Browsing Tag

prog rock

Test your mind’s neuroplasticity with .Noodle.’s jazzy math-rock single, Hi-Fi.

Posted on 9 July 2021

The endearingly-titled New Jersey-hailing jazzy math-rock instrumental outfit .Noodle. is set to release their debut EP, ‘Seasons’; if technical instrumental ability leaves you weak at the knees, you may want to grab a chair before delving into the lead single, Hi-Fi.

As complex time signatures are hallmarks in *both * jazz and math rock, the mellow tones that introduce Hi-Fi are quickly replaced by clean and accordant speedy riffs that course through seamlessly rapid twists before mellifluously unwinding once more.

With each band member bringing a different style and experience to the instrumental powerhouse, finding reminiscences in their sound is a thankless task; indulging in the virtuosic alchemy definitely isn’t.

Check out .Noodle. on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Television Of Cruelty go out of this world with ‘The Winchcombe Meteorite’

Posted on 18 June 2021

Eclectic is a word that gets overused in music reviews, but there are few that fit The Television Of Cruelty better; unexpected, often eerie and unsettling, ‘The Winchecombe Meteorite’ is a narrative tale telling the story of a big chunk of space debris which landed on the driveway of a house smack in the middle of Suburban England in February 2021, amongst the lockdown of the Coronavirus pandemic and the echoing divisions of Brexit and the Black Lives Matter protests.

Musically, there’s a mixture of folk, prog, and out and out rock; guitars, yes, and drums, but also flutes and a melodica. It sounds a little like New Model Army back in their ‘Vengeance’ and ‘Thunder and Consolation’ perfection heyday, mixed with ‘Space Oddity’-era Bowie and dashes of Pink Floyd and Yes. It’s gentle, poetic, storytelling folk-prog that’s a perfect introduction to the ToC’s new album ‘England’s Wyrding’. Stellar (sorry).

Check out ‘The Winchcombe Meteorite’ on Soundcloud; follow the Television of Cruelty on Facebook and Twitter.

Review by Alex Holmes

Cagri Raydemir takes us on with ‘Choosing Your Own Battles’

Posted on 17 June 2021

Opening up with a descending acoustic guitar line and some suitably doom-laden lead work, ‘Choosing Your Own Battles’ is taken from independent musician and producer Cagri Raydemir’s fourteenth (yes, fourteenth) record, and the second of two EPs, ‘Outlasting The Opposite Pole’; loosely alt-metal, there’s elements of System Of A Down to the guitar work and Raydemir’s vocal delivery, mixed in with dashes of prog and some bluesy flourishes. It’s unsettling, moody, and heavy without resorting to the sort of ‘everything louder than everything else’ distortion that lesser artists might use to imply ‘heaviness’, relying instead on a relatively clean guitar tone, vaguely ‘Eastern’-sounding scales (think Led Zeppelin’s ‘Kashmir’ or some of Jerry Cantrell’s drop-D tuning-based work), and the power of the lyrics and subject matter to give it gravity and depth. And more power to it, that restraint and emphasis on phrasing and ‘grunt’ giving it a potency that would be lost with a more overdriven sound. It’s solid, powerful, and over far too quickly; a very tasty opener that gives a perfect introduction to the EP.

You can hear ‘Choosing Your Own Battles’, and the rest of the ‘Outlasting The Opposite Pole’ EP, on Spotify.

Review by Alex Holmes

Prog rock meets grunge and flirts with hardcore in Touch by Mirror’s latest single, Something New.

Posted on 13 June 2021
Touch by Mirror

Prog rock meets grunge in South African artist Touch by Mirror’s single, Something New; it’s exactly what it says on the tin. So, if you have heard enough ripped-off Nirvana riffs to last a lifetime, you will definitely appreciate the alternative artist’s explorative instrumental inclination and complex time signatures.

If you could imagine what it would sound like if the styles of Porcupine Tree, Thrice and Alice in Chains merged, you will get a good idea of how Something New unravels. While, lyrically, Something New is the perfect track to vent your societal angst through; it unravels as a poignant snapshot of the tension that has turned social discourse into a cesspit of distraction and senseless misdirected anger.

After entering Cape Town’s alt-rock scene in 2020 with his debut EP, ‘Solitude’, Touch by Mirror is well on his way to bringing his soulful take on hardcore into the mainstream.

Check out Touch by Mirror via Facebook.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Nicolaas Walle And Friends show us what it means to be human in their latest release, Human Nature.

Posted on 8 June 2021

Scuzzy keys, theatrical crescendos and doom-laden vocals are just a few of the components in the latest release, ‘Human Nature’, by Ireland-based alternative artist Nicolaas Walle And Friends. The progressive two-track release will allow you to imagine what the War of the Worlds soundtrack would sound like if Depeche Mode and King Crimson lent their deft hands to the production.

Human Nature, Pt. 1 is a cosmonautical adventure through the avant-garde; after ominous male vocals and progressive instrumental alchemy that will be a hit with any fans of Rush or Genesis, female vocals bring a sense of fragility and mortality into the spacey mix that will set your imagination alight.

After making their debut in 2018, the self-produced multi-instrumentalist has enamoured plenty of the Emerald isle but discernibly, his sound boasts an international commercial potential that we can’t wait to see come into fruition in 2021 and beyond.

You can check out Human Nature for yourselves by heading over to Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

8udDha bl0od gives us the indie jazz blues with his single, ‘Fr33 jA2234 5UPeRm00n’.

Posted on 23 May 2021

There is seemingly no end to the Brighton-based experimental artist 8udDha bl0od’s versatility; in his discography, you’ll find it all, from drone electronica to Alt indie 90s rock to 70s psych. With his latest release, he has bestowed upon the airwaves a stunning fusion of Jazz and Blues that carries the same stylish cinematic air as a neo-noir classic.

With Fr33 jA2234 5UPeRm00n, 8udDha bl0od proved that Jazz is as accessible as the other genres he virtuosically dabbles in; those complex time signatures quickly start to feel like home when they are up against blues scales and guitar chords that work a little indie garage rock accordance into the mix.

You can check out 8udDha bl0od’s latest single by heading over to SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Georgetown grunge trio Tough on Fridays released their most relatable single yet with Cabin Fever.

Posted on 5 May 2021

Georgetown grunge trio Tough on Fridays has been on our radar since we heard their unforgettable 2018 single, ‘The Waywards’. With their latest single, Cabin Fever, their pop-punk edge has been stripped-back and replaced by doom-laden tones that will win over any fans of Porcupine Tree.

The gloomy, progressive anthem, complete with a thrashing rhythm section and angular cutting guitar notes that bring Shoegaze nuances into the mix, is a raw admission of the frustration experienced while locked away from normality.

What makes Cabin Fever so intense and cathartic is the realism of the angst. It was delivered in the same despondent way we’ve all been feeling over the past year.

Cabin Fever officially released on May 3rd; you can check it out for yourselves by visiting Tough on Fridays’ website.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Alt Electronica just got harsher with the release of Asterous’ sinister standout single ‘Heroes’.

Posted on 4 May 2021
Asterous

Vancouver’s alt-electronic-rock powerhouse duo Asterous unleashed their highly anticipated self-titled EP on April 23rd. The standout single, ‘Heroes’, is a sublime mash of sinister tones, glassy 80s-inspired synth notes and caustic black metal vocals that break the accordance laid out by the reverb-laden animatronic female vocals.

The arresting single seamlessly shifts between spacy melodicism, comparable to the work of Depeche Mode, to industrial metal increments with buzzsaw riffs that cut with reminiscence to the likes of Static X and Rob Zombie.

The stylistic choices are one thing, but the way that Asterous pull them all together is quite another. Heroes, paradoxically, serves nuance by the bucket-full.

You can check out the EP for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Corin deliver us ‘The Moment Of Realization’

Posted on 25 April 2021
Moira by Corin

Deep, subtle instrumental backgrounds open ‘The Moment Of Realization’ by ambient artists Corin, gentle echoing guitar chords over the slow, mellow swell of keyboard parts, a repeating, descending motif of picked, chorused notes which then build slowly, drums and bass adding an extra colour to the palette, increasing dynamics until overdriven guitar kicks in around the four-minute mark, reprising the descending riff but with greater power and emphasis.

‘The Moment Of Realisation’ is taken from Corin’s debut, seven-track ep ‘Moira’, a progressive neo-classical journey from prologue through to ending, a soundscape journey through an instrumental landscape of shifting moods and tempos.

You can hear ‘The Moment Of Realisation’ on BandCamp; follow Corin on Facebook.

Review by Alex Holmes

Square go for baroque in their theatric prog-punk rock single The World is Square.

Posted on 23 April 2021

With more funk and insanity than Mr Bungle’s debut album and a touch of baroque eccentricity writhing in the electrifying mix, Square’s chaotically enthralling Avant-Garde Rock track ‘The World is Square’ is a wild ride right from the intro.

The trio of three Canadian composers who are all accoladed in the contemporary scene made their debut in 2017. James Maxwell, Edward Top and Alfredo Santa Ana combined their eccentric visions, experimented with complex time signatures and allowed alchemy to crawl from the progressions that are as pleasantly disturbing as The Residents’. With Vancouver’s indie legend, Nathan Dillon’s, talent at their disposal, their powerful tracks that are unapologetically not everyone’s cup of tea hit with maximum artful impact.

It’s hard not to be drawn into Square’s experimentalism when they introduce listener’s to their sound with the following descriptor.

‘Multicultural, overeducated, and ironically trying to justify art-making in our current (dis)information age, Square asks a unique musical question: what happens when you know all the rules, and where all the roads in life lead, and somehow still get lost?’

For the full Square experience, you’ll want to check out the official music video which premiered on March 29th via YouTube. 

You can check out the full EP from Square via Bandcamp.

Review by Amelia Vandergast