The Podcast: Episode 66 (Now with 50% more awesome)

For every mediocre release, there are always twenty great ones to offset it. In this case, the week was plentiful, with two amazing new releases from Harakiri For The Sky and Unbowed, hiding the failings of the debut EP by Visions Of Tragedy. With some new faces joining the operation soon, things are on the verge of getting bigger and better.

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Unbowed - Unbowed (EP) (2013)

There is always a major difference in bands who do it for the love of the game, and those who are looking to get fame and notoriety. In an industry that is flooded with the latter, however futile that pursuit is, it is always refreshing to find some of the former. Canadian six piece Unbowed fit squarely into that category, playing an uptempo variety of metal that is just as easy to listen to as some of the more mainstream acts of today. This isn't about money or fame, something that is evident throughout their debut EP; they play the music that comes naturally, a modern mix of thrash and melodic death metal where storytelling is just as important as the deathly growls that become the vessel. And despite a few minor glitches in production and mixing, this five track offering is bigger than you would expect.

An expected injection of rich symphonic opens "Shadow Of Dark Decay," joined soon after by a bevy of heavy instruments. There is a noticeable groove in the guitar work, separating it from standard death metal fare. However, an uneven mix leaves the guitar riffs falling somewhat flat in the pecking order. Overpowered by the orchestral elements and devastating drums in the chorus, they fall to the back of the line. Vocalist Ioan Tetlow asserts his dominance every step of the way, particularly with his scream that bridges verse to chorus. "March Of The Giants" is exactly that; a larger than life death metal stomp that is sure to ignite the smallest flame. A basic, downtempo chugging session allows Tetlow to spin his tale, a skill that is on display in the lyrical quality. This is a full band effort led by some great keyboard work, courtesy of Connor MacPherson. But to say that the drumming is relentless doesn't do it justice. Forming the backbone of this melodic death style, Nick Lennox proves to be a force here. If there was a single track that could be used to bring you over to the dark side, "Gwyn Ap Nudd" might just be that track. Between the crushing guitar riffs and the flowing synthesizers, it is both aggressive and accessible, a combination that is hard to come by. The track continually walks the fine line between viking and black metal, all with a deep seeded melody.

Don't fall into too deep a trance at the light beginnings of "The Prophecy Foretold," despite lightly strummed guitars and keys. The initial blast of distortion will knock you backwards, setting into motion a stampede of thrashing guitars and drums. It would be so easy to get lost in all of the great musicianship on display, but don't make the mistake of ignoring the vocal lies and lyrics. Woven into each gritty scream and growl is a story that you would be sorry to miss; one that is of battle and victory. That entire air of triumph is captured so well in the outro section here, reinforcing the strength of the writing process. And despite the fact that you can't actually bend space and time, no matter what Doctor Who tells you, "As Winter Claims My Soul" is a four minute track tat seems to fly by in a matter of seconds. The main keyboard melody anchors the entire offering, going up the scale and back down amidst a flurry of percussion and guitar chords. The bridge section alone might be enough to bring a crowd to their feet. The guitar team of Alex Snape and Trevor Rice are at their absolute brightest in this track, carving out a lead and rhythm riff that is second to none on the disc.

The 2013 music industry is a fickle one, still heavily leaning towards pop stars, boy bands, and generic radio rock. It is hard to say where metal fits into that landscape, though it doesn't really matter. For bands like Unbowed, there will always be an audience. Through sites such as Bandcamp and Facebook, metal fanatics from across the world can stumble on their work, and give them support from thousands of miles away. And while that will never help them to land a million dollar advance, or $10,000 to film a music video, it will leave them with something that is a lot more rewarding. By making the music they want to make, doing it their way, and doing it on their own, no one will ever be able to take their pride. And their legacy will always be intact.

8.5/10

Bandcamp - http://unbowedofficial.bandcamp.com/
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/UnbowedOfficial

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Harakiri For The Sky - Harakiri For The Sky (2012)

In the more recent influx of melodic black metal bands, very few stand out from the rest. After all, it can be a near impossibility to tell most of them apart. But following closely behind France's Alcest, there are a host of outfits looking to make a lasting impression on the genre. For Austrian two piece Harakiri For The Sky, their impact on the scene is a certainty, it would seem. Comprised of songwriter and multi instrumentalist M.S., and harsh vocalist J.J., they have begun an ascent to the top of their craft on this, their first official release. Braiding together the most raw elements of black metal with subtle touches of light and beauty, this five track debut is anything but a flash in the pan success. After listening to nearly forty minutes of beauty meets beast like this, and you will be counting the days until part two. 

There is something intrinsically pleasing about the sound of rain when it collides with guitar chords, evident in the opening movement of "Lungs Filled With Water." With a constant melody in the instrumental, it is up to a gritty vocal track to provide contrast, something J.J. accomplishes immediately upon entering the fold. His agonized screams, when paired with the array of guitar, bass and percussion, are able to cut right to the core of you. While being rocked by the well balanced musical mood, his pain has no resistance. Add in the fact that the recording here is a cut above their peers, and you have a track that is as pressing as the name suggests. That storm that we heard earlier has not ended, providing the sound of slowly pattering rain drops on "02:19 AM, Psychosis." With a more powerful opening blast, you are taken directly to the meat of the song, with a single, beautifully orchestrated guitar melody dominating the mix. It is had to find any comparison for what you are hearing here, taking some of the more aggressive black metal constructed vocals, but softening their effect with perfect touches of light and dark. There are similarities to the work of Alcest worked into this track, in particular, but an evolved take on that melodic post black formula. So much can be made about the clarity of the mix here, and rightfully so. It is in the layering of sounds that you find the true beauty in the gray areas.

The last thing you would expect is exactly what you get on "From Yesterday To Ashes." Forming the foundation of the track to come, light piano chords echo through your speakers. And while the resulting guitar work may seem basic, at best, it see instrumentalist M.S. at his best. Woven into the bending, swaying melodies, are windows of opportunity. Those gaps allow for artistic license, such as the thunderous burst of double kicks or the building mountains of distorted guitars. This is also one of the first appearances of a more traditional black metal style, one that ends this track and leaks into the next, "Drown In My Nihilism." With a change in the overall tempo, this is a pace setter. The kick drums seem endless, flanked by slamming snare drums and the sizzle of one cymbal crash after another. But this is also where the bass work shines brightest, giving an added low end to the whole operation. Saving the best for last, "Dancing On Debris" is a closing track that will not only satisfy your senses, but will leave you drooling in anticipation of what happens next. With a true fusion of the agonized and the sublime, you would be hard pressed to find a track that so well represents both sides of the coin. Throughout the eight minute run time, you are taken from some of the brightest highs to the darkest lows of the album. There is a weight to the mix, one that manages the heavy hands at the drum kit with the subtle touches of guitar. 

It is our craving for opposites that makes albums like this one so enjoyable. Salty and sweet, black and white, high and low; The marriage of opposites present in the five tracks here is astonishing at first. But as you move along, it all seems to make perfect sense. Harakiri For The Sky have taken beauty and pain, and merged them into a dynamic duo of metal delights, but not simply from a musical standpoint. Engrained into each song is an emotional investment that, alone, would be worth the price of admission. And unlike so many of their peers and predecessors, the entire package is wrapped in a crisp, clean piece of production work that only heightens the entire listening experience. One can only hope they continue down this path; and this album is one huge leap moving from point A, to point B.

9/10

Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Harakiri-for-the-sky/220458994697569

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Visions Of Tragedy - Visions Of Tragedy (EP) (2012)

Before you ever hit 'play' on any album, there is a wave of information that you must get through. The name of the band can speak volumes, or even give you an indication of what their sound is formed by. Visions Of Tragedy; strong, firm, deep. Then, you come face to face with the album artwork. A city in ruins, a world returning to nature. With those two pieces in place, there may be a certain level of intrigue. But what lies ahead is a mixed bag of progressive metal and sometimes uninspired prog rock from a Spanish four piece that has all the right ideas, but the wrong execution. In three tracks that span over thirty minutes, there are highs and lows, rises and falls. But on this, their debut self titled EP, the name might as well be Generic, and the album art blank.

With a strong statement, "Rebellion" is the album's opening track but may also be it's most telling. With an immediate impact made through the use of keys and synthesizers, you get a well constructed layered effect to the mix. That electronic touch is key here, anchoring a catchy if not basic guitar riff in the verse. Vocalist Javier Vidal holds his own, stacked up against a fairly massive backing band. His part is made more dynamic by the use of a great backing vocal harmony. The only stumbling block is the track length, as compared to the time it takes for the first shift. As you get to the midway point, there is an excellent collection of sound bytes and spoken word, infusing a political message into the music itself. By tackling the "occupy" movement, the band make the track more personal. But it here where things pick up, starting with some deft keyboard work. Trading licks between keys and guitar, you begin to see some of the more prominent influences shining through it all. It would be unfair to say the track, as a whole, lacks punch, but there could be a case made for a more condensed layout.

Showing a bit of versatility, there is a distinct classic prog rock vibe in "I'll Be Born Again," complete with a swaying chorus. But much like the track before it, much of the run time is consumed with simple, almost ballad-esque guitars that gain little to no strength as they go along. Minus the bridge section, which stands out from the more drab sections, you have something that is luke warm, at best, and falls short of the initial vision. Having digested the first two songs, a nearly fifteen minute closing track is a daunting challenge. The band does their best to change the overall arc of the album with an acoustic guitar intro, and a whimsical one at that. But as spacey synthesizers provide the lead in, you are right back where you started, standing in the middle of repetitive riffs and a keyboard, furnished by Andres Fernandez, that does its best to shoulder the load. But without an infusion of energy, things just begin to drag and fall flat. It isn't indicative of a band that lacks the ability to do right, but more of a band that lacks a direction. The guitar tandem of Victor Camacho and Gorka Oya show flashes of brilliance throughout an extended breakdown and bridge section, but lose their teeth when the vocals return. Without their presence, it becomes exceedingly difficult to ride this one out.

Every band in the formative years needs to establish their strengths. Figure out what you want to accomplish, and highlight what you do best. For Visions Of Tragedy, their niche is in their musicianship. On the flip side, their weakness is their inability to use that talent to create something that stands out to the average listener. Long, droning tracks may be what the new wave of bands think you need to do to be "progressive." But when you are expanding a five minute idea into a fourteen minute experience, you do both yourself, and your fans, a disservice. And more than anything, that is what plagues the thirty plus minutes of this self titled EP. The short twinkles of intense instrumentation are quickly extinguished by returns to the simple, overly structured main course. There may be more to come from this Spanish band, but their future is uncertain.

6/10

Bandcamp - http://visionsoftragedy.bandcamp.com/
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/visionsoftragedy

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The Podcast: Episode 65 (Jazzy, folk, blackened, death, post math podcast-core)

Another week of reviews has come and gone, and there is a disturbing trend developing early in this new year. Buzz words, meaningless labels, and derivative styles are dominating the first week of 2013, and it begs to be addressed. But not all is bad. Dan Klyne has managed to remind us of the power of the one man band.

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Appalachian Winter - Ghosts Of The Mountains (2013)

No promotion. No shameless pandering. No catering to the masses. In the world of Appalachian Winter, the lack of music business nonsense has never been a problem, but rather a strength. When that moniker graces the cover of a new album, you can be sure that you are getting 100% of the artistic integrity that sole proprietor Dan Klyne has to offer. Whether it is his propensity for wild instrumentation, his ability to balance the rough edges of black metal with melodic folk influences, or the honest lyrical content on display, Klyne is living proof that a one man band can flourish under the right circumstances. And on his new home grown album, "Ghosts Of The Mountains," Klyne and Appalachian Winter take you deeper into the Pennsylvania wilderness.

A loud thunder of drums and soaring chants open the album and "Rebellion Within the Young Nation," a thunderous battle cry that awakens every one of your senses. Klyne wastes no time injecting his unique use of traditional instruments into the mix, a subtle yet successful bending of the tenets of metal. His vocals enter with a rousing scream, layered and earth shaking in their power. The background use of keys and horns creates a solid cloud of atmospheric elements, one that heightens the entire track to near flawless levels. In a surprising change of pace, "Patriarchs" rises from a clean guitar to a massive epic wave of sound. Combining his clean vocals with coarse screams, Klyne runs the full gauntlet of vocal styles. The air of triumphant and emotional that surrounds the entire track is one that will ignite a fire in you; it may cause your fist to go up or your head to start moving. And with lyrics as passionate as you will find in modern metal, the holy trinity is complete. It may not be until "Ancestors Of The Lake" that you feel a growing flame inside you, incited by spoken words over an extremely well composed piece of piano and synthesizer. But when the first kick drum hits your ears, that flame will burn more intensely, fueled by a symphonic gasoline.

With use of the full orchestra, as on "The Town Old Man Schell Built," Klyne oftens makes you forget that this is a one man show. The depth of sound he achieves here is unreal at times, balancing the house of cards with thought and precision.It isn't just the command of the heavy elements that makes this all work, but the mastery of the melodic. The way the keyboards find themselves tangled with strings and horns makes it hard to think of them as separate entities, but parts of the same whole. And even as "Keystone" makes the shift from light instrumental to blaring symphony of horns and drums, it never loses the unique flavor that Klyne's own rural Pennsylvania lifestyle brings to the party. Swaying masses of strings and the pounding of drums, merged together to form a metal lullaby. It would be nearly impossible to ignore the cinematic quality of a track like "The Great Battle," something engrained into every sweeping guitar riff. Klyne is at his lyrical best here, telling a story with not only his words, but the manner in which they are delivered. There is a connection made between the man and his listeners, one that transcends the music itself. His deafening screams convey all of the emotion that goes into each verse, followed by the rattling of snares.

Seemingly out of nowhere, Klyne soars to the top of his range and lets out a high octave cry. And thus begins the march of "Pennsylvanian Fire." One part opera singer, one part diabolical screamer, you get a stark contrast of styles from one moment to the next. Musically, he hits every mark. Each layer comes through with clarity and power, yet they fit together like pieces of a puzzle. They are in sync with one another, each occupying a slice of the same melody. Unleashing the beast in earnest, the opening gallop of drums on "The Great Flood of 1889" is an exercise in versatility. Combining elements of black, folk, death, gothic, symphonic and power metal into one pounding affair. In a turn that is an Appalachian Winter staple, the use of chants invigorates the song and every ear it touches on its way, bringing men to their feet. But as the album winds to a close, there is a moment of quiet reflection, in the form of "The Cemetery where Slaves Lie Buried." The intro portion puts you at ease, while the first explosion lies dormant. But what the blast comes, Klyne unleashes some of his best guitar work to date. Every chugging moment is crisp and clear, laying down a foundation for clean vocals to rise upon. This is the signature type track so many bands work their whole careers to write. It displays what Klyne, and his Appalachian Winter moniker, are all about.

A good album makes you forget the world around you for a predetermined amount of time. A great album takes you away from it all, and transports you to some place else entirely. For some 50 minutes of "Ghosts Of The Mountains," I ceased to be in my office, at a desk. For that period of time, it felt as though I was seeing the world through a different set of eyes. Whether it be in the Pennsylvania countryside or not, it is hard to say. But it would be nearly impossible to say there has ever been  a stronger sense of imagery and depth to an album that I can remember. With each release Dan Klyne betters himself, as a musician and a composer. And despite the beauty of his last release, the nine tracks on this disc are miles ahead of anything, and anyone, in the genre. It's new without losing the old; thought provoking without being pretentious; heavy without being muddled. Simply put, this is an album you have to hear.

9.5/10

Bandcamp - http://appalachianwinter.bandcamp.com/
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/appalachianwinter

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Tidings - Tidings (EP) (2012)

We've all done it. In your car, on the train, on the plane; we've all been there. You lean your head against the window and for a few glorious seconds, the world around you is a feature film, centered on you. In your head, you construct the perfect soundtrack for that perfect moment. For Tidings, a four piece post metal project from Edinburgh, UK, it would seem that every scene is the perfect fit for their own unique style of instrumental metal. Hidden within each track is a cinematic quality that lends itself so well to any daily event, that you can probably see it all right now. And while the beautiful combinations of heavy and light that do battle here may have you thinking your life has become the next "Hobbit," it may, indeed, be best for you to leave the film-making to the professionals.

There is something eerily familiar about the opening to "Proteus," as if it was ripped from a song in another life. But with two guitar melodies layered atop a tom beat, the imminent explosion seems so close, yet so far away. When the first wave of hastily played distortion comes crashing down, you realize you may have not been prepared at all. It's how the band dial back that aggressive that makes the track so successful, keeping you afloat between flourishes of cymbals and blaring guitar chords. Caught in the middle of the building waves is a delicately constructed skyscraper of guitar melody; it rises from the ashes time and time again, climbing higher and higher each time, anchored only by the resounding thump of a kick drum. It becomes more intricate as time goes by, adding the most subtle touches here and there. But like a sandcastle on the beach, it is only a matter of time before the tide rolls back in and lays waste to it all. And so it happens, right around the eight minute mark. With a shift in tempo and tone, and a slight loss of precision, it all comes to a head in a matter of minutes. Complete with a pouring outro, filled with sound and fury, ringing feedback ends it all.

Only slightly shorter, and no less ambitious, "The Oxygen Tank" shares very little in common with the previous effort, minus the humble beginnings from which it rises. Each movement brings another piece to the party, as if scoring a blossoming epic film. It takes more than three minutes for the tracks main guitar line to settle into place, which, depending on your viewpoint, is either too long or not long enough. It all seems so basic when you hear each individual element on its own, but the way they unite is refreshing. This is more about imagery than anything else, choosing the serene guitar melodies to a raucous breakdown. It isn't until nearly three quarters of the way through that the first signs of life emerge, as a echoing set of cymbals ring in the background for seemingly endless periods of time. But what it leads to is incredible; a triumphant, albeit slow, conclusion punctuated with an ethereal, light guitar outro.

When a title says so much in so few words, it increases the pressure to deliver. On "Finding A Way Out Without Running Away," you feel as though you have been launched head first into a story, but you are missing all of the details. What follows, then, is a song that bears the weight of great responsibility. In a nearly ten minute framework, it not only manages to get you up to speed, but almost make you feel as though you were there the entire time. With each pat of the tom, every flicker of a clean guitar chord, the band are inviting you in. There are heavier moments to be had, like the initial blitz at the three minute mark, that remind you the sheer power of a distorted chord. Not lost here is the bass line, one that really drives things to and from the destination. It could be described as "smart," for both finding a niche and knowing when it can stand out from the rest of the mix. With nearly thirty minutes behind you now, there is a lingering feeling that it has all been building to one moment; a single event that will tie all of the pieces together. In a few slamming chords, a flurry of crashing drums, it all starts to make sense.

Music has always been, and will continue to be, a very personal experience. You hear what you want to hear, and you interpret things the way your mind tells you to. So when listening to Tidings, don't be surprised if your listening experience is completely different than your friends. You might envision an indie film, with this set of three tracks as the main score, whereas he or she may see an epic movie about dragons and knights. Hell, it may just be the soundtrack to your drive home from your day job. Either way, it all works. That added cinematic element is what makes this EP special, and will keep you reaching for it time and time again.And the fact that it will remain open for interpretation, with no lyrical content to cloud your unique vision, it is sure to grow ad evolve right along with you.

8/10

Bandcamp - http://tidings.bandcamp.com/
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/TIDINGSband

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