1927’s ‘Sunrise’ is perhaps one of the most intriguing films of the early twentieth century. Directed by the influential expressionist German F. W. Murnau, it was one of the first films ever to feature a soundtrack, yet the original score to the film rather negated the brooding tone provided by its visually arresting direction and editing. No wonder then that drone superduo KTL (Steven O’Malley from Sunn O))) and Peter Rehberg, aka. Pita) have decided this grainy black and white cinematic curio is ripe for a re-soundtracking at their hands.

To describe their aural addition to the film as ‘ominous’ would be an understatement. For the vast bulk of the ninety-five minute movie KTL’s presence is one of the understated drone ambience. There’s none of the torrentially loud guitar work for which O’Malley is best known and there is little in terms of obvious musical reference points to grab hold of. Instead there is just a blanket of noise, a blanket that fits perfectly with the often disturbing visuals provided by Murnau.

‘Sunrise’ is often considered a landmark, especially in terms of its cinematography, but where its real power lies is in its very basic plot. Unnamed man is persuaded to try and kill his wife by a woman visiting his rural village from the city. Unnamed man and his wife go on a boat trip together. Unnamed man ends up chasing his wife across the city… The lack of humanisation granted to each character (none of which are named) makes their obviously stilted behaviour all the more gripping, and the lack of clear instrumentation provided by KTL only emphasises this all the more.

It is not until the conclusion that KTL really let rip. The film ends with a shot of the sun rising into the sky, yet this visual is not not allowed the space with which to soak up positive energy by O’Malley and Rehberg. The undefined noise from Rehberg’s electronics are finally joined by huge swathes of guitar so that as the picture fades for the final time all that is left is the blunt aural power of O’Malley’s famed guitar tone. This not only dramatically changes the context of the film’s conclusion but places it into a darker place than even its director is likely to have intended, but then, such is KTL’s propensity for genuinely mood altering music. With their addition, ‘Sunrise’ is even more of a cinematic landmark than it has ever been. 

Letterkenny’s HumanShield stormed onto the scene last year with their debut effort, Money On The Streets, Medals In The Dojo, three monster cuts that smashed together genres, sounding like a hard rock hybrid of Dublin’s Bats with a generous helping of prog. Needless to say, I was quite excited to hear what they did next, and was surprised to discover a slight shift in direction, away from the strange, kooky aggression they previously displayed and into more anthemic territory, and it starts with a bang.

The eardrums are greeted with a pulsating, driving rollercoaster of an opener, with an intriguingly intertwined bass and guitar lead leaping around each other before skipping arm and arm away into the sunset. There is a definite Irish quality to this record, a distinctive Celtic influence throughout, but nowhere more so than in the second track: ‘From The Slip To The Sliabh’. In homage to their homeland, HumanShield display an impressive blend of traditional Irish influence and some Torche-esque fuzzy riffage.

It’s like the heaviest ceilidh imaginable and I’m not sure whether to jig or circle-pit but, regardless, I can’t wait to get stuck into it live. The energy doesn’t stop there either, with finale ‘Swan Meat/Neck Death/Ball Bearing’ throwing itself around inside the brain like the guy at a gig who’s far too drunk to care anymore. A song of three parts, the middle section lives up to it’s name, throwing a pure head banger into the works while the tail end is the definition of a fist pumping, rip roaring conclusion. An epic way to finish.

You Make Business A Pleasure showcases a much more cohesive and controlled form of song writing, displaying a band growing into their sound and starting to figure out their primary direction. Math rock seems to be the order of the day, yet with an uplifting rock quality, like Adebisi Shank and Biffy Clyro got together and made a record with equal parts soaring guitars and chant-along accessibility.

Sometimes in life you have to scratch ones back in order to get the itch on your back taken care of. Tit for tat. Our beloved editor of most things heavy, Sander, asked me a few times if I saw this tape, along with another album he wanted me to review. I'll admit, I had to be somewhat persuaded to agree. I wasn't very familiar with the tape/demo idea. "Give me a full album" has always been my stance. Demos aren't anything big. Well, I'm somewhat corrected here. This tape release by Entrapment is not big, four tracks. But these four tracks have won me over.

Crawling Morbidity was released last year on 7". This tape has an extra track on it 'Yog-Sothoth' for those fortunate enough to get their hands on it. (As I am writing this there are four copies out if 100 remaining. Good luck.) What you'll hear on it, is an awesome mix of Venom, Celtic Frost and late 80s/early 90s death metal. Its a classic sound, the fuzz of the guitars, gurgled vocals, bass and drum plodding along. I'm immediately hooked. And at just four tracks, its a nice burst of death metal that doesn't overstay its welcome. Pound out a few jams and bang your head. Track 'Carnal Fears' even has the much loved evil laugh that demands you to throw the horns. M/

Despite my initial reluctance to reviewing this, I am quite glad I took it on. This demo lead me to their full length  The Obscurity Within... which is also another great slab of solid death metal. Keep you eyes peeled for this band, and all other releases from Tartarus Records. And never stop giving your boss hell, it'll work out in the end. HAIL!!!

Okay we all know And So I Watch You From Afar (or should do), they've stood out from the crowd since I first heard them. Forever compared and tagged with other instrumental acts. For me I came to think of them not as "Instrumental" just a damn phenomenal band. All Hail Bright Futures sees them re-write the script and if Gangs was a step away from confines of genres, this is a gigantic leap

All Hail Bright Futures comes after a period of mini crisis for the group. They parted ways with guitarist Tony Wright, enlisting former Panama Kings man Niall Kennedy as his replacement. Also they spent their longest time ever off the road due to a member requiring surgery. This prompted them to have to make the potentially embarrassing request to fans for donations to keep the band ticking over. Not to mention a quickly dealt with leak of the album.

All that is in the past however, and All Hail Bright Futures has its eye keenly on what's to come. And fittingly the title says it all, the overal feel of this album is positivity and fun. They've made a bold shift in style and incorporated never heard before elements into the sound. More vocals than ever before, experimentation with various new sounds and a more slick feel to the production. This is a futuristic eclectic mix that may take some by surprise, while also capable of winning many new fans.

Initially it took me off-guard, but even Gangs took me a while to fully wrap my head around at first. Some may wonder why they've tweaked the formula. For me I think it’s a refusal to play it "safe" or stand still for too long. I'm all for evolution, especially when it sounds so damn good.

Having said all that, don't panic; it’s not a total departure. What many love about ASIWYFA is riffs by the bucket-load, energy and infectious songs. You get that times 1000 here, and more.

The most familiar sounding songs 'Big Thinks Do Remarkable' 'Like a Mouse' and ‘Ambulance’ feature plenty of riffs that twist and turn Johnny Adger's thick bass tones and Chris Wee's pounding rhythm. The former is the first to introduce actual vocals with the warm refrain. It also includes head spinning riffs and a glorious mosh-down (like a hoedown but moshier) section. While the latter features a cheer leader style chant over futuristic punk riffs. These are going to go down a storm live, and try listening without wanting to pogo round the house.

Songs like 'Ka Ba Ta Bo Da Ka' and 'The Stay Golden' are like nothing ever heard before from ASIWYFA. The former features cut-up acapella samples and handclaps, it’s like Flying Lotus remixing Battles and completely infectious. Throughout All Hail Bright Futures Rory Friers uses some gloriously bizarre effects, the riffs and sounds at times make me think he may have some form of time travelling device. 'The Stay Golden' begins with a funky cow-bell (more cow-bell!) and Atari on acid melodies before a spine-chilling vocal refrain drops. The track culminates in euphoria inducing rhythms and horns, seamlessly blending into 'Rats on a Rock'. Riffs crash and collide in mesmeric wonder, before the headfuckery of steel drum effects and dub vibes leaves you wondering what the hell is going on. Strings and vocals combine until more riffs knock you sideways before you've had time to think. The third part of this trilogy (like ‘Homes’ on Gangs) is the blissful chill-out vibes of 'Trails...'.  The trio of mind bending tracks is truly stunning stuff.

Despite the new approach, there are plenty of typical ASIWYFA moments of wonder that have you reaching for re-wind here. Some of them are full songs, incorporating jaw dropping sections. 'Mend and Make Safe' is one of them. A classic in the making, its flute solo over a Dj Shadow style breakdown is astounding. Riffs mixed with handclaps and more melody than humanly possible making it a joyous experience form start to finish. It’s a re-occurring theme on All Hail Bright Futures euphoria and anthems abound, its more air-punching and shirt stripping off than anything they've done before.

Album closer 'Young Brave minds' is evidence of this. With a rhythm that's like a cross between We Will Rock You and We Care a Lot. This is another epic sounding album closer they make a habit of. There is so much to take in on All Hail Bright Futures it is an album that will have you coming back to constantly. Probably finding a new favourite track each time!

All Hail Bright Futures is a new chapter in ASIWYFA recorded output. The future is bright, the future is And So I Watch You From Afar. All Hail.

Pre-order your copy now, from Sargent House, also available is an iTunes version featuring two bonus tracks. ASIWYFA will be on tour (probably forever) with details available here.

A*Star are a Chicago based dreampop duo who have been recording together for 5 years, coining their own genre of “Arenagaze” along the way. Their press release reads like a who’s who of 90s shoegaze/British indie acts, including a name drop for Curve’s ledge main man Dean Garcia. So, with many boxes of the music-I-grew-up-on list well and truly ticked I was looking forward immensely to giving these two tunes a spin. 

I think it only fair that the brevity of my review should be in parallel to the brevity of the music I have to peruse over. A*Star are presenting their music to us via two separate split 7” singles, so there’s not even an E.P’s worth of music to consider. 

Which is probably just as well, for this is Garbage. Or at least, it’s trying very hard to be the bastard child of Butch Vig’s super-produced bloodstock. Whoever performed the production duties on these tunes really ought to either move forth into a bright new era of shiny production values or else give up their day job. I even had to crank the volume up on the stereo to just hear the music and when I could, the guitars are buried so low in the mix they’re barely audible. Surely the point of shoegaze (especially when it’s for “arenas”) is to have the guitars as the focal point? 

‘Black and Blue’ is a pleasant enough track, but it’s as though we missed the 2000s and ultimately doesn’t do enough to warrant much excitement. Had there been a better production job with a bit more punch to it, I could have written nicer comments.

‘Flashbulb’ is sadly more of the same, but does partially redeem itself by featuring a stonking guitar solo that Dave Navarro might be proud of, though it manages to just outstay its welcome by about 30 seconds.

So, not quite hitting the heights they intentionally aimed for, A*Star are just going to have to settle for “Garagegaze”, for until they acquire themselves a more up to date studio to record in, them there arenas are going to have to wait. 

Wolfs hail from Toronto, Canada with their first self titled EP, and heck, I've got to give it to them, they've got some real energy here. Kicking off hard and fast they don't stop for a moment with their own brand of progressive post-punk hardcore. Indications of influences from a broad range of genres and bands, Wolfs have tailored some familiar sounds into something very much their own. Can imagine they pack a heck of a punch live.

A hint of fuzziness to the production really adds something, especially with so many things sounding (almost too) clearly produced, you get that real involving atmosphere- which is exactly what I want to hear from a band's first release. Smooth transitions are also a plus. Keeping this as one solid movement rather than stopping and starting to new rhythms you can really enjoy this as a whole movement, so to speak.

Wolfs is an upstanding EP with a good handful of songs to get you champing at the bit for what's yet to come.

FFO: Brotherhood Of The Lake, Pariso, possibly Glassjaw

When it takes two or more years (and you're not Metallica) to write and record an album, you know there's been trouble in the neighborhood. And in Complete Failure's case, it shows. Relax. That's a compliment.

Starting out with a simple bass line that eventually gives way to a rough and tumble drum beat, its apparent that these guys hurt. They don't mess around, getting most songs done in 90 seconds. There are a few spots that let the chaos take hold, to the point of you thinking its about to fall apart. But Complete Failure pull back the reigns, only to start it over again on the next song.

At a few spots the drums seem to tower over the vocals in the mix of the album. But this is a minor gripe, as you can still near the throat-torching screams enough to feel Complete Failure's intent. And that intent is simple: to show you the black hearts they wear on their sleeves. If time does heal wounds, someone forgot to tell these boys.

Aside from its mouthful of a name, this debut EP by Eleleth (a project featuring Michele from Gottesmorder and Alex from Light Bearer) is a concise affair given its weighty musical themes. The painful industrial noise that opens the title track is the kind that many an artist would choose to expand upon over a whole record but, mercifully for ears less accustomed to this kind of sonic brutality, Eleleth are a bit more ambitious than that. Within a few moments we get hymnal synths joining in the white noise and hoarse black metal growls that populate the aural foreground of the piece, and this theme continues over the course of the following three tracks.

This is minimalistic music for sure. The aforementioned title track stretches to seven minutes via the use of one thematic concept, but avoids sounding repetitive by virtue of its ambient qualities. Despite the harshness inherent within its makeup, it is a track that washes over the listener rather than pounding into their ears. 'Sophia', the second track, takes what on the face of it appears to be a similar approach but is more direct and powerful. It sounds almost like the ambient elements of the track are actually being projected over a raging black metal inferno, which conjures a slightly amusing but nonetheless intriguing musical landscape.

'Against Heresies' is more accessible in the sense that the vocals are clean and you can actually make out the sound of a guitar, but in many ways is a continuation of this EP’s attempts to define Eleleth’s aesthetic. Fuzzes of noise are still dominant. They just take a slightly different route to make it through to the listener, as they do on closer 'The Island Earth'. This final track returns to harsh vocals, only this time they rest on a beat that appears to bely influences from the world of IDM.

'Theothanatology' is a difficult release to judge overall. In terms of its commitment to a clear musical vision it deserves praise, although some listeners may feel it does drag a bit. The ideas may not be repetitive in the traditional sense of the word, but the impact of their differing modes of execution may somewhat numb their value even over the course of a brief EP. A full-length is probably required before exercising too much judgement on Eleleth then, but for fans of Gnaw their Tongues and that ilk of blackened dark ambient horror this is a recommended purchase.

Now, Voyager are “seeking to promote and share their universe with anyone willing to experience the world through the eyes of a voyager”. It’s lucky for them that I read their press release after I’d made my mind up on the music. (What is it with bands nowadays and this type of nonsensical wordage they use to promote themselves?) Anyway, keep reading because I’ve only got great things to say about the Belgian metallers from here on in.

The Seas E.P features 5 tracks of blistering Math/Metalcore/Post-Hardcore that instantly brings to mind French rockers Gojira. (Forgive me for the limited knowledge of genres/reference bands whilst composing this review, by the way).

Opening track ‘The Surface’ goes for the jugular, instantly jumping feet first into twisted riffs and throat shredding vocals. The fury dissipates before long into a quiet introspective piano section with electronic beats reminiscent of Idiot Pilot. My initial reaction to hearing this beginning was to recoil, but the melodic flourishes throughout this E.P really do lift Now, Voyager above the parapet of their counterparts.

‘Foundations’ is one of two standout tracks, echoing At-the Drive In with the shouted hardcore vocal styling and spoken sections. The track ebbs and flows and is bursting with energy and ideas, all the while charging along at a frantic pace.

Final track ‘Tabula Rasa’ closes the E.P with epic blood running through its veins. A brief moment of electronica to set off on the journey and the melody lines twist and turn intertwining with the metallic carnage to produce something that many ears ought to hear.

These guys could very easily find themselves being lifted to a higher echelon of success and they truly deserve the accolades. One of my albums of last year was ‘L’Enfant Sauvage’ by Gojira and the music on this E.P is of a similar high standard to that album, the production is really top notch (recorded at Outhouse Studios in Reading). I recommend you give this band your attention, join them on their maiden voyage.

Sometimes having three parties involved is nice. Sometimes it only increases the enjoyment, more options to choose per say. Sometimes you can get nervous though, don't know what to expect out of the others involved. So, one should take the utmost protection when diving in. I'll be honest: I had not heard any output from these three bands before hearing this. But that's not a bad thing; no opinion formed, no idea what may happen. I'm throwing caution to the wind and going for it. Exciting to say the least.

Three bands, three songs apiece. Simple enough. VYGR open up this album with a three song rollercoaster of harsh screamed vocals and dreamy guitar licks. Not too bad. My favorite contribution of theirs being 'Mescaline Hymn'. Quite a good song, instrumental only  (yes, I know what I said before. But I also said I do enjoy some instrumentals).

Next up: At Our Heels. A fitting name, as these lads play a nice d-beat/hardcore mix with sounds of despiration. They'd be lying though if they said they didn't enjoy the occasional Zakk Wylde song, lots of squeals over their offerings. Solid songs, short and to the point, never overstaying their welcome. Good stuff.

Bringing in the rear of this three way split is Griever. They offer first an instrumental intro. An odd choice when you only have three songs to show what ya got. It is a solid intro though, I'll hand them that. They live up to their name on the other two tracks that's for sure. Delivering a hardcore/ metal mix like their mates At Our Heels, with vocals that sound in pain and music to accompany it rightly. Again, not bad at all.

So, now that we've had a taste of all three bands its safe to say that we could delve into any of their single output and enjoy it on its own. I will say though, it would be nice to get all three back together for another group offering.

What is it with 2-piece bands and making a huge pile of noise, almost similar or even louder than any 3-, 4-, or 5-piece band? Listen to Bronto Skylift, Ultimate Slaymaster, Galvano, Birdhead, Lightning Bolt, Black International, Hella, and there are a lot more I’m probably forgetting at the moment. All blistering loud, and jaw-dropping amazing to watch live. To this class of bands we can now add DEAD (“spelled in capitals ‘cos there are only four letters and you have to make them count”), hailing from Melbourne Australia, who just released their second album Idiots.

Now follows an example why writing a good press release helps, as in the case of DEAD it sure helped me to actually listen to Idiots: “DEAD is the sound of two blokes with little man syndrome trying to punch above their weight and actually pulling it off. Their second LP is called Idiots and it’s really fucking good. If you don’t understand this you are an idiot.”

Back to Idiots. There are 7 tracks on this album, initially starting with a long rhythmic cymbal intro in the first track ‘The Carcass Is Dry’, which makes the listener wonder how long this will last and what will be next. Well, next will be this loud wall of noise. After around 2.5 minutes the bass kicks in, sounding heavily distorted and the drums start pounding rhythmically away, driving the song on to a full force. Vocally, both bass player Jace and drummer Jem share these duties, and I’m not sure who sings where, but at times it sounds like King Buzzo stepped in the studio to give these guys a helping hand.

The rest of Idiots continues to make lots of noise, some tracks faster while other tracks take a slower, more sludgier approach, like ‘Murder Hollow’. ‘Bed Bugs’ is one of those faster songs, sounding quite chaotic at parts, but demonstrates the technical ability of Jace and Jem very nicely. The only thing I found to be slightly negative (and I’m actually intending to make this sound as positive criticism) is that some songs last a wee bit too long (I’m particularly looking at ‘Lego Man’, which lasts a good 10 minutes). But this doesn’t steer away from the general musical quality.

A nice detail is that each take was recorded live, keeping overdubs to a minimum, which definitely helped with the dynamics as it sounds as DEAD would sound live on a stage in a small sweaty and smelly venue somewhere.

Idiots is a brilliant noise release, hitting upon Melvins-like sludge, whilst throwing plenty of experimental bits into the mix. If you like your bands noisy and dirty, you’d better give DEAD a chance. Listen to it loud, it sure benefits the overall experience.

So, I may need to preface this with a disclaimer: many of you will have already seen these bands, but as a proud antipodean my opportunities are a touch more… limited. When All Tomorrow's Parties announced this particular line-up of events, I was all over it, throwing cash at every website emblazoned with an ATP logo. The following is an attempt to re-create some of the magic I experienced—it may work, may not! Warning, results may vary.

On a balmy Melbourne evening, every neck-beard descended upon the Forum Theatre; probably Melbourne's best live music venue to see the mighty Godspeed You! Black Emperor (hereafter referred to as GY!BE). This is a band that I had given up hope of seeing live.  Sure, when they started playing shows in 2010 in the UK and USA I got excited, but what were the chances of them playing in Melbourne? Maybe in 2000-2002, but now? Nope. So I watched from afar and shook my hands at every blog post singing their praises, furiously listening to 'Lift Yr Skinny Fists…' as I read reviews of shows I couldn't go to—but then, the majesty of ATP occurred and GY!BE graced us with their presence. And WHAT a presence!

GY!BE took the stage in their usual understated fashion as the house lights dimmed, leaving their preferred red spots from above as the only light, apart from the projectors. It's this anonymity that adds to; not detracts from the music as you realise that everything they do is carefully thought out, planned, and structured. This is a deliberate band, operating within their own carefully laid out rules. And with muted red lights leaving maximum retinal space for the projections; as Efrim himself says: "It's about putting the whole into context.”

As the opening lilt of 'Hope Drone' rang out across the venue, you could've heard a pin drop—smooth atmospherics, static, violin, a double bass, and some wonderfully mixed cymbals providing a high end sizzle—but it wasn't until 'Mladic' began, that the band really hit their stride. When the kick drum finally came in the sound was huge, providing an excellent counter to the guitar and sweeping violin runs. It surprised me actually. I've listened to them a lot and I play violin, but seeing just how much Sophie plays on each track was fantastic. Normally violin in rock bands is almost an afterthought; sonically shut out by guitars, but not here. No, the violin almost leads the tracks more than the guitars, providing a different take on a well-worn genre.

I'll never get sick of seeing a violin run through so many pedals; it makes my inner music nerd squee with delight. 'Mladic' also gave the band the opportunity to demonstrate how the new material sounds – and it is great. The climax of 'Mladic' was a big, barrelling rock-out that seemed to rival Krautrock's driving minimalism, but with GY!BE's ethereal qualities.

That large rock-out led into 'Behemoth', where we were treated to the largest major chord progression/resolution of the night.  I'm a sucker for a big melodic rock out, but the way that they managed to resolve a 10+ minute song from a minor key into a major was nothing short of brilliant, and the smiles around me seemed to indicate this. This was a band in full flight with an audience of die-hard fans who all knew the material and were genuinely happy just to be there, seeing something they never thought would happen.

And then it was into 'The Sad Mafioso'; a fitting way to round out the show. This track demonstrated why GY!BE are superb on an album, but an order of magnitude better, live. There is simply no contest. I actually thought they would struggle to mimic the recorded sound, but it's the other way around. GY!BE live has so much more nuance, sonic variation, and quite frankly, balls.

So all in all, a fantastic show. It was an absolute pleasure to witness what was definitely a 'bucket list' gig for me. Seeing such an important band in such an important venue for Melbourne also made it a little more special, and the rest of the crowd seemed to be aware of this as it was easily the nicest crowd I've seen at The Forum. Great night, superb music, great people.

And I get to see it again tomorrow. Spoilt.

There must be something in the water in Colorado. This being the second ball buster of a debut I've reviewed (see Primitive Man - Scorn) of a band hailing from that state, I'm convinced I need to either move there or avoid it completely. Seriously (and I despise using that word as a statement/question) what's going on over there? (Here's where all you readers decide to tell our lovely editors that they need to send me on a travel assignment to investigate, all expenses paid of course.)

OK. Here's a list of rules Call Of The Void ignored.
1. Thou shall not sound as a great mixture of Converge, Integrity and (a band I miss greatly) Disembodied.
2. Thou shall not put outeth a debuteth albumeth that sounds-eth (that's a stretch) like you've been doing this for as long as the veterans.
3. Thou shall see rules oneth and twoeth and repeateth (OK I'm done now).

All rules aside, Call Of The Void bring a great mixture of all the bands you love without sounding like a tribute band that only plays on Saturday nights at your local bar. They're breaking all the rules, and still putting their own spin on it. From start to finish, Dragged Down A Dead End Path is a blast of hardcore mixed with metal. Not "metalcore" (that's two times, Mike) as what people think of when those genres are mentioned in the same sentence.

Bottom line: Call Of The Void bring ten dirty, heavy as hell, tracks of in-your-face urgency. Look for this album out on Relapse Records on March 19th. But maybe stay away from Colorado until then, cause you may not know what's going on if you do.

 Listen:

Twlc are a Welsh electro/dark ambient band with a musically minimalist approach. Twlc (which is Welsh for Pigsty) intend on 'taking electronic music back to post punk basics'. The band's new six track album is entitled "Radio/DimRadio". The tracks have an unsettling creepy atmosphere due primarily to the distorted/pitch shifted vocal samples and dark eerie synth sounds. There is some light within Twlc's material however. The music still provides ample catchy melodies that range from soft and propulsive to jagged and harsh.

The album starts off strongly with the track 'cof' (memory) which is largely dark ambient with some minimal drums. Midway through 'cof' some interesting and ominous vocals are introduced over the haunting synth rhythm. Next is 'mwnci' (monkey) with its prominent vocal loop that sounds like the wailing of a tortured soul. 'mwnci's' synth melody is catchy and the track has some crashing snare to propel it along. Twlc certainly evoke imagery from horror films and is probably what vampires would listen to during dinner. I'm not sure what to make of the track 'mam' (mum). The synth sound is awkwardly pitchy and jarring like an alarm and the industrial-ish vocals seem uncharacteristically menacing and repetitious. This track didn't seem to fit the vibe the other five tracks share on "Radio/DimRadio".  Perhaps it's an ode to 'Mother' akin to the Police?

Fortunately twlc return to a well balanced synth/sample mixture with the sullen sounding track 'ail' (second). 'ail' is a solid track that introduces some delicate yet somber piano near the end of the track which finishes the song beautifully. 'lwp' is hypnotic track with a curious vocal loop and a shrieky synth melody. Again twlc effectively introduce a light piano melody midway through the song. I found the sum of the vocals, synth and piano on 'lwp' to be quite compelling. 'lwp' seems unwilling to end as the ghostly synth reluctantly fades out. The final track llif (flow) begins with some stomping piano keys that sound mournful and bleak and lead into a twisted off-key piano melody. While the piano creeps along, a sample of what sounds like a man crying unnervingly rolls forward in the background. A very chilling ending to this dark synth ride.

Those desperately seeking some dark and sinister synth, oozing with macabre vocal samples will be at home with twlc. "Radio/DimRadio" at its best delivers music that is simultaneously ominous and beautiful, catchy and creepy. A noteworthy second release by twlc and a convincing follow-up to their first release "Mochyn".