunderous album that rains down upon the listener hard and fast, and never lets up. Through the Window of the Night is a furious LP that sounds just as classic as it does refreshing for the black metal genre.

Graveborne’s career so far has been marked by an uncompromising and vicious vision of resurrecting only the most frigid history of black metal. On Through the Window of the Night, the band further proves their role as some of the most malicious conjurers in the genre.

The Fauns are a band from Bristol that has been shading the airwaves with dreamy colors and sounds. Even though they have much of the aspects of other shoegaze bands, they have taken the genre into their own hands and turn it into chilling, luscious soundscapes. The Fauns have created a collection of song for future daydreams. With the soft harmonies of Alison Garner clashing against the guitar works of Lee Woods and Elliot Guise, this album is clearly an intoxicating drug.

The album begins with ‘Point Zero’ which opens up the gates for the sumptuous river that’s about to engulf your ears. It represents the blooming of a flower and morphs into the following track ‘Seven Hours.’ This is the lead single and for good reason. The song begins with hushed vocals, glimmering guitars, and subtle drums. Once the chorus enters, it explodes into a waterfall of distortion and synths. It will give the listener multiple chills. This kind of explosion is repeated and it gets better each time. The crushing sound of the guitars and drums is a revisit to Kevin Shield’s work with My Bloody Valentine. This song has a comforting atmosphere of resonance.

On the next track ‘Ease Down’, it takes the album into heavier currents. The guitars are turned up a little louder and they come out a bit brighter. Garner’s vocals are pure bliss and feel as if she’s been taken out of a dream. The bass and drums are ascending in rhythm and give the music an extra push. ‘In Flames’ expands into gashing waves of synth and distortion. The vocals are shared and add a unique emotion to the blaring guitar riffs and ethereal drums. It feels as if it’s a heartbeat of a fantasy.

The next track ‘Nothing Ever’, the music is played in a more ominous tone. The sound of the guitars is harsh and painful. The vocals are whispered and sung in with a different sentiment. The drums are thickened and brought out more. It’s the reminiscing of a cold draft on a winter night. It ends with an eerie vibrating note. This song has a shadowy ambience that’s tucked tightly and hidden in nightmares. It’s haunting in the most beautiful way imaginable.

The bitterness is suddenly consumed by a retro sounding synth and slices of distortion in the title track. The drums are warped up in effects and the guitars have a hint of 80’s indie pop. The instrumentation comes together and becomes a spectacular ray of dazzling vibrations. The album segues into a blissful instrumental called ‘Rise’ which is laden with cascading synths and gentle doses of angelic guitars. This gives the listener a floating experience. It’s as if one’s speeding through spacious pockets of clouds. As this song fades into oblivion, the next track ‘4AM’ enters with a smooth melody of jingly guitars, steady drums, and delicate vocals. The song expresses a sleepless night for a tired mind. There’s an aura of lethargy in the instrumental. This song has a relaxing effect and ends like a night.

‘With You’ travels the listener into a rougher patch of buoyancy. It’s driven by drenching distortion, fuzzed out bass lines and condensed rhythms. The vocals are a bit frightening but there also welcoming. This music has fiery sceneries of shoegaze. It’s suddenly overshadowed by the uplifting properties of ‘Let’s Go’. This song has the ability to give someone the urge to spontaneously run away from the world. It’s painted with radiant ascending guitars and strange noises that hover as if they’re UFOs.

The album’s finale, ‘Give Me Your Love’, is an acoustic ballad that could replenish any emotional void. The acoustic guitars are buried with coatings of keys and new wave inspired riffs. The drums come in as spurts of rain drops. This closes the curtains in a calm way almost as if someone’s waking up from a wondrous fantasy. This album is a soundtrack to an escapade of thought while occasionally slipping through bouts of turbulence and static. It’s a step outside of reality, a place where there is no worries or problems.

The Fauns has achieved new heights with their sophomore release. Mark my words; this band is going places as high as the stars.

Finland's Fleshpress may take their name from a Grief song, but it's clear from the opening moments of 'Washer', the first track of their 8th release Tearing Skyholes, that this is a mere vestigial influence by this point. During the opening minutes of this track they're more akin to mid-to-late period Earth, replete with bright, clean tones and glacial pace, but things soon take a turn for the harsher with an abrasive noise-rock rhythm and the addition of vocalist Marko's repellant bark.

The interlude of 'Silmien Rei'ittämä Taivas' transitions the opener into the album's sprawling centrepiece 'Coming Of Gaze'. Here they manage to fuse those shimmering Carlson-esque guitars with a colder, more foreboding atmosphere courtesy of bassist Tuomas' creeping, crawling tones, creating a track positively bristling with malevolence. The whole band sounds completely locked into the basic rhythm, but the guitars of Marko and Samuli manage to veer off and explore a variety of semi-improvisational passages, before culminating in a powerful climax.

The swaying rhythm, slightly off-kilter tones and raw howl of the vocals on 'Floating Paranoia' sounds like some bastard hybrid of Dystopia and The Jesus Lizard. They ratchet up the tension with a series of tightly-wound riffs, escalating to the point where something must break, to the point where any other band would offer relief, but not Fleshpress; they seem to thrive on discomfort and dissonance.

When I said earlier that there was barely a trace of the band that inspired their name on this album, the one exception is the truly bleak 'Golden Owl'. Almost 6 minutes of purest nihilistic sludge, it sticks out like a gangrenous thumb among the rest of the album, but still retains the same uncomfortable atmosphere.

The absolutely monumental closing track 'Each Eye Holes The Sky' begins with layers of corrosive guitar and pounding drums, increasingly building the tension of the track to the point where it becomes almost unbearable, the layers of guitar interweaving and overlapping before the track finally coalesces into a recognisable rhythm. Revolting, orc-like grunted vocals babble maliciously just beneath the surface, while the band seemingly abandon the momentum they spent so long building in favour of short guitar breaks with an almost western vibe.

This is another perfect example of what Fleshpress do so well on Tearing Skyholes; they establish a solid rhythmic base which they then use to veer off on wild exploratory tangents, without ever becoming convoluted or boring. Yes, there's a fair bit of fretboard fuckery, but never at the expense of interesting riffs. The track deteriorates further with each repetition until the riff is so distended and warped that it's barely recognisable from the track's beginnings, before dissipating into corrosive feedback, the equivalent of the slow death of rusting machinery.

While listening to, I thoughtlessly browsed the Internet, looking for nothing in particular. This is generally my go-to method for writing reviews, as my mind tends to wander to a greater degree without anything to occupy my eyes. While browsing Tumblr, I came across a .gif that captured my attention.

It is a black and white artist’s rendering of the pulsating cloud of a stellar nursery, and it is looping on my desktop as I write this. The reason I recount this whole experience is because the descriptions of a post-rock outfit like Twilight in Versailles are generally rife with metaphor. However, in the case of Capsule, the Internet provided me with the ideal imagery for the album.

Twilight in Versailles is a collaborative group led by Ryan Moser. The album credits Guido Ghedin on a handful of drum tracks, as well as Jason Downer. Moser, however, handles a majority of the workload on Capsule. The album is just under an hour of tepid yet capacious post-rock in the vein of Riceboy Sleeps and This Will Destroy You’s Tunnel Blanket.

The album opens with ‘Winter’s Passed,’ which begins with reverberating, layered keyboard. It gently leads the listener into outer space with heavy, distorted drums and echoing guitars. The whole song sounds like a farewell to earth, leading to an interstellar day trip throughout the galaxy. As evidenced on ‘Winter’s Passed’ and the rest of the album, Moser is not afraid to let passages and themes draw out for as long as they need to. ‘Winter’s Passed’ is nearly nine minutes long and despite its repetitive nature, it never really seems to let up. It is an ideal opening track for the album that follows.

The next track, ‘Dragonfly,’ is much shorter than ‘Winter’s Passed,’ but it further evidences Moser’s willingness to allow instrumental themes to freely dictate the length of his songs. ‘Dragonfly’ is a track built on a bass guitar progression that leads into plucked guitar. The following tracks build on this motif, allowing a particular instrument to steer each song in a unique direction.

Capsule patiently advances through ten songs with their own individual motifs, yet there are times when the album seems to meander without a unified direction. The second to last track, ‘Gyroscope,’ comes close to bringing together everything that has occurred on Capsule up to that point. It wealthily combines the album’s numerous themes into a cogent farewell. The last track, ‘Canvas,’ reaches for the same heights as ‘Winter’s Passed,’ but Moser seems to lose control of the drums as they fracture off into space.

The whole album has a sense of deeply felt melancholy running throughout it, yet there is a sense of detachment as well. It is this dichotomy that, amongst other things, makes Capsule the successful debut it is. If humans had the capacity and means to visit other galaxies or solar systems, Capsule would likely be the soundtrack to these journeys. The album bodes very well for Twilight in Versailles’ future.

There is a time, in every young persons life, when all they dream about is picking up a guitar, emulating their heroes and writing the best song of their life. Maybe this sounds all a bit Tenacious D but the overall endgame of that particular film (or theory) is that this is what truly makes music happen. And not just happen, but make it fun...that's fun with a capital F.U.N.

Yes, that's what is missing from music these days. Too much meandering over how the new Radiohead album may actually be a portal to an inner being or how the XX are the forefront of music (and let's be honest...who the fuck are these sort of bands) has cast a sad shade over how music used to be fun. This was then nailed to death by the abysmal The Darkness and suddenly an old sound became a byword for “coolness”and “hipness” and your average Joe would walk the streets with a ROCK M/ T-shirt on and think they were part of a gang.

It's all bullshit of course, but what it does do is denigrate from the bands who actually mean what they do. Classic rock may have it's own magazine now, even it's own festival, but there is still a deep chasm to be mined. This is where Wild Eyes come in, they offer nothing new, they probably don't even care about that, they just deliver good music and good music that is fun.

Where-as there nearest compatriots Howling Rain may offer a jazzed up version of the familiar tropes of classic rock, Wild Eyes go to the other extreme and play it loose, almost garage like. With a great understanding of how there music works, they bring a noise which is not too cluttered and allows the instruments to breathe.

That's not to say they are faulty of mistakes. All bands are, but Wild Eyes expect this and roll with it, and to their testament there is only one song that ultimately fails on here. The rest? Well, buckle up...this is an acid ride into your childhood dreams.

Remember picking up that tennis racquet and thrashing out make believe riffs? That is what Wild Eyes do to you (and this is regardless of age). From the opening track with it's phased out guitars and bass to the more considered 'Amnesia', it is when '1725' takes off that you trip out to it's epic scope. It's all very Blue Cheer, it's all very 1970's but it's still a cracking ride.

The breakneck 'Demons Out' regurgitates all those teenage fantasies only to be let down by the silly 'Groupy Girl' who's title says it all. This is more than made up by the final track 'Take Me' although be warned that, fun as it may be, the preceding track is stupidly dumb. 'Warrior Cry' may be the silliest song ever but in all respect to Wild Eyes, they pull it off with aplomb.

So buckle up your guitars, thrash out those riffs and scream your best rock god scream. Wild Eyes are the most fun you'll have this side of Christmas and may even actually stick around for a bit. Their acid tinged rock lifts the songs to another level and there is a lot going for them. Try it out, just leave your cynicism at the door.

Ok I’ll get the obvious confession out of the way first:

I am a sucker for an attractive woman who can play the RIFF so when a band appears that contains five of them playing doom with the stated obligatory influences of Black Sabbath, Pentagram, Candlemass, Coven and Saint Vitus then I’m sold hook, line and sinker.

The ladies in question comprise Mist from Ljubljana in Slovenia and formed back in July 2012 and present us with their debut EP (the inspirationally titled Demo 2013).

Now that’s out of the way time to focus on the second most important factor, The EP itself which comprises of just two tracks but eight minutes of high quality Doom metal that worships at the altar of the afore mentioned influences.

‘Phobia’ opens with the quintessential doom RIFF leading into the song proper with the band nailing the old school dynamics of the genre spot on, while ‘The Living Dead’ provides more groove to the formula and an impressive guitar solo thrown in to boot.

Amongst this RIFF worship we have vocalist Nina Spruk providing their trump card as her strong retro/occult vocal display provides a melodic dash of individuality.

There is a saying that goes ‘leave them wanting more’ and that’s exactly what Mist have achieved.

Preludium plays a genre mix of crushing death metal, anger infused black metal, and technical guitar riffage. The band hails from Poland. Which is already home to some pretty brutal death metal acts like Vader, Decapitated, Behemoth, just to name a few. Polish metal bands have always had this knack for recording some pretty heavy albums and be brutal metal bands. Maybe its the weather, maybe it's the consistent diet of sausages, meats, beer, and carbs. Whatever it is, keep it up Poland.

I first got into the extreme heavy metal genres through death metal. Death metal was dark, it was dangerous, it was what every adolescent angry kid wanted. The most extreme depictions of gore, death, and everything your favorite B horror film included, but in music form. Redemption does a great job in keeping along these lines.The album really mixes it up with even darker black metal imagery and vocals, without being boring or overly done.

Like any other good death metal album; Redemption opens with a brutal intro build, like the distant whistle of heavy military ordinance about to unleash hellfire on your small quaint town.  The album continues; a marching 'chug-chug-chug', destroying all hope and unleashing all the legions of hell onto your ears. This album is what the kids would call "br00tl".

This album is a real treat to listen to. I frequently tire of death metal albums due to their consistent grinding pace that continues on and on; however, this album keeps things interesting. Traditional "meat grinding" chugging guitar riffs of death metal, into the cadence of black metal blast beats, flowing into a melodic breakdown. This album is a storm of pain and plague, which ebbs and flows death.

I really enjoyed this album. It is heavy, it is dark, it destroys. Preludium has really kept in par with other extreme metal acts that come from Poland. I really look forward to hearing more releases from this band!

The perils of judging a book by its cover part deux…

The Isolation Process is the self-titled debut album of Swedish three piece The Isolation Process, the members having previously plied their trade in Lingua and Come Sleep.

But this is a different beast to those bands as what we have here is very Americanised stadium alt rock.

The opening track 'A Simple Gesture’ is what initially sold me on this band as it delivers a satisfying crunch with its chugging riff and melodic crooning vocals which swells into a suitably large chorus that references a minor post-rock influence.

However after this promising start it totally loses any inspiration and instead seems content to trade in the full range of clichés to be found in this musical style with the quiet/loud dynamics, anguished emotional lyrics and simplistic nu metal riffs.

So if you’re a fan of the likes of Sinch, Taproot and Deftones there will be plenty to enjoy but personally I found it just coasted along until the final track ‘Nothing To Collect’ which is a belter, and just not because it’s the final track, but because it deviates from the template and grows into a rather splendid nine minute post-metal ballad.

There are other highlights in the experience, the first being Thomas Henriksson who has a superb clean vocal range and uses to great effect to be the stand out feature but is hindered by the lack of killer hooks to deliver.

The second is the production and mastering by Michael Nordström (Switch Opens, Lingua, Jesaiah) and Magnus Lindberg (Cult of Luna, Khoma) certainly deserves plaudits as it gives the simplistic music an impressive sense of bombast.

Mourning Cloak do not fuck about, do not fuck about at all. This five piece doom band from Atlanta, Georgia have unleashed a three track album called No Visible Light, a title which matches content perfectly... it’s nothing but a dark punishing doom assault. But unlike silly endurance doom, you know… when someone just standing there with a bass guitar playing one note every 20 minutes whilst your pint vibrates across the table, you do actually want to bob your head to it. However, there is very relief from the relentless repetition. We all know there’s an absolute fuck load of doom bands around at the moment, so you really need to stand out from the crowd. Do they do this? I think so.

There are only three tracks to this album but they are all quite lengthy little fellas, around the 8 – 15 minute mark. The opening and title track ‘No Visible Light’ has a warm hum before firing a brutal yet seemingly catchy riff… think Toner Low, Hebosagil etc, the usual suspects. We’re then introduced to the vocals and fuck me… H E A V Y!!!! They start of as black metal, pretty nasty black metal before we’re enjoying some slow death metal growls… everything weirdos like us could possibly need. The lead work guitar is present but not dominant and the production is tight and really well balanced. You could compare them to a less trippy Ufomammut, reinforced by the occasional sample they throw into the mix. The other tracks ‘Erosion’ and ‘White Halos’ are much of the same really and the band would make no apology for this and quite rightly so. It’s clear they want to hold your attention through gruelling repetition rather to reinvent the wheel.

If you are a doom fan, go and grab yourself a copy… it’s a more than solid notch to add to your bed post. Mourning Cloak aren’t going to turn the doom scene upside down but there are times during the journey when you just think ‘this is absolutely fucking ridiculous’, which is exactly what every doom should be delivering. It’s awesome, but not quite Ufomammut awesome, but riffs are top notch and they sound like Bongripper with a black metal vocalist, surely I have convinced you now?

Seeing as December in music world is dominated by Best Of lists the organiser of this release is either a fool or comic genius for deciding that Plague Ship “will set sail on the last possible fucking day of the year, December 31st”.

Formed from current and ex members of East of The Wall, New Jersey based three piece El Drugstore bring forth their brand of “Instrumental Freak Attack” on their debut album the aforementioned Plague Ship.

Any self-respecting fan of the RIFF should definitely point their ears in this direction and ignore their press description lauding it up to the point of overbearing grandeur with the following blurb:

“The swagger of their jacked-up anti-capella songcraft unloading a dizzying array of awesomely head-scratching jam-outs. Amplification runs rampant, propelling the massive array of effect/pedal-laden spazz-riffery through the pummeling percussive whiplash without a whiff of spitty breath to be found.”

“The results resemble an abortive version of The Fucking Champs deconstructing Cave In and Cynic in an echo chamber full of copulating shrimp and LSD, to those daring enough to take a dip.”

Err….

So what we actually get are 10 concise, sharp and stunning instrumental stoner/progressive rock RIFF workouts in the style of Astrohenge and Russian Circles, wrapped up in an implied improvised psychedelic jamming session as seen in Earthless records.

And it’s just as fantastic as those references dare too imply, providing a 45 minute cavalcade of RIFFS, time signatures, fantastic musicianship and hooks that can either be enjoyed as one whole movement or as individual moments.

And each individual track certainly contains more ideas on their own than most bands whole albums, and it’s pretty tough to pick out an individual track for recommendation or description as there is so many different elements hitting you at once but I’m recommending ‘By What Ill-Gotten Means Have You Procured This Meat?’ because it’s an amazing song title.

All three band members are on top of their game and importantly for this style of music are given equal creative platforms so although the guitarist weaves his magic upfront, the bassist and drummer are especially noticed showing of their own talents throughout.

Hexis are a blackened hardcore band from Copenhagen, Denmark who are about to release their first full length album: Abalam.

I am really interested in how black metal has evolved and changed. As a fan of the genre for some time -19 years and going on strong – I have seen it wind and wander dark areas, avant-garde, and raw sounds. Some “trve kvltists” say this is for the worse, wanting to keep black metal in its raw and pure form of haunting screams and bee drone medieval influenced guitar. Some say, that the movement of black metal into other genres helps to keep the genre current and fresh.

This band is the latter, the mixture of genres this band uses fascinated me. The full raw power of hardcore, blast beats, emotionally vacant droning feedback opening to walls of heavily distorted guitar, and enraged growls of black metal. All these sounds paint a vivid picture of destructive negativity and nihilism Hexis' album Abalam encompasses all of those characteristics.

From the first track 'Faciem' it invites you to a place of extreme emotion. The repetitive drone and build up evokes a dark place, a place of blinding anger. The album keeps this cadence and takes you on a journey; the listener, a witness to chaos, emotion, and dark apocalyptic thoughts. It ends with 'Neglexerunt', finishing with maddened wails and nihilistic guitar feedback. While most of the songs only hit below the three minute mark, the album encircles you, wave after barbarous wave and never slows down.

I really like albums like this. I think an album that takes you on a journey, makes you feel what the emotion of the song, and leaves you with a single focused thought. This is what makes a great record. Hexis is a band which does this well. I listened to this album over and over. It seemed to always change; small notes unnoticed became clear, powerful vocals became increasingly emotional and driven. Their album is dark, cold, and full of animosity; this is a right step in the future of this sub-genre of black metal.

“Conceived, constructed and assembled in the anno domini of MMXII by the demented minds of -M- (axe/machinery) and -R- (vokills) and lurking within the inhuman megalopolis of Tokyo, Legion Of Andromeda is blessed by the will of total war.

Sculpted in reiteration, repetition and cyclical rotation, Legion Of Andromeda impenetrable cacophony outbursts the breath of cosmic frost. Raw, minimal, brutal. Primitive, obtuse, barbaric.

The first Legion Of Andromeda offering is a 4 tracks, 32 minutes demo compound of total aural disintegration. Recorded, mixed and mastered by Shigenori Kobayashi (Coffins) at Noise Room Studio for maximum audial displeasure.”

Judging by the minimal detail on the above press release from mysterious Japanese newcomers Legion Of Andromeda we can be certain of two things:

(1) They own a thesaurus and are not afraid to use it.

(2) They don’t expect (or possibly want) you to like what they have to offer

What they probably didn’t expect was this writer to be chuckling away to himself out of enjoyment, not because it’s terrible – far from it – but because the techniques they employ to be anti-social actually make it an enjoyable slice of sludged up death-doom (Yes that is a ’thing’).

‘Cosmo Hammer’ begins proceedings with a squall of feedback before the song ‘happens’ I say happens because the basic components of the song itself is a mid-paced 4 chord progression played on repeat with what’s best described as a blacksmiths hammer hitting an anvil at the beginning of each cycle, topped off with low end undecipherable growling.

This is repeated for 6 minutes, and the sheer relentlessness of it becomes enjoyably hypnotic ‘Overlord of Thunder’ starts with another mid paced 4 chord progression but higher in harmonic and just when you’ve been lulled into security that rhythmic hammer and anvil re-appears at the exact same tempo, although the chord progressions do actually vary in style slightly (not in tempo obviously).

Yes this is also repeated for 7 minutes before abruptly ending and leading into ‘Sociapathic Infestation’, which is a Slayer cover continues where ‘Overlord…’ left off but slowly increasing the tempo into a mid-paced death metal chug, that hammer and anvil is still in the same tempo as from the start.

*Stop Press* the hammer and anvil rhythm doubles in pace on final track ‘Fist Of The Galaxy’ and unsurprisingly the tempo of the chord progression retaliates to this slowing down to funeral doom pace. For all my light-heartedness, the sheer bravado and confidence that is instilled in the relentlessly cycled rhythms and unforgiving tempos make for an enjoyable experience which in their own words you should:

“Listen to (at) maximum volume and fuck off”

Wolves in the Throne Room: BBC Session 2011 Anno Domini is a special release from WITTR's record label Southern Lord Records, recorded at the BBC's Maida Vale studios. Where hundreds of classical, contemporary, and popular music acts were recorded for Britain's biggest media outlet.

I like Wolves In The Throne Room (WITTR). I first heard their album Two Hunters and then Diadem of 12 Stars, I was really into their sound. Researching more about them, I really liked what WITTR was about as well. Appreciation and preservation for nature and self sustenance. That is how I was first introduced to the "Cascadian Black Metal" sound. This lead into other bands from the same area and genre.

When I saw them live, it really put into prospective what the band is trying to convey in their music. It was a cold winter day in Stuttgart, Germany when I saw them play. The venue they played at really complemented the set, glass front that allowed you to see the outside falling snow. The room was dark besides a small alter with burning incense . The band came out to a drone of single guitar chords, like a purifying of the air for their “ritual” to begin. They just then played song after song, no pause and the transitions flowed, hallowed and hypnotic.

Listening to WITTR is cleansing, I think, their sound overcomes you and is mesmerizing. Like a primitive ritualistic chant. The slow progressions that build up, then subside, then again build up. It is a wave, speaking to a ancient and primal inner self.

This album tries to capture that essence. The powerful, ritualistic show that WITTR puts on and with two of the most moving songs from their latest album Celestial Lineage. I kind of wish that this album had a little more. WITTR has put out a live album previously (Live at Roadburn 2008) that really captured their energy, but this release was a little short. It seems only a taste of what really makes WITTR, I think, a memorial band.

The beginning opens up with the 'Prayer Of Transformation', which if you haven't heard it, sound just like the title. A drone of chords and slow drumming brings the opening of the rite into a harmonizing focus, progressing into the "transformation". Growling lyrics are the words that invoke an archaic magic.

The album continues with 'Thuja Magus Imperium'. Again a progressive primal song that invokes sprits, specters, and ancient forest beings.

WITTR is a great band, they have a great sound, and I really enjoy all their albums. I highly recommend you sit and listen to this album and even all their past releases. I also highly recommend that if they are playing near you, make the trip to see them live. They will not disappoint. 

Is it possible to become slave to the rhythm? If you start listening to Polymath you’ll become addicted to their music and if you listen to them again and again you’ll probably become slave to them. This is what it’s happening to me, so, just be careful!

For those of you that still don’t know who they are, Polymath is one of the new instrumental math bands that is trembling in Brighton, UK, since 2012. Tim Walters, Chris Woollison and Joe Branton define themselves “all glitchy, off-kilter guitars and shifting time signatures”. It sounds interesting and it’s very true.  If you had the occasion to listen to their previous works, Tetragon or Vertex, you already know that these three talented musicians are not afraid to push the envelope in order to create futuristic sounds, tempo changes and intricate musical pieces.

For 2014 they have planned to release a series of ‘mini EP’ and the first stage is the fusion of two songs: 'Roku' and 'Demipenteract'. What’s the outcome? An EP that is composed by one continuous track titled La Union De Roku & Demipenteract. It’s quite logic and linear, yes, until you press play and the vertigo of sound will surround you like a spiral where nothing is linear and everything is beautiful.

 In a running time of approximately 14 minutes, Polymath experiments almost everything. Crunchy guitars and thumping drums are always at the center of the stage and the only pause is where ‘Roku’ flows into 'Demipenterac’. The effect is so amazing that I think it will make musicians stand open-mouthed in a state of pure admiration, wondering just how such music is written. Both sides of the track are plenty of insane rhythm changes and melodies that fill the ears in a barrage of panicked sound.

One of the things that will catch immediately your attention is the notable instrumentation that create a beautifully dense and clean sound which is much greater than the sum of its parts. And the interplay between the guitar riffs and the drum beats is incredible. I’m not able to say which is my favorite part of this track – even if the sonic vertigo at about the third minute really intrigues me - because it’s amazing as a whole and the best way to experience it is to put it at high volume.  Do it and La Union De Roku & Demipenteract  will keep you on the move.

Math rock is back and, drop by drop, Polymath is going to feed our need of it.