Hago – Hago

by Dæv Tremblay

The Music

The Thoughts

Rarely has a progressive metal fusion album been released with so little anticipation, praise, and attention while deserving so much of these. Enter Hago and their self-titled debut album. The Boston band is, as they put it, “a melting pot of progressive metal, jazz, and Middle Eastern elements”, and I couldn’t have said it better – they also call it “falafel djent”, but let’s not go there. Their group consists of the usual instrumental metal and jazz quartet of guitar, bass, keyboards, and drums, while also having a full-time saxophonist on top.

Rooted inside the Berklee … Read more

Matt’s Top 50 Albums of 2017

by Matt Matheson

Some Introductory Words

There was so much good music that came out this year. After barely being able to scrape together ten good albums to make a list out of last year, 2017 redeemed my faith in music in a massive way. I shattered my personal record for new-music-listening this year, and, in the process, I discovered a ton of good, very good, and occasionally mind-blowingly good stuff in the corners and crevices – stuff that many outlets seemed to ignore. And while I admit that I have a tendency to get more excited about lesser-known artists, I assure you … Read more

Jute Gyte and Spectral Lore – Helian

by Ignacio De Vincenzi

The Music

The Thoughts

The ruin of a generation is shattering.
In this hour, the eyes of the one who watches fill
With the gold of his stars.

Georg Trakl was one of the pioneers of expressionism in its poetry form, an art movement which started in the early 20th century with the purpose of using powerful emotions and moods to express one’s view of the world. “Helian” was, according to him, his most precious and painful poem ever written; dealing with death, decadence, existential crisis and man’s struggle with religion. With this topic on the table, avant-garde masterminds Ayloss … Read more

Dear Apollo, Of Petra, Wvstelvnd, Insultanes, Filthy Young Impalers, Setter, Immortal Onion, Ben Reimer, and Burning Tree

by Dæv Tremblay

Dear Apollo – Volume One

Oh, how far we’ve come, since the days of Look Right Penny! The Floridan quintet arrived on the map with their striking debut Sugar Lane, but soon disbanded. After many issues and obstacles, the “core couple” of Cotee Embry and Mariel Diaz-Carrion moved out and battled hard. Here we stand today, and the kids with high hopes come back with a new project called Dear Apollo. Cotee is now in charge of everything except the vocals and lyrics, and it transpires that he was the main brain behind Look Right Penny’s music … Read more

Weekly Release Dump

by Dæv Tremblay

Sunday, 7 January

Mental Cruelty – Purgatorium (technical deathcore)

Of Petra – So onto Itself (symphonic prog/Canterbury prog)

Monday, 8 January

Decline – EP1 (grindcore)

Léguman – A Tribute to Jacqueline Picon (instrumental progressive metal)

Livia – Le blaireau riche (chamber pop/trip-hop)

Tuesday, 9 January

Feeding Fingers – Do Owe Harm (microtonal post-punk)

Wednesday, 10 January

Garrett Wingfield’s Octopod – Monoliths & Sepulchres (experimental jazz/free jazz)

Tuesday, 11 January

Venetian Snares – She Began to Cry Tears of Blood Which Became Little Brick Houses When They Hit the Ground (experimental breakcore)

Friday, 12 January

Kayak – Seventeen (progressive rock)

Scoredatura

… Read more