Archipel is the debut EP from the Brussels, Belgium band Substance Zero. Each member of this four-piece band has distinct influences, but all are united in their love for rock from the ‘70s and ‘90s. The band took about nine months to craft their own sound and style and they describe their first recording as a “journey on the high seas of progressive noise.” They claim their songs will take the listener on a “psychedelic trip” so, “enjoy but beware of the pirates and storms” particularly in the songs “Spirale” and “Black Light” as it may lead you “Into the Abyss.” Members include, Antoine Truand on guitar, Frankie Bertholon on guitar and vocals, Yannick Daïf on drums and Oliver Montel on bass and vocals. The EP was recorded at Spector Studios in Brussels.
The opening number is “Archipel” (which by the way is French for archipelago), and it begins with a progressively instrumental style, in fact, it’s strictly that – no lyrics. It ebbs and flows with pockets of breaks and some fantastic interplay between the rhythm and lead guitars. The band has a great live sound as if I was in the same room with them. About three quarters in, the guys mix up a heavier epic metal sound with fusion and progressive. Overall, it’s quite the opening tune – worthy of turning up loud! “Spirale” starts off with a spooky and low bass line. Guitars come in with a psych-rock style and the drums have this really great, warm and organic sound. Further in, I was beginning to think this was an instrumental, but then the vocals come in after two minutes. The guitar action gets really good when solo stuff starts happening – kind of a cross between Black Sabbath and a more metal sounding Iron Butterfly or Steppenwolf. The band adds some flair with a whistling effect towards the end. “Black Light” takes a page from the depths of bands that love minor chords and sinister sounding metal music. But I wouldn’t say this tune is all death and destruction, but man, it sure has that spirit and drive. About midway, the band funks it up with a bit faster tempo and a more distorted, psych-rock style. The “chug-chug-chug” riff of the rhythm guitar carries on that pure, classic metal sound. And the length of the song with all its breaks and solos is a tried-and-true hallmark of progressive rock numbers from days of old. The last song “Into the Abyss” feels like one of those epic, progressive tunes that starts off sort of quiet, revealing layers of instrumentation and then, it begins to build, telling the listener its story. Then, yes, wait for it… the band changes tempo and arrangements, not once, not twice, but, ah heck… I lost count. If you love classic progressive instrumental songs, this one’s for you. As a music fan who loves the early progressive movement from the ‘70s, I naturally loved what Substance Zero had to offer on their debut. In this day and age of short three-minute pop songs and shorter YouTube videos that feed on our short attention spans, it’s refreshing to listen to a band that’s not afraid to play a seven-minute song. Perhaps they’ll take things further and record an even longer song on their next album – I can hardly wait.
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I’ve been a fan of Casey Frensz since I heard his release Spiral. His latest Captain Queso and the Revealing Science of Groove is his most cohesive. The songs have more of a similar musical foundation.
This release is an experimental funk album somewhere between Parliament-Funkadelic and Frank Zappa. It’s a fully realized album with rich instrumental work and catchy melodies that would sound good at a party or give you a little extra motivation while working out at the gym. The album starts with “Posses” which is catchy song revolving around acoustic guitar, organ, bass and percussion. It’s a catchy song and one of the more straightforward songs. Up next is “Intro” which I thought might have been the first song but Frensz seems to throwing out all the rules. On “Intro” Frensz sounds a bit like Alan Watts giving one of his famous psychedelic talks. Frensz creates the milieu of a dock with waves, birds, ships and some hyperbolic, cartoonish conversation. It’s well done and sounded professional. “Tuning Up” is a great track that is funky, catchy and explores time travel with quantum physics. Perhaps even more exhilarating and dynamic is “Spaceship Stereo.” The customer service agent who gets oddly sexual making the patrons feel uncomfortable at the beginning is funny. Once the song actually kicks in I was very happy to be greeted with a falsetto and some of the catchiest vocal melodies. “Captain Queso” has a dixieland style beginning that gets funky. This song reminded me of Ariel Pink but even more diverse in where the styles can go. The album gets a little aggressive while simultaneously sounding like Phish on “Let There Be Funk.” I was a little worried about the anti-funk on “Forces of the Unfunky” but it’s really quite ok. There is some narration, great music and plenty of fun to be had. The band tips their hat to Peter Frampton on “The Way That You're Movin.’” It felt a bit like New Year’s and cocaine on “Re-Entry” while “Stormy Seas” is the most atmospheric and ambient piece. The album closes with “In the Groove” which made me feel like I was poolside in Las Vegas with a margarita in the ’70s. Captain Queso and the Revealing Science of Groove is a long journey that takes time to fully explore. That journey however never feels laborious like I had to dig into the details to understand it at a more cerebral level. The album is visceral and one I highly recommend.
First and foremost, allow me to welcome back John Norwood to Divide & Conquer. We've seen him before under the band handle Blanker. Norwood has another band project he's had on the boil since 2006 known as Upstate Escape and right now I'm going to dig into their latest album Precariously Arranged. Fun fact, the band moved from Ithaca to NYC proper making their band name all the more appropriate. The album features an interesting mix of moods and rock genres. It gained high marks from me in terms of experimentation.
The first two tracks "Freebase Hip" and "Drugs" painted the album as a hard alternative rock scenario. However suddenly things got a little more groovy and weird in a good way with track three "All Access." This is where the jazzy, funky fun stuff officially makes itself known and I think this aesthetic is one of the best elements of the album. From here on down, it's sort of an unpredictable path of chill indie, more of the hard stuff and beyond. I found it all very interesting but it was very hard to identify this group's signature sound. I can tell they have a lot of ideas, all of them sound pretty great, but there is zero cohesion here. I found myself over stimulated and a little lost. I would hear something I loved and then want to hear them explore that idea in other songs, but I was often out of luck. But who the hell am I to try and try and pin down a band to a specific sound. Everyone on staff here is wildly talented, I think the collective energy is one that can adapt to anything, as they prove with this album. On the musicianship end, the album is ambitious and managed to wow me countless times. Norwood is also a hell of a vocalist, capable of conquering any genre they decide to attack. One thing I can say with this album is that the group has demonstrated their limitless potential, and that's not a bad thing to advertise. I think all of these tracks are assembled well, like I said, the funky jazzy stuff stuck out the most to me. The harder stuff had clout but often got a little too thick with the emo eye liner for my personal taste. There were also these decidedly lighter indie rock tracks like "Goddess." Lovely tunes, wouldn't mind a whole album dedicated to this kind of genre either. Like I said, LOTS of ideas here, lots of ways this group could go. It's hard to say when we'll hear from Upstate Escape specifically as Norwood is continuing to focus on Blanker. I hope he doesn't fully shelve this group. They have so many ideas I want them to fully realize. Best of luck to everyone to everyone involved with Upstate Escape, and congratulations on this album.
Phelix is a hip-hop artist who recently released his debut album entitled Phinding Pheet. It’s a valiant first effort at the genre in which Phelix states he is bringing old school vibes similar to Snoop, Ice Cube and Redman. There is one major difference between Phelix and those artists. Phelix has a thick English accent but that is not a liability. I thought it sounded great and gave the songs his own signature sound.
Things get poppin’ with “Phelan” which has a very laid back sounding beat. The music is organic. The drums sound live and the synths are simple but effective. I was impressed by his rapping skills right away and you can tell there is definitely some influence from Snoop. “No Finer MC” is a unique little segue. It sounds like a kid doing a piano recital. “These MC’s” is upbeat almost like a jam with a wah guitar. One of the highlights was “Poppin Shots” which has a notable hook and really other elements which no pun intended make the song pop. Phelix continues to impress with “Aiming High.” The whole feel of this song is unique. It’s sort of disconnected with disparate elements that somehow work together. His rhymes cut through the mix nicely. “Where Are You” has a darker, ominous feel to it while “Standing Strong” reminded me of Die Antwoord both with the music and the rapping style. “Black Mamba” displays different tools in his arsenal and is a very slick sounding song. “The Fight” is a unique beat with a recording of a boxing match while “Brother” is a somewhat heartfelt song. He closes with “Happiness” which felt like another highlight and another nod to '90s hip-hop. Phinding Pheet is not only a great debut but it seems like it’s just beginning for Phelix. I’m looking forward to hearing more of his music.
Electro In Black is the darkwave/coldwave solo project of Sebastian Alexsander. Love Has Never Called Ever is his debut album.
The album has its roots in post punk. There are very obvious similarities to Joy Division between the monotone vocal delivery which sounds like Ian Curtis to the darker tendencies. Joy Division is the most obvious comparison but other like minded bands like The Cure and Bauhaus come to mind as well. Up first is “Love Has Never Called…..Ever.” The drum machine sounds straight out of the ’80’s. It doesn't take long for the song to feel covered in distortion and dark pads. I liked the textures and tones which worked really well together. The vocals are low in the mix and contain a good amount of reverb. It’s a deceptively catchy song and one of the highlights on the album. “The Search For Love That Came To Nothing” is a dark, nihilistic song that vampires could dance to. The kick drum is prominent as drones fluctuate and ominous pads float about. Alexsander sings, “and the hands you held and the lips you kissed / and their names and their faces / the endless list.” “It's Always Autumn” is a hypnotic subterranean song which revolves around a lot of spoken word, a kinetic beat and ethereal elements while “The Abyss Returns My Gaze” is free of percussion and instead focuses on one huge sounding fluctuating drone. You go further down the abyss with “Now,Voyager” which is a very dissonant and ominous sounding song. Last up is “Spring Frost” which is a soundscape with a good amount of spoken word. The synths are constantly manipulated with filters and oscillators on this track creating a lot of tension and anxiety. This album is one where the light never shines. It embraces isolation, loneliness and existential dread which would make Ian Curtis proud. Take a listen.
This album doesn’t start with too great an ambition...just remaking the Trojan War into a gothic alternative-metal soundscape. And The Anhedonians pretty much carry the field and leave the “Hectored” bodies of their sonic foes for the carrion fowl to pick clean. Maybe they, like I, read a lot of Greek and Roman mythology during their wasted youths…
All Went Up is full of big stories and, dare I say, big cinematic soundscapes. As you listen, your mind becomes a drone piloted by sound over mountains, seas and forests and then through the open doors of dark cathedrals where mad organists are bashing out double-time funeral dirges while dark rites are done by candlelight. The band loves to pound notes into your brain like meat-tenderizing hammer-blows and then give you soft counterpoints of sweetness and lyricism once your consciousness has been properly prepared to receive. The three-piece from El Paso, Texas call themselves “experimental rock” on their Facebook page, but the term doesn’t really prepare you for what you’re about to hear. Serge Carrasco (guitar/vocals) exclaims, screams, cajoles and sometimes just rock-speaks a la Nick Cave or even Lou Reed. All this in service to lyrics that are here bombastic, there dark and menacing and then, suddenly, pleading. Paul Dumond’s drumming also rises and falls wonderfully with the content of the songs. He loves to fill in the silence at the end of a bar with a quick little drum-roll before going back to bashing the cymbals and bass drum. I guess the secret-instrumental-sauce of the band is the innovative way Matthew Santillan employs his keyboards. Almost like bird-song at times, then certainly evoking huge pipe organs and, even once, reminiscent of the piano backings of the E-Street Band (thankfully only briefly before heading back off into the more gothic realms). There’s a little bit of everything here: narrative, psychological drama, musical experimentation and virtuosity. For me, the thing that ties the tracks all together into a very enjoyable album is the cinematic way every song transports you to a very specific-feeling space in your mind. You’re never just listening, you’re seeing. There are eight solid tracks here, but if you just want to get a taste, start with the opener “Helen,” and be sure to give “New Me” a listen while you’re at it. These are the most impactful tracks. Getting back to our Greek mythology, Hedone is the goddess of pleasure (daughter of Eros and Psyche) and also the hot-momma from whom we get the word “hedonism” (My favorite!). “Anhedonia,” then, is the inability to experience pleasure. Ironically, All Went Up is a pleasure throughout. Listen at max volumes, but be ready for the silences.
Forest Horse is a band from Grand Rapids, Michigan that released Largo. The band plays into post-rock in line with bands like Do Make Say Think, Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Mogwai to name a few. It’s a difficult genre because there hasn’t been too much advancement in the last of couple years besides Stubborn Persistent Illusions by Do Make Say Think along with a couple of other notable releases.
Largo embraces the darker side of post-rock. There isn’t much light in the darkness to be found to my ears. That being said they open with “Obsidian” which sounds a little more like Explosions in the Sky. The song unfolds in standard post-rock fashion. It starts off slow and quiet and they build on that riff until there is nowhere else to go. Up next is “Mercy” which is a seven-plus-minute song. The song embraces darker textures and white noise however there is beauty to be found as well. There are vocals in the song but they are so buried in the mix. The overall feel however from the vocal delivery feels dismal and matches the dark feel. The song really embraces what Godspeed You! Black Emperor perfected years ago on Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven. It's the the same type of existential dread and meditative stillness I was attracted to when I was in college. “Mercy” is more dynamic than the first song and the band keeps it simple in terms of the template of sounds. “Forces” also contains vocals. They are buried in a similar way to the previous track and delivered in a deadpan, monotone manner that matches the music. The band Low came to mind. In particular their release Low Things We Lost in the Fire. “Largo” is a slow burn that moves like molasses while “Anti Equilibrium” explores some distortion and white noise not too far from Fennesz. “All Streams Run To The Sea”is the most beautiful song with possible slight nods to Yume Bitsu. Largo has all checked all the boxes you need to qualify for post-rock. In this case it seems to hark back to a lot of acts that were emerging about twenty years ago or older. I can’t say it ever expands on what the genre has done before but for fans of the genre it may be a valuable addition to your collection.
Evil Sweet is a pop/rock band with heavy hip hop and funk influences hailing from Long Island, NY consisting of Zachary Castro (guitar/rapper) and Scotty OBC (vocals). Their debut album The Weather Up There is a story that encapsulates the turbulent emotions of love and pain in an accessible and easy to listen to manner.
The four-track EP kicks off with “Thinkin’ About You,” an emotive story portraying the struggles of the nature of relationships. On this track the slick flow and lyrical bars of Castro really give this song a unique edge. Throughout the album, his vital contributions elevate Evil Sweet from average, to stand out artists. “I Remember” really showcases Scotty OBC’s talented and soulful vocal range, and also highlights the unique chemistry musically between OBC and Castro, as they play off and empower each other’s talents so expertly. This acts as a great support for the emotively charged tone of the track, as together they really convey these poignant feelings. “Much Too Long” has a real funk and blues feel to it, and fits perfectly within the four-track playlist, and showcases their strong instrumentation skills as the track effortlessly switches from a slowed down acoustic number to a fast paced rock one. The record closes with “Baby It’s You” a much folkier and stripped back song, which is a nice contrast to the preceding ones, and the catchy melody and lyrics make it a certified sing-a-long track. It is a fitting farewell to the album. Evil Sweet sounds like a strange marriage between Chance the Rapper and Portugal. The Man, with a sprinkle of Art of Verse and Nathaniel Rateliff for good measure, but they somehow make it work, resulting in an ambitious and distinctive sound. The Weather Up There isn’t lyrically complex, but if you are in the mood for a fun listen with intentions of dancing and singing your troubles away, look no further than Evil Sweet.
House of Secrets is a synthpop band formed by David Anders Jr and Joe Benton. They mention they are paying homage to ’80s synth and new wave bands such as Depeche Mode, New Order, Duran Duran and Ah-ha. That is pretty apparent when you listen to their release Enter.
They open with “Enter” which is field recording of someone walking around, opening doors and doing a couple of other things. There is music in the background which makes it sound like the music is coming from a different room. “Madness & Bliss” contains a number of synth elements. It sounded a bit like The Knife if they were utilizing more sounds that felt like they were coming from a Roland synth from the '80s. The vocals are layered with a heavy affectation that was popular in the ’80s. It reminded me of how Bryan Ferry would sing. Up next is “Put Me Under” which revolves around an arpeggiated synth. The song finds an energy and never really leaves it. I was waiting for that hook to pop. Up next is “Down Again” which revolves around an almost vertigo inducing beat which I really thought was well done. The sort of spoken word type singing is prevalent in the song. Similar to the last song there is really no change in energy or a transition that really felt like a departure from where it started from. The band sounds a bit like early NIN on “Give Chase” and they close with “Bonus Track: Enter (no fx version).” Depeche Mode, New Order, Duran Duran and Ah-ha were bands that were known for writing memorable choruses. There are so many songs from those bands that are still done in karaoke bars all over the world. That’s really the part of the equation House of Secrets should focus on moving forward in my opinion. They seem to start off with a solid idea and groove but I felt like I was waiting for the chorus, hook or at least a prominent transition. Overall, there is some talent and skill here that showcases a band with a lot of potential. They seemed have a built an impressive foundation with this EP. I’m looking forward to hearing them evolve and hope to hear more soon.
Sight is a band from Minneapolis that recently released Heroica. The band explains that the album is a seven-song cycle following the Hero's journey, as defined by Joseph Campbell in his book "The Hero With A Thousand Faces."
The band covers an array of sub genres under rock. There are clearly elements of post-rock, hard rock and more. Not matter what style, the band sets a very serious and dramatic tone to their songs. The songs are all on the longer end of the rock spectrum. They take their time getting where they need to go. Take for instance the opener “The Call” which below a warm, ominous hum is a single guitar. The song slowly builds with percussive aspects along with some strummed chords. It’s about at the three-minute mark where the band starts to let loose. The vocals enter and are just as dramatic as the music. It reminded me of Tool especially just in the overall mood they paint. The band eventually rocks on this song. This felt very rooted in ’90s alternative and hard rock. “Contemplations/Refusal” felt like an appropriate name and a certified highlight. The song is a very slow burn that feels like it's trying to put you in a pensive mood. There are some similarities to early Mogwai on this song. “Meeting the Mentor/Crossing of the Threshold” seems to embrace what the band is all about. They have very quiet parts and then will go into full out rocking with very little warning. ”Confrontation/Celebration” was a confusing emotional and stylistic departure. They sound like a jam band at points and even go into jazz with a full on drum solo. It took me out of the mood they were building. “Reflections” is a mid level rocker while “Finality/Revelation” goes full on metal at points. They close with another pensive song entitled “The Return.” It’s obvious the band put a lot of work and thought into this album. The album does require some patience but there are rewards to be found. Recommended.
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