When I saw Dutch instrumental quartet Mannheim at Incubate Festival in Tilburg this September just gone I have to confess to being blown away by their combination of sludgy groove, mathy playfulness and free jazz power. It’s rare you see a band these days that don’t quite sound like anyone you’ve ever heard before. Zu are the most obvious comparison point here, but Mannheim sound more like a companion band than a band on the same path, which is some consolation to everyone who (rightly) thinks that it’s far too long since Zu last made a record.

On record Mannheim lack a little of the rawness that helped them capture my attention live, but only a little. The droning introduction to ‘Beast’ is no preparation for the devastating barrage that follows. There are quieter moments on this record, but mostly Super-Empowered darts from one huge slab of noise to another. Otto Kokke (also of Dead Neanderthals) is responsible for much of the truly manic that’s to be found here. His sax skronk isn’t a million miles away from some of the wonderfully atonal playing of Jørgen Munkeby on Shining albums like In the Kingdom of Kitsch You Will Be a Monster, Grindstone and Blackjazz (i.e. all their ‘metal’ albums bar that new one where they just try to sound like NIN for an entire record).

What separates Mannheim from a band like Shining, however, is that they are less interested in avant-garde statements of extremity and more interested in the primality of rock music. There’s a hefty dose of Shellac in the mix here. At points the bass sounds less like it is being played and more like it’s being hurled at the listener from the opposite side of the room. The math rock element of Mannheim’s sound is very much there, but it’s apparent in manner the band switch between modes of noise making than in an abundance of guitar led time signature wizardry.

The likes of ‘Watcher’ and ‘Predator’, probably the two best songs on the record, meld everything Mannheim do best into irresistible tunes. This is music that’s serious fun as well as seriously loud. Any fan of noisy rock music, preferably one who is also partial to a bit of experimentation, owes it to themselves to check this record out. When you’ve heard it start petitioning to get Mannheim to the UK as soon as possible. What a beast of a band.

You can figure out all you need to know about Israel’s Promiscuity by looking at their name, and by reading this blurb about their Infernal Rock ‘n Roll – 50’s Style flexi disc single: “For the first and the last time, the critically disapproved track INFERNAL ROCK N ROLL is presented on the infamous Flexi disc format, to guarantee minimum sound quality and maximum disturbing static background noise. Get ready for a MONO attack - total 50's style!”

That pretty much covers it. If you’re familiar with the likes of Midnight, Chapel, and Speedwolf, whose efforts of late have made it popular to mix Motörhead-esque speed metal with Venom and Abigail’s black metal, then the term “infernal rock ‘n roll” should make perfect sense to you.

Basic Instinct, Promiscuity’s newest EP, is short and to-the-point, with no frills and absolutely no new contributions to a style that needs no reinvention. This is just raw, angry, hedonistic black/speed metal, and damn is it satisfying. If you’ve heard the stuff these guys take influence from, or from other bands playing the same style, you know exactly what to expect, but you also probably want more of it, and Promiscuity pull it off very, very well; if you aren’t headbanging immediately when the opening notes of ‘The Beauty and the Bitch’ hit, then you just aren’t fucking metal enough.

And that headbanging should continue throughout the entirety of the EP. ‘Pedophile’ is just as deliciously badass as the track it follows up, and the band’s cover of Celtic Frost’s ‘Into the Crypt of Rays’ is both faithful to the original and worthy of carrying the mantle. ‘Maniac’s Blues’ slows it down a little bit in the middle, but not enough to make it stick out; it’s still riffy as hell and should have you thrashing around uncontrollably. The only possible thing to complain about on this EP is that it isn’t longer, but while the ride on this unstoppable booze-fueled freight train may be short, it’s a freakin’ party the entire time.

Basic Instinct just does everything right. It has energy and passion behind it, and riffs this tasty will never, ever get old or go out of style. If they do, you might just be listening to the wrong genre.

Get drunk, worship Satan, and listen to Promiscuity.

Back in the mid-80s, a friend introduced me to Independent Project Records, a small DIY label/art studio based in Los Angeles. Founder/creative director/artist/musician Bruce Licher built the label as the vehicle to release his own band's material, as well as that of like-minded musicians from the LA area. The IPR 'sound' was unlike anything else happening in the independent music scene at the time. Stark, desert-soundscapes; post-punk angular tribal/rock rhythms; and extended electro/acoustic improvisations, delivered in stunning hand-letterpressed sleeves - artwork and music both highly influenced by the natural beauty of the Western United States. I was (and still am) completely consumed by the IPR releases; records from Savage Republic, 17 Pygmies, Scenic, Lanterna and others were constantly spinning on my turntable.

Independent Project Records' output continued throughout the 90s, and much to my delight, they were joined in the scene by new labels whose rosters included bands that were releasing music that seemed to be heavily influenced (whether intentional or not) by the foundation built by the IPR family. Kranky, Alien8, Quarterstick, and of course, the mighty Constellation Records, all offered listeners access to music that integrated field recordings, extended improvisational guitar soundscapes, strings, horns, alternative percussion, and a strong emphasis on the visual element. Videographers and photographers were invited to integrate their work into these compositions, both on the physical releases (record sleeves and inserts), and on stage, using the music as a soundtrack to further enhance the impact of the visual display.

Three bands that come to mind during this period - Rachels, Hovercraft, Godspeed You! Black Emperor - perfected the integration of film with their live performances. The visual aspect, in my opinion, was just as important as the instrumentation - the bands offering it as a core component of their package, both in their releases, and in the live setting.

This marriage of art and sound continues today, and has been embraced by more bands than ever before. A perfect example of this integration can be seen (and heard) in the work of French experimentalists, Oiseaux-Tempête.

My first exposure to the sights and sounds of Oiseaux-Tempête was via their release teaser on their website, and a few shorts on youtube. I was hooked immediately by their their dark, organic soundscapes, wrapped around a montage of stunning visuals. So I went looking for more, and I found these two brilliant long-players: Temps Zero Toulouse : live impro + fotoprojektions and Ouroboros (featuring Gareth Davis), Live at Eglise Saint-Merry, Les Rendez-Vous Contemporains, 26.04.2013, along with their self-titled début, out on Sub Rosa Records.

Minutes in to first track 'Opening Theme (Ablaze in the Distance),' while the repeating wail of the guitar slowly builds like a stark siren in the desert, I'm reminded of the extended instrumentals created by mid-period Savage Republic, as well as on later releases from Godspeed. And since I'm a huge fan of both bands, I knew that this record was going to be a special one for me.

You'll notice as you work through the 9+ minutes of 'Opening Theme,' that the band doesn't rush the compositions - each song has a strong sense of paced completeness, whether it's a 2 minute interlude such as 'Sophia's Shadow,' or the 17+ minute epic 'Ouroboros.' Field recordings, found sounds/experiments, and an occasional voice, integrate perfectly with traditional instrumentation to further develop each song's story, and to provide added depth and interest to the longer tracks. Recently, I've been streaming the fotoprojektions video with no sound while the album plays. Although the images aren't in sync, I feel that this allows me to experience the record as it was truly meant to be - blending a strong visual element to accompany the music.

'Buy Gold (Beat Song)' picks up the pace a bit, delivering a structured looping melody that builds to a much heavier guitar distortion, reminiscent of Crispy Ambulance, other early Factory releases, and first wave Constellation. It's a confident, strong track that compliments the longer more experimental segments of the record. And it's a perfect introduction to 'la traversée' and 'Nuage Noir' - the transition tracks - a collage of sounds and texture, acoustic/ambience, somber, yet ethereal - lovely songs.

The second half of the record begins with the dark post-punk sounds of 'Kyrie Eleison' - bass-heavy, industrial rhythms, sampled recordings, driving percussion. I really like the fact that the band chose to include this song. Although stylistically different than everything else up to this point, it still fits well with the movement of record, and contrasts nicely with the delicate sections of 'Silencer,' the second interlude that follows. Images of silent films, weathervanes, falling leaves.

A barking dog introduces 'Ouroboros,' the 17+ minute epic that anchors this release and firmly places it at the top of my favourites list for 2013. The first half moves at a leisurely pace - repeating guitar explorations, occasional feedback, and stark rhythms. The heaviness begins at the 10-minute mark - a slow build that crescendos into a wall of wailing guitars, riding on a churning low-end. If you enjoy the extended sonics of Fourteen Nights at Sea, 'I Could Live In Hope'-era Low, Godspeed, and Swans, you'll enjoy this one. I highly recommend watching the 'Ouroboros' Vimeo link that I mentioned above. Gareth Davis on bass clarinet is an outstanding addition.

'Call John Carcone' is a rock song. And one that is so perfectly reminiscent of the early IPR releases (specifically, Savage Republic and Deception Bay) that I can almost picture in my head what Bruce's design would look like on the letterpressed sleeves. Searing monotone guitars, staccato snare, waves of controlled feedback, and driving bass. The only bad thing about this song is the abrupt ending after only 6 minutes - I wouldn't mind if they extended this beast another 4-5 minutes.

The album wraps up with two subdued soundscapes. 'l'île' oozes with throbbing electronics for several minutes, and then transitions to a wash of bass clarinet, vocal-effects, and synth/drones. 'Outro (for the following)' is a brief experiment, and goes out in silence.

Oiseaux-Tempête is visual music; rich in texture, depth, and colour. A peaceful, yet subtly challenging release, offered to listeners as an escape from a chaotic world. My only disappointment is a selfish one (since I live in the US) - I've not had the opportunity to see them in a live setting, to experience the band as they explore and improvise through their set, consumed by the music and accompanying imagery. For now, I'll have to settle for headphones, volume, and pictures on a screen. Unless of course, you're a wealthy patron interested in sponsoring a 6forty project post-rock festival here in the States, and are willing to fund travel expenses for a few select bands. Now that would be a grand adventure...

Please take the time to explore the world of Oiseaux-Tempête. Turn off your phone, lower the lights, relax in a comfortable chair, turn up the volume and start with 'Ouroboros.

Your eyes and ears will thank you...

Oiseaux-Tempête // Ouroboros from Léa Neuville on Vimeo.

Duck Explosion?.....seriously guys? No seriously, Duck Explosion, really? That's the bands name? Fuck me!!! I've stared at the name now on screen here for 15 minutes actually scared to press play. I'm intrigued and afraid of what I'm about to hear. Judging by the name it's gonna be a real Marmite moment isn't it.

Fuck it. Play.

Hang on a minute, this is good, no this is really, really good. Absolutely no hint of that either love it or hate it shit here. It's a four track EP Zebra Pilot and every one of the songs is great. Think fIREHOSE, Fugazi and Hater (the side project of Matt Cameron and Ben Sheppard of Soundgarden) and you wouldn't be far of the mark style wise. These guys from France sure know how to deliver short, sharp, punchy songs that really rock. Track 1 'No Way Out' is a great tune to open the EP. However track 2 'In The Inside' is my favourite song on Zebra Pilot with a great chorus that is now etched into my brain and I can guarantee that I'll be singing this for ages.

Track 3 'Lie To Me' again another catchy hook with a great little breakdown and chorus where the guys claim to "have lost their mojo", luckily it hasn't affected the ability to write fantastic tunes. Finally track 4 'Top Of The World' is just another great song from the guys.

I don't want the review to be about the name but as it's normally the first thing we see but I very nearly passed on this EP and would have really missed a great band... I wonder how many other people didn't press play? I really hope the guys re-evaluate the name as I don't think it will do them any favours in trying to get taken seriously and I genuinely think they do deserve to be taken seriously.

So a short review of a great 4 track EP from a band (with in my opinion) a pretty shit name. No point trying to fill a space just for the sake of it as it would do the spirit of Zebra Pilot a disservice with its no frills, no fat, just great post-hardcore songs. Do not let the name fool you, just press play and you'll see.

I got asked to review a band called Grind-O-Matic and being as immature as we all know, I did find the name mildly amusing. However, the music was no laughing matter.

To give you a bit of background, Grind-O-Matic is a French grindcore band based in in Paris. They’ve been around since 2003, releasing their very own brand of grindcore upon the world, with hints of death metal, but it’s all blended together to give them a superb sound and tone. Their 3rd release is called Flower Power. Based on past releases one could say they’re a bit of shenanigans grindcore band, much like Birdflesh.

It’s safe to say that they definitely do not fuck around when it comes to making incredibly fast, abrasive grindcore. The record has its own nuances that make it something special, one of which comes in the form of sound clips that are quite fitting for the mood the record puts you in. As you travel at the speed of a turbocharged meat grinder, you’re pegged back to reality by these very sound clips, before this shit storm goes full tilt and kicks you in the face with its abrasive, speedy and a very stop start flavour of grindcore.

This can be attributed to by the death metal influences that are very evident in the song writing and soundscape for that matter. It does tend to go from warp speed, straight down to slower, heavier riffs, which gives it that variation in tempo I so crave. It’s different and it definitely caught my attention straight from the get go. It’s a fun record to listen to, but it is also very taxing in terms of pushing your psyche to its very limit as you’re taken on a journey of musical destruction.

For the most part, it’s just fucking weird man, but in a groovy kind of way, where you’re not quite sure what to expect next. It has that unpredictability to it that makes it dangerous. The message of the record is definitely self evident and powerful for that matter, which gives it that passion factor.

This is a very weird and wonderful release by the French grinders, who have exceeded all my expectations with Flower Power. This record is definitely one of the most interesting listening experiences I have had to date, absolutely fantastic release.

Seeing the apparent name of this band as ‘TSLCORSASZ’ put me in mind of some guttural scratching of an evil metal lord of darkness clearing his throat after having had a nasty cough. It turned out, however, on further investigation, that the band’s name is in fact the even odder The Sustained Low 'C' of Richard Strauss’ "Also Sprach Zarathustra", a Toronto band I saw in what must have been one of their first gigs, fourth on the bill playing in a skater half-pipe in a room above a bike shop (kvlt?). There have been heaps of bands inspired by and then named after other bands’ albums or songs, but this is the first time I’ve seen a band named after a particular note in a piece of music about a book vaguely about an ancient religious figure. Still, this apparent intense focus, attention to detail and opening out onto grand myth manages to come through not only in their elaborate name but in their new 7” Lime/Meat, released late December on Hypaethral Records.

The band has been constructed out of some of the finest components of Toronto’s metal scene, such as the energetic ferocity of metal titans Titan and the engagingly oppressive atmospheres of Gates’ absorbing drone. Aside from a free demo download (available on Bandcamp), this appears to be the band’s first recording, and they’ve burst out of the blocks snarling.

First track ‘Lime’ allows five whole seconds of feedback before we’re launched into furious, gritty and complex black metal, with tremolo-picking and slightly hardcore-influenced vocals. The entrance of some angular, rotating technical riffs adds further elements of rhythmic discordance, as does a guitar solo which lurches manically as if up against the walls of a forgotten underground cell. Always controlled, and always balanced well in the mix, neither of these elements is permitted to interrupt the raging flow of the track, all of which is kept in a disturbed state by the frenetic drumming. With the onset of the seasonal advertising spreading like an infection through late November, the sheer amount of percussion present in some sections of the first track conjured images of the metal lord of evil in festive mood, grimly agitating a fully-laden Christmas tree… This breakneck drumming style is a key part in making this a great piece of focused black metal rage, using every variety of sound available from the kit and keeping everything in a permanent state of tension, saturating the sound with rattling and jabbing attacks coming from every angle.

Second side ‘Meat’ continues with a taut, punchy explosion into a slightly slower collection of growling riffs, with lead guitar entries keeping things interesting and a hollow, indistinct growl complementing the impassioned shouty vocals that howl around the rest of the two tracks. Cycling around sections again with subtle variation and embellishment, the track closes with an ascending and expectant drum roll, fittingly closing the barely-12-minute-long release with a sense of anticipation for what’s next. In this case, what’s next is straight back to the beginning for another listen to this dense and rewarding debut.

It is always a good sign when you listen to a new band and find you've listened to the entire album several times before realize you have. This was the case with Winkie's debut full length release entitled One Day We Pretended To Be Ghosts. The drone shoegazing duo hailing from Brooklyn is comprised of Peter Santiago on bass with Gina Spiteri-Santiago with vocal and keyboard duties. So how much noise can two musicians make? A LOT! From the opening seconds of One Day We Pretended To Be Ghosts until the end of the album 45 minutes later, there is no escape from the crushing whirl of drone and the eerie atmospherics.

The album kicks off with playful toms then sharp wavy noise descends into the mix. The tone lingers in the background sounding like an agitated swarm of bees trapped inside an empty Carlsberg keg. The tumult is well suited to a song named 'To Die a Thousand Romantic Deaths'. Gina's vocals are sung fairly flatly and altered to sound forlorn and somber. This gives Winkie a dark vibe as Gina's lyrics come across sounding rather desolate and cheerless. Even with the aforementioned thick heavy gloom the songs still have a bouncy edge to them. The consistent steady drum beat and lighter synth tones still make 'To Die a Thousand Romantic Deaths' a catchy head nodding track. The song closes with some ballsy distortion which re-emphasizes the band's striking ability to manipulate noise.

Next up is the track 'My Eyes are Closed When the Sun Comes Up' which reminds me of older Cure with its wispy/scratchy/plucky bass tones. 'My Eyes' has some striking and mournful synth which accompanies Gina's somewhat warmer vocals. The stripped away ending of the song is quite beautiful. It delicately decays the wall of sound into a satisfying and somber conclusion. The über gazy wall of drone hums again, smoldering in the mix of the next song 'Illuminated'. There is a section of the song toward the end where the drone is off and Gina's vocals are in the forefront with the drums marching along and it's magical. Many bands can bring the noise... but few know how to use it effectively. Winkie already understands the incredible auditory power of juxtaposing loud and soft passages.

If you're looking for a wall of drone to close your eyes to while embracing the reverberating shimmer, the track 'The Line Up' is for you. I found it curious how relaxing I found the music in spite of  the massive tonal onslaught. You know that 'pop' your ears feel when a My Bloody Valentine's song ends? That sudden 'release' into silence? Winkie has that and it's awesome. The rest of the album is fairly consistent with plenty of creativity, catchy synth and highlights Gina's vocals with various vocal effects. My only gripe would be a few tracks on the back half of the album tend to run a little long but this was a minor concern. From the murky drone of 'Death at the Heart of the Disco' to the slower refreshing 'Vacant' which showcase a gentler sounding Gina, One Day We Pretended To Be Ghosts offers the listener plenty of unique and interesting soundscapes to explore.

Winkie's sound often hits the right balance of dark swirling drone, atmospheric synth and mysterious vocal allure. One Day We Pretended To Be Ghosts is full of character and possesses' a powerful, confident musical presence. The album is certainly an impressive debut release for the New York duo. Those looking for a drone fix laced with melodic shoegazing goodness need look no further than Winkie. A recommended listen.

Be sure to check them out on Soundcloud.

It’s debatable how much OM’s relative popularity (given the style of music they play) is down to Al Cisneros also being one third of now reformed Sleep but that’s not a matter for dwelling on. It can only be a positive thing that the Brudenell is approaching full capacity for an act that, especially on last year’s Advaitic Songs, have a fair few touches of the experimental about them. A doom gig this is not.

Just in case any doubt lingers about that, Mick Flower turns up just to hammer home the point. Performing in duo formation (but, it would seem, not as the Flower-Corsano Duo of which he is a part), Flower and his partner rattle their way through forty minutes or so of psychedelically tinged guitar drone. It’s all a bit like the drone record that Syd Barrett would have made if he’d turned up twenty years down the line. There’s an odd touch of country to some of Flower’s playing too, which is slightly baffling. Ultimately it’s the sort of thing that’s been done a hundred times before, and struggles to prove too exciting as a result.

In contrast, OM have few peers. That’s not because their sound is wholly unique, but because they have a single-minded dedication to evolution that has resulted in subtle, but significant alterations to their sound over time. This means that, over the course of this set, they travel from the realm of pure drone doom across into tracks that are almost exclusively made up of the hypnotic Middle Eastern music that has inspired their discography to date. Opener ‘Sinai’ is a good example of the latter, tumbling into existence with a pitter-patter and lulling everyone into attendance into the same spiritual trance.

Tracks from God is Good have a weightier air to them, but at the same time keep the mood tranquil. Only Robert Lowe (aka. Lichens, and formerly of 90 Day Men), who has become OM’s third member in recent times, is lost in a buzz of frenetic movement. Whilst others in the crowd rock back and forth, headbanging as if affirming divine revelation rather than as if worshipping riffs, Lowe manically thrashes at his array of percussion and over exaggerates each resonating note played on his guitar. Drummer Emil Amos and Cisneros himself, in contrast, both play with restraint, without sacrificing any power.

This restraint feels almost communal by the end, and the overwhelmingly positive round of applause the band gets emphasises this. OM is an exercise in devotion, with the band in audience being as a congregation of one.

Serves me right for judging a book by its cover…

The press release for this release simply read:

“Third groundbreaking chapter from electro metal masters Herrschaft. A 12-tracks magma of violent experimental grooves, ecstasy-driven riffs and smashing hits.”

A cursory glance at their back catalogue suggested they ply their trade in the well-trodden style of industrial/goth club music. So I was all up for kicking back to disengage and enjoy something uncomplicated and fun.

So, I press play and the initial electro intro build ups…. To promptly boot me in the face with the metallic fury of opener ‘Gates To Dream’, it has all the elements of industrial metal that Rammstein,Oomph and KMFDM do so well, the simple yet huge metallic riffs, electronic and synth backing tracks, but the intensity is dialled up by the aggressive nature of the dual high/low growled vocals.

You certainly have my attention Herrschaft!

And keep it they do as ‘Kimi Ga Yo’ kicks into full on nightclub mode of pounding high hat drumming, ‘thumping’ bass (did I just right that) and stop start metal riffing plus huge chorus, the type of song that will go down a storm on stage and on dance floors.

The heartbeat of this band and album definitely lies in the aforementioned club stompers with full on glow stick wavers such as ‘Virtual Medication’ and ‘Almighty’ but they can certainly mix up the formula in surprising fashion.

‘Disorder Mind Mechanics’ and ‘Endlessly Revolving’ definitely have a lot more in common with symphonic metal theatrics than anything goth/industrial, even sounding almost Dimmu Borgir in places, while ‘Thirty-Six’ even treats us to that lesser spotted guitar solo.

There is one missed trick though, track five is called ‘Rat in Cage’ and I’m disappointed to report this is not a smashing pumpkins cover! Still a great industrial tune mind.

So does third album Les 12 Vertiges deliver on their promise? Pretty much, it won’t change your world but will certainly give it a thoroughly good rocking. Oh and bring your dancing shoes.

It’s about time we got some powerviolence on this site and it is my great pleasure to bring music - in some people’s opinion “noise”- liberation to Ech(((o)))es and Dust. For those of you who aren’t familiar with powerviolence as a sub-genre, it can be described as a long lost cousin of hardcore punk with elements of fastcore/thrashcore and some cases grindcore. Sound interesting enough? Actually, I don’t give a fuck, you’ve just been dropped head first into the very essence of powerviolence with the latest Weeekend Nachos record titled Still.

Reminiscent of Spazz, Fuck on the Beach, Crossed Out and Infest, the powerviolence militia from Chicago returns with their 4th full-length record. Still is pissed off, fast and just absolute fucking rampant, like a rabid dog out of hell. The vocals definitely add to the pacey riffs and hardcore style of drumming, however, it isn’t just all speed. There are some very cool breakdowns and slower riffs where they lay down some smack down! It can be described as primitive hardcore punk, infused with elements of fastcore and well, this is fucking powerviolence man.

This being said, it isn’t so primitive after all. Sure it has primitive hardcore punk as a foundation, but some of the riffs and song structures are absolutely out of this fucking world, total genius man. As a bass player I can even appreciate some pretty thick bass lines amongst the sound destruction and chaos, which makes me one happy bastard to say the least.

The record does lend itself to excellent song writing, as there are some awesome hardcore-like breakdowns where you can either catch your breath or completely lose your shit, generally the latter seems more appropriate. It’s fast, powerful, uncompromisingly raw and absolutely crushing from start to finish. It really gets you going and I can only imagine how fucking sick the pit must be at one of their shows.

The power and energy embodied within this record is on a different level and something we’ve come to expect from Weekend Nachos.

If you like a god-awful racket and you like bands such as Despise You, Fissure, Godstomper and Charles Bronson, you probably already know these guys and if you don’t, I command you to get their latest record, because it will tear your shit up! Weekend Nachos’ Still is an absolute powerviolence gem!

Artists must evolve and this is what We Can Breathe In Space exactly has done with their new EP.

We Can Breathe In Space is an instrumental, post rock solo project by James Crozier who has been making music since 2012 inspired by various post rock and post metal bands such as Explosions In The Sky, Maybeshewill, Caspian, God Is An Astronaut, Sigur Ros and Callisto.

Constantinople is the third EP of the Cheltenham based band and it's composed by two songs but they could be considered as one long song since they represent a perfect circle where each note evolves in to the following one. From the first EP, Further Into Regress (January 2013), till the last release passing through Dreamless (March 2013), James Crozier has made a step ahead and the outcome is a passionate composition and full of beautiful elements. Although the songs lack some tension-building dynamics they have in any case sorrowful yet ultimately triumphant melodies.

The opening track, ‘Constantinople’, starts with shuffling drumbeat but the track's primary instrument is the piano that dominates the central part of the song. The Cheltenham based artist uses simple melodies and notes that flow pretty well together and inspire a lovely sense of peace and the the overall song has a joyful mood so that it would work perfectly as an holiday tune.

The following ‘Look Down’ represents a sort of evolution of the previous track but after few notes it slowly turns the overall mood into something more intimate and melodic. The title itself inspires something more intimate in comparison to the potential ode to the glorious empire of Constantinople.

‘Constantinople’ and ‘Look Down’ are both a pretty nice listening. These tracks weave together some quite electronica, clean guitar melody and soft keyboard notes into a sound that sounds far more intricate than the previous works of the artist. The EP lacks of a deeper dimension in the right place, at the right time and this could be another step forward for the talented band We Can Breathe In Space that demonstrates to be able to do that.

I find Constantinople an atmospheric affair and sliding into it is really easy. Enjoy!

It’s always heartening to find metal bands that are willing to try something new with two seemingly disparate sub-genres.

So here we have the rather splendid debut album Something In Us Died from not so splendidly monikered Frenchmen Lòdz, whose press release is at pains to draw parallels with Cult Of Luna and Ghost Brigade but their amalgamation of post-metal intensity and post-hardcore emotional punch has more in common with Devil Sold His Soul, which is not a bad thing.

Opening track ‘Detachment’ twists the post-metal formula by starting with the impressively heavy section replete with growled vocals and then dissolves into the melancholic breakdown which includes full on clean singing before kicking into a huge crescendo, it is striking just how well they have nailed the emotional atmospherics of post-metal to a tee.

No doubt this is the influence of Magnus Lindberg from Cult Of Luna who handled mastering duties.

However this track is somewhat of a red herring as from ‘Follow the Crowd’ onwards they take a lot more cues from their post-hardcore influences, all angular guitar riffs and clean impassioned vocals with huge anthemic choruses.

That’s not to say the post-metal has been totally discarded as personal favourite track ‘Leading the Rats’ shifts between the two styles with the spoken word verse building into the into the massive chorus.

A word of warning on said clean vocals, they do veer very close to being “emo” at points which may send “traditional” post-metal fans running to cover but in my opinion they add an extra layer of emotional depth to the crescendos.

And crescendos there are aplenty.

Which actually turns into a bit of a hindrance, despite each individual song being finely crafted anthems, they do repeat the successful formula a lot so when listening to the album in full later tracks do start to drag due to suffering from familiarity.

There is an attempt to shake things up the minimalistic ballad of ‘Walking Like Shades’ but at only two minutes is far too short for effect, personally I feel they should have expanded on this or incorporated it into another track.

But these quibbles shouldn’t distract you from what is a top quality and highly recommendable effort.

What is Madness?

Madness is listening to the first several minutes of opening track ‘De Profundis’ and trying to figure out how some of the most technical and interesting death metal can be made by one bassist and one drummer!

So yes Geryon is just Nick McMaster and Lev Weinstein who play bass and drums respectively in another band Krallice, and in their own words state “In this project we explore the sounds of our first love, death metal, through the format of just a bass and drums duo. Despite the minimal setup we have tried our hardest to make it a full an engaging listen both sonically and compositionally.”

And you know what?

They damn well succeed!

As the full 8 minutes and 43 seconds of the afore mentioned ‘De Profundis’ twists and turns with the drums propelling the momentum with double bass and blast beats, the bass is played at much slower tempo giving it and the song dynamic room to breathe in between the growled barks.

Geryon have a very lo-fi old school black metal style production which works to their advantage in this instance adding a rawness and dark atmosphere to the sound that a fuller production would strip away, even if the more up tempo nature of ‘Birth’ flirts with sounding like a 80’s video game soundtrack.

There are no (or don’t appear to be any) fancy effects used by either member, the bass just sounds like a normal bass, not even overdriven/distorted, yet on ‘Lament’ and closing epic 'To the Silenced' they generate not only impressive riffs and crushing heaviness but a surprisingly intense feeling of claustrophobia/pressure. (I could easily argue that it works better as a metaphor for drowning than The Ocean or Dotzauer attempt to achieve.)

I get the suspicion a lot of people will hate this due to the relentless and intense nature of the bass lines, but personally it feels totally natural and I love it.

Are you a fellow with a lot of hair on your head and/or face? Do the following things make your heavy heart lift with joy: mosh-pits, fast drums, devil horns, Jägermeister, Metalocalypse, fuzzy bunnies, rainbows? If the answer is a cookie-monster-growled "Y[örrrrrrrrr]ES" then you're gonna love what I've got in store for you today, my dear dear riffmuncher. Thrill Jockey's latest release is the début album from Chicago blast-inferno thrash monsters Oozing Wound, and if you think I've been joking about anything up to this point, you're so so wrong.

'Everyone I Hate Should Be Killed' pretty much says it all as an opener. It's fast, furious, but luckily Vin Diesel is nowhere to be seen. In fact, to describe one song on this record as fast or furious makes no sense, because the whole album runs at the same speed - well over the limit. 'New York Bands' is equally chaotic but is blessed with a good three minute breakdown of fuzz and thunder (Dear Oozing Wound, please call your next album of Fuzz and Thunder). It's actually these fuzzy slow-moments that really make the album special… sure the band is really about blasting it, balls to the wall, but the Melvins-styley sludge interludes make these thrashouts all the more effective.

If there's one thing Oozing Wound really do deserve credit for on this record, it's their ingenuity for song titles. To list but a few, there's the incredible 'Welcome to the Spacehip, Motherfucker' with it's Slayer inspired riffs and energy, 'Autopsy Turvy' (need I say more, really?) and the albums awesome closer 'Spirit Manimal'. It's likely that, rather than taking the boring approach of extracting lyrics for a title, the guys sit around drinking beers and coming up with genius names for songs before even writing the songs themselves, and if that is the case it's definitely productive.

Retrash is not a long album, though is is a large one. The fury in these riffs absorb you direct you through their own course. One minute Oozing Wound will have you head-banging furiously, or moshing with yourself, the next you'll be still, amazed at the huge wall of sound before you. 'Wall of Sound' is often chucked around as an easy term to wash over any band with a slight layer of intensity to their music, but these guys really do Wall of Sound. Take it from me, I'm a professional!

Whether it's with 'Sustained by Hatred (Rambo 4)' with drummer Kyle Reynolds crashing cymbals like it's Lars Ulrich's business, or the insane aforementioned 'Spirit Manimal' where frontman Zack Weil and bassist Kevin Cribbin battle it out, the album throughout seems like the members are either battling each other to the death or you, the faithful sore-necked listener. It's clear by the end of the record why the band have been touring with Brian Chippendale (Lightning Bolt, Black Puss) and it's equally clear from the first few minutes why they chose to record the album in the sacred Electrical Audio studios. Retrash is raw, energetic and unforgiving… it's also FUN and INSANE and HUGE.

There hasn't been a thrash band this demanding and impressive since the dawn of Slayer a long long time ago. There's room for more hooks, but what the group lacks in "pop sensibilities" they more than make up for in big hairy man balls. This is a meager qualm and an expected one, as debut albums are so often more rough around the edges, and this band is certainly one to develop further and stronger.

Good work, Thrilly Jokey for signing another belter. Good work, Oozing Wound for putting a few more hairs on my bare, swimmers chest.