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Friday, May 30, 2014

Elgin´s Diversity - #THEWORLD (2014)

Artist: Elegin´s Diversity
Album: #THEWORLD
Genre: Deathcore/Groove
Facebook

Tracklist:
1. Girls Gone Wild
2. She´s Gorgeous To Me
3. She´s In My Head
4. Devastation
5. She´s A Stranger To Me
6. #THEUNIVERSE

Stream and free download via Bandcamp

Ignore the ugly artwork, ignore everything that make you believe that this is a shitty band.
This has a lot of potential, awesome grooves, beasty vocals and great melodies. FFO: Volumes/Auras with solos.

Widek - Outside The Universe (2014)

Artist: Widek
Album: Outside The Universe
Genre: Instrumental Progressive Metal/Post Rock/Progressive Rock

Tracklist:
1. The Space Between Us
2. Above The Sky
3. Spiral
4. Galaxy
5. Aries (feat. Gru)
6. Stargaze
7. Orion
8. Cosmic Ocean (feat. Tomas Raclavsky)
9. ION
10. Saturn (feat. Sithu Aye)
11. Celestial
12. Falling Universe (feat. Gru)
13. The Last Day On Earth
14. Ursa Major (feat. Gru)
15. Enter Through The Sun (feat. Gru and Matthieu Romarin)
16. The Astronaut



Fucking masterpiece. This is how modern progressice music have to sound like. I totally in love with this awesome meshup between Djent/Ambient/Post Rock/Progressive Rock. Really amazing.

Saturday, May 24, 2014

Graveborn - Samsara (2014)


Artist: Graveborn
Album:  Samsara
Genre: Death Metal/ Technical Death Metal

1. The Dark Descent
2. Immortal
3. Leviathan
4. Anatta
5. Samsara
6. System Shock
7. Ouroboros
8. Plutocrat
9. In The Presence Of Ignorance

Support: Bandcamp($5)

Haven't posted in awhile, and this is a good one. Great crushing vocals, ripping guitar straight out of the depths of hell, all around a super solid release. The solo in Leviathan totally reminds me of through the eye's of the dead, which isnt a bad thing haha. Five bucks aint bad, it's most definitely worth it. Pick it up, through them a like on Facebook, and enjoy the shit out of this one.  

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Watcher - Lost Reality (2014)


Artist: Watcher
Album: Lost Reality
Genre: Instrumental/Progressive Metalcore

Track Listing:
1. Lost Reality (single)

Support/Preview: (Bandcamp, $1)

Beautiful instrumental metal with hints of Erra,
Shapist, and Sithu Aye.

Saturday, May 17, 2014

Endeavour - The Advancement In Atrophy (2014)

Artist: Endeavour
Album: The Advancement In Atrophy
Genre: Progressive Metal/Metalcore/Deathcore/Atmospheric/Ambient

Tracklist:
1. Atrophy Pt: A
2. Atrophy Pt. B
3. Framework
4. Wise Words: Deaf Ears
5. The Count
6. The Dream
7. The Advancement Pt: A
8. The Advancement Pt: B



THIS! This! This.

For free! For free?

This is freakin awesome, no doubt. 
Like a more "Prog Metal" version of The Contortionist or Substructure, less djenty chuggin riffs, more atmosphere, more prog, more ambient. 
I`M FUCKING IMPRESSED.

Monday, May 12, 2014

Review: Inveterate - Pathogenic (2014)

Artist: Inveterate
Album: Pathogenic
Genre: Deathcore

Tracklist:
1. Pathogenic 
2. Warpath
3. Bay Harbor Butcher
4. Screaming For Salvation
5. Mirrors



Review:
First off, this is an EP that was both more and less than I expected. After listening to this EP as a single piece of work, I was definitely impressed. The intro track, “Pathogenic” was awesome and really pulled me into what I was about to hear. However, I was honestly hoping for 5 full songs. Now once the album really begins, these guys kick into gear. Warpath literally paves the way into something seriously heavy and dissonant, while providing the listener with some interesting breakdowns that don’t fail to disappointment. The vocals in this EP crush and this band did a great job of choosing when to double track. The drums (real or not, I can’t even tell sometimes these days) also stay interesting throughout, without detracting from the rest of the music. All of the instruments also sync up real tight at times and create a solid feel for this band. Now when I listen to a band that calls themselves Deathcore, I honestly don’t expect too much from the guitars. The three guitarists in this band (bass is a guitar) really show you that they are capable of more than guiding you to heavy breakdowns with “Screaming for Salvation”. This quick paced song brings out a little more of their versatility as musicians with an epic breakdown leading into riffage that makes you have to head bang at least a little, later leading into a solo and more intensity. This song really brought the EP together as a whole for me. Now I don’t expect, or even want, to hear another “Screaming for Salvation”. However, I need more songs that show me they aren’t another “Deathcore” band.

Conclusion:  As an album, the “Pathogenic” EP is really a coherent piece and flows well. The production quality is great as well as the reamp, mixing, and mastering (done by none other than the Tampa/Berlin native Sludge Studios). Inveterate is without a doubt talented and I’m going to keep listening to them. I’d recommend keeping an eye out for these dudes in the future and supporting them now because this EP rules. Also that jazz breakdown in Mirrors, thanks for not doing more of that because it was great.

8/10
Written by Vinny Medina

Saturday, May 10, 2014

Red Seas Fire - Confrontation (2014)


Artist: Red Seas Fire
Album: Confrontation
Genre: Progressive Metal
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Track Listing:
1. Tyrants
2. The Gold Room
3. The Grand Escape
4. Compass

Download (320kbps)
Preview: Full album stream

This was released a month ago, and somehow I just found out about it today. For fans of The Safety Fire, Intervals, Novallo, and Periphery.

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Septa - The Lover (2013)

Artist: Septa
Album: The Lover
Genre: Post Metal/Progressive Rock/Post Hardcore

Tracklist:
1. 12th
2. Enter The Butterflies
3. Discouraged Ones
4. Her Body Will Sings
5. Widower
6. Eulogy (Epilogue)


Preview: Teaser

Edit May 6th 2014:

Review:
Septa are from Ukraine and are recently reformed after a lengthy hiatus. Having begun in 2006, they surfaced again in 2010 with new members and a refreshed purpose. This is their first EP, having only previously released singles. There is a real depth of ambition about this record. Ostensibly an alternative rock group, Septa’s influences stretch in both directions out from that homogenised middle ground. The songs are peppered with both clean and quasi-guttural vocals; and fleshed out with instrumentation outside of the parameters of the everyday 4 piece group; such as violins and tubas. However, although admirable, this ambition does not always translate into successful song writing. Maybe the truly jazzy start of the record made me expectant of more, but The Lover contains a fairly standard set of alt-pop/rock songs. This is not to say all of the songs share the same template. The record kicks off with a couple of melodic rockers, followed by ambient prog-pop reminiscences; which sound eerily like Tripping Daisy’s more prosaic moments. But progressiveness can have its own inherent difficulties; if song lengths are extended then there must be sufficient material to genuinely fill the time devoted. Unfortunately on several occasions Septa seems to have mistaken long for progressive and allowed their regard for a certain melody to run away with itself. There are some bold experiments, particularly when it comes to vocal range and style. The combining of techniques which normally do not sit side by side on rock albums, was very intriguing. Of these the rougher, more intense vocals are the most enjoyable. They are focused and heartfelt and encompass a broad range of form, technique and timbre. Many of the choruses employed a more mainstream rock voice; which sadly, included a number of pitch and harmony issues. This significantly detracted from the attempted melodies. I do not know if this slight discordance was a deliberate artistic choice but it did not enhance my enjoyment of the music. All in all this is a decent attempt at making an album that does not seek to define itself through trends or abide by the rules of a particular scene. And I am certain that many people, on listening, will disagree with my interpretation of it. While I applaud their ambition I must highlight the lack of significant depth in the material, which was absolutely needed to fulfil their initial objectives. The chasm between Rock and Post-Hardcore is considerable, so their challenge was never going to be an easy one. But even though this EP is not an out and out victory, Septa should take heart from the moments on this record that do make the ears tingle and revel in their capability to produce the excitement that comes with successful experiment. Their next step is to compress and multiply that excitement, if they are to reach more than just a niche audience. My ears are far from closed to Septa and I will be intrigued as to what they produce next.
 6/10
written by J-Dub

personal opinion (interruptio)
WOW, this cames from nowhere. An awesome band, between Deftones/Dead Letter Circus/Isis/Cult Of Luna/Karnivool and many others. And the artwork is over the top!

Review: Hour Of Penance - Regicide (2014)

Artist: Hour Of Penance
Album: Regicide
Genre: Technical Death Metal

Tracklist:
01. Through The Triumphal Arch
02. Reforging The Crowns
03. Desecrated Souls
04. Resurgence of The Empire
05. Spears of Sacred Doom
06. Sealed Into Ecstasy
07. Redeemer Of Atrocity
08. Regicide
09. The Sun Worship
10. The Seas of Light
11. Theogon



Review:
When I think of Hour of Penance, I think of speedy riffs and unrelenting drums. Throughout this album, what I really enjoyed was the Gregorian chanting that gave it this “choir-of-hell” feeling. The first half of the album definitely stays true to the Hour of Penance we all came to know through The Vile Conception, Paradogma and Sedition, just absolutely consistent, unrelenting, brutality. The second half starting with Sealed into Ecstasy has some slower parts with some really sick leads, which I truly cherish because it shows the band is refining their sound. Don’t worry, there is still warp speed timing and “Blast-fests” on these songs they are a little sparser. This is when the band truly shines. Hour of Penance really have a great formula going, but I wish they would step outside of it a bit more and take a few more risks.

8/10

written by Derek Knapp

Review: Inferi - The Path Of Apotheosis (2014)

Artist: Inferi
Album: The Path Of Apotheosis
Genre: Technical Death Metal

Tracklist:
1. Those Who from the Heavens Came
2. Promethean Kings
3. A Betrayal Unforetold
4. Wrath of the Fallen One
5. The Ophidian Form
6. A Prelude to a Perilous Fate
7. Destroyer
8. Onslaught of the Covenant
9. Marching Through the Flames of Tyranny
10. The Ancients of Shattered Thrones
11. The Path of Apotheosis



Review:
I think this album might be my favorite release this year, maybe more so than Archspire’s The Lucid Collective (we will see after Beyond Creation’s and Son of Aurelius’ new albums come out). The technical proficiency of guitarists Malcolm Pugh (Diskreet guitarist and solo project A Loathing Requiem) and Mike Low (Diskreet and ex-Enfold Darkness) is absolutely phenomenal. There are riffs for days, if not, years. I think Malcolm said there are 32 solos contained in 11 songs; fucking ridiculous. If there’s something I love more than a sick riff it’s a fucking shreddy solo, in which they thoroughly deliver. There are some amazing dueling solos. Don’t get me wrong, the rest of band members are amazing at what they do, but this is a guitarist’s dream album. If that sounds like you’d enjoy it, then definitely check this one out, you don’t want to miss it. The big plus and my favorite part: only one of the songs is under 5 minutes at 4:15. I love long songs and they never get dull or boring. Song composition is next level stuff.

10/10

written by Derek Knapp

Review: Soreption - Engineering The Void (2014)

Artist: Soreption
Album: Engineering The Void
Genre: Technical Death Metal

Tracklist:
01 – Reveal The Unseen
02 – The Nature Of Blight
03 – Breaking The Great Narcissist
04 – A Speach To Survival
05 – Utopia
06 – Monumental Burden
07 – I Am You
08 – Engineering the Void



Review:
Mechanical, brutal, and technical are the words that come to mind when I think of Soreption. Those words definitely ring true of their past albums. This new one is no exception, but there is one word I would add to that list: Certainty because I am certain this album will rape your ears. There is definitely a lot of structure to their madness. They have added catchy lyrics with hooks to them that I fully enjoy. This album is definitely their best work. Soreption are another shining example of textbook technical death metal done right. You can definitely hear earlier Decapitated influence in Anton Svedin’s riffing style. Trevor Strnad from The Black Dahlia Murder has a cool guest vocal spot on the album’s title track. Engineering the Void pummels its listener consistently and effectively; it is definitely one of my favorite releases of 2014. This is the year for metal and more specifically, technical death metal.

9/10
 
written by Derek Knapp

Review: Aborted - The Necrotic Manifesto (2014)

Artist: Aborted
Album: The Necrotic Manifesto
Genre: Technical Death Metal/Grind

Tracklist:
1. Six Feet of Foreplay
2. The Extirpation Agenda
3. Necrotic Manifesto
4. An Enumeration of Cadavers
5. Your Entitlement Means Nothing
6. The Davidian Deceit
7. Coffin Upon Coffin
8. Chronicles of Detruncation
9. Sade & Eibertine Lunacy
10. Die Verzweiflung
11. Excremental Veracity
12. Purity of Perversion
13. Of Dead Skin & Decay
14. Cenobites



Review:

First, let me start by saying this album absolutely slays. Second, I wasn’t really expecting to like it as much as I do (might have to do with the fact that I recently just really started getting into aborted). Global Flatline is an absolute masterpiece and they picked up right where that one left off. Per usual, they have a few interesting sound clips for intros/outros, which I always enjoy; it adds to the whole gory experience giving it theatre like qualities. Sven, being the only original member, vocally holds their sound together and makes them stand out as the Aborted we all love so much. The riffs are really well put together with a consistent flow throughout. With the addition of Mendel bij de Leij, an absolutely remarkable specimen of a guitarist (if you haven’t, check out his solo instrumental album Mendel – Subliminal colors. Do it now; It’s perfect), the guitar work is phenomenal and there are a few more solos. Ken Bedene’s drumming is next level and they did an amazing job catching his sound perfectly in the studio. Again, I did not anticipate like this album as much as I have. My favorite track is Cenobites. I googled the word and found that Cenobites are the characters from The Hellbound Heart novel, which the movie Hellraiser is based off. Now, I am reading that book and re-watching Hellraiser. Thanks Aborted!

9.5/10

written by Derek Knapp

Review and Interview: Through My Eyes - Victoria (2014)

Artist: Through My Eyes
Album: Victoria
Genre: Symphonic Deathcore

Tracklist:
1. He Whose Slaves We Are
2. Edict Of Diocletian
3. Inquisitor
4. The Malfaisant
5. A Votuus
6. Gallows Hill
7. The Scourge
8. Victoria



Review:
    The incorporation of symphonic elements in "modern" music is very peculiar. The simplest quarter-note pattern can transform a stale riff into a hypnotizing experience; at the same time, an overabundance of layered orchestral fanfares can instigate migraines (I'm looking at you, Scrambled Defuncts). From Electric Light Orchestra to Fleshgod Apocalypse, some bands embed symphonic compositions as a highly integral aspect of their music - one that's hard to imagine these bands without. On Through My Eyes' latest LP, 'Victoria,' the various synthesized arrangements tastefully complement the music with memorable melodies without being overbearing and assuming of a spotlight position. The band has found a fitting middle position where the synths tell their own story without disturbing the guitars. There are times when the symphonic component becomes overshadowed by the rest of the instrumentation; but just like that really embarrassing thing you did in high school, it’s always faintly present in the back of your mind.
    Riff-wise, Through My Eyes are reminiscent of a groove oriented Make Them Suffer; 'Victoria' is chock-full of heavy, distorted open-note action, smoothly blended in with those delightful symphonies. The album is attention-grabbing from the start, every riff locking itself deep inside the listener’s consciousness. These guys can write a catchy riff, believe me; I can still vividly recall portions of their 2012 ‘Skin Deep’ EP. The chugging on ‘Victoria’ is fun and exciting, but the introduction of blast beats is always a welcome change of pace. The drumming keeps the music pounding by blending fast, dynamic double bass and cleverly placed snare patterns. The secondary blasting snare pattern midway through ‘Edict of Diocletian’ is a prime example of creativity that I would love to see more of. The vocals are another album highlight, topping off the music with demonic growls and shrieks – this guy likes to get low. Deadly squeals and gutturals further layer over the ominous atmosphere, in contrast to occasional clean vocals that add a touch of serenity to the madness.
    The final track, Victoria, is the real showstopper of this release. The 11-minute behemoth outright demonstrates the musical talent and songwriting ability carried by the band. As an avid listener of lengthier songs, it's blatantly apparent when one drags on pointlessly, and when every collective minute has a firm purpose. In Victoria, the sweeping guitar leads and technical breakdowns carry this song with immense power; a synthesized acoustic guitar interlude interrupts to play a calming lull, slowly erupting back into a melodic downpour of groove. The scream of 'Victoria!' tinges with an emotional quality, demonstrating the narrator's passion and investment. By all means, a very satisfying finale to the album. However, the best part of this release also exposes a slight weakness; the rest of the album's songs are far from simple, but Through My Eyes seems shy toward advancing head-on in the progressive direction. They are obviously bicurious with it, as indicated by the 11-minute epic, but some parts of the album don't sync with the prowess found in the final track. Yet, I have faith that they'll be able to advance even further on their next release.   

Interview:

Please introduce the members of Through My Eyes and their role in the band.
Alex: “Hi, I’m Alex, I do vocals.”
Mike: “I’m Mike, I play guitar.”
Bryan: “I’m Bryan, I also play guitar”
Josh: “hi I’m Josh I like to hit things with sticks”
Qual: “I’m Colin and I like to play pretend guitar.”

In what ways has Through My Eyes progressed from the release of the Skin Deep EP to the very recent Victoria LP?
Alex: “Skin Deep was kind of our way of testing the waters with this heavier style, and with Victoria we stepped it up in a big way. I think Skin Deep was a little more tame, and with this new album, we really got to experiment and explore our own style. Victoria has a much more unique sound than Skin Deep by far.”
Mike: “Skin Deep was the beginning of us discovering where the band wanted to go musically. In my opinion Victoria is just a much more matured version of Skin Deep.”
Bryan: “We decided to go with a more progressive approach with this album. Each instrument plays it’s own individual role by making the album sound more interesting and mature, as Mike said.”
Colin: “Skin Deep did an amazing job of getting us recognized on blogs all over the world and gave us more of a solid internet entity. With that being said, Mike went on more of a creative and technical approach while still keeping the symphonic elements that people loved about Skin Deep.”
Josh: “I can’t even begin to explain how Mike’s brain works. He just starts writing a crazy piece and it turns into a beautiful song. Since we released Skin Deep over two years ago, he’s continued to do that and basically this is what it has become.”

Victoria was self-recorded and produced; tell me about that process and how it affected the final outcome of your album.
Alex: “Self-producing definitely added a little bit more stress near the end with the final mixes and all that, but the whole process itself was a huge relief. We didn’t have to lug around our equipment to someone else’s house to spend a few hours chipping away at a big project. We were able to spend 9 to 12 hours at a time knocking out major chunks of the album. I think we would have finished things up faster if we were working with someone else, but the quality of writing would not be there.”
Mike: “Well I was in charge of recording/producing the album, and I think that self producing was the best decision we could have made. We had complete and utter control of how we wanted the album to sound, which was different than anything else we had experienced before. It was the most comfortable recording experience we had been involved in, and over all enabled us to create the best album we could.”
Bryan: “With Mike playing a very prominent role in the development of this album, I can definitely say it was an advantage to have one of our own band members produce this album. We had more control and it was a very comfortable experience”

How was your symphonic component factored into the music during the song writing process?
Mike: “With Skin Deep, I wrote the symphonic elements with the idea that they would be the main focus of the music. However with Victoria, I really wanted the guitars to be the primary focus of the album, with the orchestration just filling in the gaps when needed.”

Can you tell me more about Victoria's concept and how it came into fruition? 
Bryan: “We’re all antichrists and hate religion.”
Alex: “Well we aren’t all antichrists, only a few of us. We were playing around with the idea of doing a concept album and we flip-flopped a lot. At first we tried Greek mythology, then a storyline, but ultimately we ended up with the concept of religious violence. The way I described it (which is on our bandcamp and other media sites) is: ‘This album is a concept album about some of the worst atrocities caused by a hateful devotion to religion. Each song represents a horrifying period of time when human life was disposed of indiscriminately, the worst genocides and exterminations in the history of the world.’ The point I was really trying to get across through the lyrical content is that religion is supposed to be such a peaceful institution, but even since before the bible existed, people were massacring each other over it. It’s not meant to be a huge slap in the face, just some food for thought.”


You're able to organize your own tour - who would you be playing with?
Mike: “Can I please tour with Korn? Please?”
Bryan: “I personally would love to play with Mumford and Sons and Coldplay but if we got on a tour with them, everyone would be questioning what we’re so angry about”
Alex: “Sign me up for something with Behemoth, Aborted, Ovid’s Withering, Thy Art Is Murder, and Aversions Crown, and then a different tour with Tesseract. Please.”
Josh: “ In all seriousness, we book everything DIY, anywhere we can. We’re touring alone but playing with locals in all the areas we have booked for the summer. It should be a grand ole time! But eventually if we had the choice I would say Make them Suffer and Parkway Drive. Huge influence on the music and Australians are generally pretty damn cool.”   
Colin: “If I had the opportunity to tour with whoever I wanted, I would pick Parkway Drive, Black Tongue, The Front Bottoms, The Wonder Years, and Citizen.”
Care to provide a rig rundown of your equipment?
Mike: “I play an Agile 8 string and a Laguna 6 string. I run an Axe FX II through a Matrix GT1000FX Poweramp, both of which are powered by a Furman. I use a Mesa cab, and I use a Shure cordless system.”    
Bryan: “I play an Agile Septor 8 string and an Ibanez SA36FM 6 string. I run those through a Line 6 Pod HD 500 using a Peavey 6505 as the power supply coming from a Krank cabinet. With that combination, i get a pretty ballsy tone live.”
Colin: “I play a Washburn Bantam 6 string and a PBC 1995 Custom 5 string. I run a BBE Sonic Maximizer and a Aphex Aural Exciter/Big Bottom through an Ampeg B2R. My Rack then gets run through a Hartke 4x10 transporter and a Hartke 1x15.
Josh: I play on a basic Tama Imperialstar 5 piece set but with a Tama S.L.P snare. Cymbals are all zildjian A customs and Sabian AAxplosions

What's in store for the future?
Alex: “If everything works out, tours, more music, more shenanigans, and a hell of a lot of hard work. Regardless, we’re gonna keep chuggin along as best as we can.”
Mike: “We’re just pushing the album as hard as we can! We’ll be spreading links around the internet, playing shows and gearing up for tour this summer.”
Bryan “Hopefully more music!”
Josh: “The future’s looking pretty awesome. I’m sure I speak for everyone when I say that we can’t wait to play shows again. Tour was also the highlight of last summer and hopefully we can top it this year and make some new friends along the way!”
Colin: “The future has so much potential for us as long as we work hard and do what we love. We plan on touring and getting as many new fans and people involved in our music as we can. We love what we do and we hope to get to more places fans want to see us.”

Thank you for taking the time!
Bryan: “Thank you! It’s been a pleasure!”
Josh: “Am I famous yet?”
Mike: “SO LONGG, AND…”
Qual: “Goodnight”
Alex: “Thank you very much!”

written by Piotr Weiss

Monday, May 5, 2014

Watchers - Hatelife (2014)


Artist: Watchers
Album:Hatelife
Genre: Beatdown/Deathcore

1. This Hell (Feat. Daniel Dyches - Far From Nothing)
2. Hybrid
3. The Mechanical Generation
4. The American Dream

Download: Bandcamp(NYP)
 
I don't normally like the beatdown style of music, but this is really good. It has somewhat of a progish feel along with punishing breakdowns, it mixes really well. It's free on bandcamp, pick it up, spread it around, and enjoy.

Sea Of Trees - Envision (2014)

Envision cover art

Sea Of Trees
Album: Envision
Genre: Progressive Metalcore
Facebook

Track Listing:
1. Envision
2. Blown
3. Workaholic
4. Narcissistic
5. Bare
6. Wasted Potential (Ft. Brandon Davis)
7. 3,000 (Ft. Josh Easton)
8. Coward
9. Sky
10. Pills
11. Lense
12. Revision

Bandcamp (NYP)
Preview: Full Album Stream

Some pretty tasty progressive metalcore!

Saturday, May 3, 2014

Harvs - Curiosities (2014)

Artist: Harvs
Album: Curiosities
Genre: Instrumental Progressive Metal

Tracklist:
1. Awaken
2. Perplexity
3. Disappear
4. Seeking Solitude
5. Revelations
6. Enlightenment


Very cool stuff, nice sense for melody, with guest solo of the might Plini and Jake Howeam Lowe (The Helix Nebula and Point Below Zero).

Friday, May 2, 2014

Review and Interview: Disigma - Disigma EP (2014)

Artist: Disigma
Album: Disigma EP
Release Date: April 29, 2014
Genre: Progressive Metalcore
 
Tracklist:
1. Crows
2. Hatchet
3. A Disconnect (feat. Patrizio Arpaia)
4. Sonder
5. Event Horizon (feat. Shae Portner)

Review:
There is a rare vein of music that comes into fruition deep in the mines of progressive and
technical metalcore. Perpetuated by acts like Ion Dissonance and War From a Harlots Mouth,
this small niche is emphasized by mathematically infused breakdown patterns, abrupt riff
transitions, and an overwhelming sense of chaos. The recipe requires not only immense technical
talent, but a generous helping of madness. Live performances of these bands religiously promise
an audience of uncoordinated heads struggling to bob along to the syncopations and polyrhythms.
Though the inaccessibility of this music lies miles from some of the more avant-garde acts out
there, it still mandates an open mind to enjoy. An online comment on Disigma's single 'Throne
Sake' stuck with me; something along the lines of, "You know it's crazy when you can't find the
downbeat." Those well-acquainted with acts like The Locust and PsyOpus will find Disigma
tame by comparison, but don't let that disillusion you; Disigma planted plenty of twists-and-turns
on their latest EP.
Disigma's long anticipated, self-titled EP has been finally been unleashed unto the masses.
Having been teased by several earlier singles, it feels satisfying to hear the Pennsylvania based
duo’s hard work and dedication come into fruition. Spanning close to 18 minutes, the EP is
comprised of 5 previously unreleased songs gleaming in their Drop F glory; an admirable feat,
though I would not have minded the addition of any prior singles. Consisting of a firmly laid
foundation of breakdowns, atmospheric passages, and chaotic intersections of riffs, Disigma
pummel the listener from beginning to end. Emphasizing their passion for musical brutality, the
duo seamlessly weaves a wide array of discordant grooves together. On 'Crows,' tight and
choppy, After the Burial-esque action melts away into an eerie trance of thall. 'Hatchet' sends
hands flying across the fretboard before breaking into hastened, hardcore chugs; simple, yet
haunting, melodies float in the background, conjuring up an atmosphere reminiscent of
Vildhjarta. ‘Event Horizon’ closes the EP with end-of-the-world heaviness, the distant tremolo
picking resembling sirens issuing a state of emergency. If chugs were made of water, this EP
would be a tsunami; it's absolutely laden with them from start to finish, which might be an
immediate turnoff to some. However, every riff is unique and differentiable, with a sense of
nuance and finesse. The pace is restricted to the slower side of the spectrum, but several
moments break free into blasting frenzies. Like a tiger, these segments are exotic and rare, yet
gratifying to witness.
Raw shouts consistently pierce the chaos, adding yet another layer of ferocity. The vocal
style is hardcore in nature, discernible without losing its aggressiveness. Punctuating screams
and growls aid in the assault, though the range is maintained somewhere in the middle. Two of
the EP's tracks feature guest vocals: Patrizio Arpaia of Currents on ‘A Disconnect’ and Shae
Portner of Prime Meridian on ‘Event Horizon.’ Though all vocalists involved are exemplary,
their sharing of a similar vocal style makes it difficult to distinctively pinpoint who's doing what
and where. Regardless, their shouts contribute to the noisy cacophony. The EP's production
exposes every aspect of the band while helping keep the gritty sound that makes it so heavy;
there's no doubt that your house will be trembling with a good pair of speakers. I must commend
the band on the drum programming; subtle ghost notes and well placed hi-hat smacks showcase a
close attention to detail in making the drums as life-like as possible. Acting as the main driving
force, the china fiercely smashes away while the snare pattern remains impossible to follow;
reminding me of that Calculus class I took last year. The instrumentation as a whole is entirely
precise and well polished, demonstrating the amount of effort that went into creating every little
part.
Disigma's first EP is a very promising start to what will hopefully expand into additional
releases. At first listen, one might mindlessly dismiss them as another chug clone; I urge
everyone to pay attention to the details, as these two have painted a chaotic landscape of
unmatched heaviness. Their neck-snapping grooves encompass the push into new depths for this
genre. I look forward to their outside-the-box approach and future material. And yes, earlier, I
shamelessly used thall as a noun.
FFO: Ion Dissonance, Prime Meridian, Frontierer, Car Bomb

Interview:
Please introduce Disigma's members and their duties in the band.
Josh Mitchell: Disigma started as Cody and I and has solidly remained since. We’ve had some people try out but are still looking for the missing pieces. I take care of writing all the instruments and producing, and Cody does lyrics, patterns and all things vocals.

Did the two of you work together prior to the formation of Disigma? How did the band come into creation?
JM: It’s funny actually, I used to work at a shoe store as a salesman and my boss introduced me to his son’s band, which Cody was the vocalist of. I hooked up with them as the second guitarist until Cody and I broke away. We started a melodic hardcore-ish band called Motives. It was a lot of fun and we played some sick shows but we soon realized we wanted more. We wrote a song in my basement just messing around and ended up really liking it. Cody thought of the name Disigma and it just kind of took off from there.

What are some of your obvious, and not-so-obvious, influences?
JM: This is always a tricky question with us. We like to just write what we like and tend to not worry whether we’ll be compared to other bands. But to answer your question, back when we started I listened to a lot of the up’n comers at the time, Structures, Volumes etc. But also a lot of stuff like From Indian Lakes, Harvard, Empire! Empire!(I Was A Lonely Estate) and This Town Needs Guns. And Trap, lots and lots of trap. Sometimes I hear a lot of trap influences in the melodies I create with Disigma and that’s perfectly fine with me haha.

I have been eagerly anticipating this EP for quite some time; were there any particular difficulties that hindered the final product?
JM: Oh man, so many difficulties. Shortly after we started writing, I moved away to Lancaster for work. It made it really hard to get together and also shrunk my already thin budget. Cody was at school and working too. When I finally moved back I started school and got right back to work. Not having any time really hit us hard, and not only affected the band, but had us starting to drift apart. We’d get together from time to time to write and shoot the shit, but nothing majorly productive ever got done. Finally we decided we had too much potential to let it go to waste and started to rekindle Disigma, and our relationship. Paying for studio time was the next speed bump. We recorded 3 singles at WerleyBird Studios, which by the way if you ever need amazing work done and want to chill with two awesome twin brothers, that is the studio for you. It was never about the quality or the people, we just couldn’t afford it. I started working at Everloft Studios with two lifetime friends and decided to take my basement recording style and kick it up a notch. We started using any and all of the free time we had to get this EP done and we couldn’t be happier with the result.

Tell me about the EP's guest vocals.
JM: The guest spots on the EP are phenomenal. Cody hooked up with Patrizio from Currents through networking with other bands and convinced him to drive up from Connecticut and lay down some killer vocals. I’ve always known of Shae but never really met him until I was in Lancaster. He went to a nearby college and I went to meet him and his roommate Eric. I immediately fell in love with their band Prime Meridian and started writing with them a lot, which also led to me and Eric’s side project Analyst. We’ve always loved Shae’s vocals and knew we wanted him on the EP from the first time we heard them.

The artworks from your singles and EP both contain the motif of a wire entrapped bird - is there any underlying meaning

JM: This is a question best answered by Cody. There is a strong symbolic meaning that Cody can put into words better than I can.
Cody Golob: For the singles and the EP art, the meaning we’d like to portray is a sense of entanglement our souls endure in a world that is blatantly corrupted and controlled. One that tears at our free minds each and every day while we try and break away so we can evolve and move onto the next consciousness, wherever and whatever that may be. Our lyrics are also heavily based on past and current world events that have shaped/are shaping the perception we reside in, most we believe are orchestrated some way or another for a hidden incentive.

The internet loves incessant debate about the genre and classification of music, i.e. "djent." Is Disigma any particular strain of music?
JM: Haha yeah man, take a look at the comments on our other songs, that shit is non-stop. Personally, I love djent, it’s fucking awesome. But out of habit I tend to refer to bands by name now just to avoid the debate. Obviously we have a lot of “djent” influence but to be honest we just write what sounds cool to us, and it just happens to walk along the border of a couple of different styles of music.

Care to provide an equipment rundown for the tech-savvy?
JM: Surely, I use an Ibanez RG8 8 string guitar into the POD HD Pro X. I absolutely love the tones that thing produces, but am definitely looking to upgrade my guitar soon. The POD also serves as a head for live purposes, but we will worry about that when the other members show up.

What should we expect from Disigma in the future?
JM: We are going to roll with the punches for now. There are a few labels that I really look up to and am a huge fan of, but that is really for them to decide if we are something they are looking for. Regardless, we will keep pushing forward and have already started writing material for a full length.

Thall?
JM: Thall.

Written by Piotr Weiss

 

Thursday, May 1, 2014

Miroist - Curve (2014)

CURVE cover art

Miroist
Album: Curve
Genre: Atmospheric/Instrumental/Progressive Metal
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Track Listing:
1. Hope for a long free mean path
2. Lumen suum reiecta
3. 29%
4. It seemed so distant...
5. The closing of your eye
6. Are we leaden yet?
7.  And symmetry has finally broken us
8. There is still time
9. An arcsecond among pioneers
10. ...It always was.

Bandcamp (NYP)
Preview: "29%"

OH MY GOD! This album is downright incredible. Very similar feel and sound to Cloudkicker's "Beacons" but with some added atmosphere and heaviness. I'm heated right now. I haven't even listened to this entire album yet and I'm mad that more people don't know about it. GET INTO THIS!

Review: Wings Denied - Mirrors For A Prince (2014)

Artist: Wings Denied
Album: Mirrors For A Prince
Genre: Progressive Metal

Tracklist:
1. Generation Y
2. The Machinist
3. In Search Of Sunrise
4. Maiden (feat. Michael Rumple of Lorelei)
5. Sings
6. NĂ©ant (feat. Joe Lester of Intronaut)
7. Clockwork
8. The End Of History
9. Courtesan
10. Six Years And A Day (feat. Nick Llerandi of Ever Forthright and Dave Cohen)

Review:
This record has been crafted perfectly and with no compromise on effort in any sense; the songwriting is fresh, and remarkably fluid for a progressive metal band, production is fantastic, and the well rounded guitar tone certainly fits the playing style excellently.
   
    It's unfortunately not so uncommon these days to find progressive metal take conscious steps away from genuine songwriting in the pursuit of technicality , making sacrifices to listenability in favour of impressive playing. Wings Denied have done a fantastic job at avoiding this with Mirrors for a Prince, also the cheesiness associated with clean choruses in extreme metal seems absent here. The result of obviously talented writers putting effort into writing instead of playing has paid off impressively on this record. This isn't to say the instruments on the album are lazy, in fact it's quite the opposite. The music is soaked in fast guitar and bass licks, however often you have to be paying close attention to determine that there is actually lots going on, likely because the fluidity of the pieces makes the actual elements of them subliminal and easily digestible.

    There is no compromise on catchiness here, either. Whether it's a tasty guitar hook or well-written clean vocal verses, there's always something happening that is captivating. This construction of a technically advanced yet listenable sound makes this an accessable record to many audiences. MfaP certainly isn't even close to my usual spin, but I found myself enjoying this record much more than I thought i would have.

    Reccommended for fans of Tesseract, Intervals, Periphery.

    Favourite song - Sings

Songwriting - 8/10
Musicianship - 9/10
Production - 7/10
   
8/10

written by Travis Bryant


 Personal (Interruptio) opinion:

One of the most interesting bands out there. The composing is absolutely phenomenal, but the thing that hooked me more than any other records of the year are the absolutely amazing vocals!

8/10