OSR: December 17th, 2015

by Dæv Tremblay

A 2013 experimental jazz album that will get a re-release through Art as Catharsis in early 2016: as everything from AAC, it’s innovative and well executed!

An early 2016 entry for very good album of the year in the progressive death metal genre.

Although it’s not labeled as such, I think this is exactly what if black metal went pop would sound like, and it’s not a bad thing!

Self is a very decent post black metal album with interesting melodic and harmonic ideas throughout.

As is legacy from grindcore bands, this is a very concise split, but I have … Read more

Nono Cerchio – Ombre

by Dæv Tremblay

a0705784611_16From the beautiful Italian city of Bologna, here comes Nono Cerchio – Ninth Circle -, a progressive post-metal band with two members from one of last year’s biggest new names: Nero di Marte. Their debut album, Ombre, was released in early November, and clocks in at almost 50 minutes.

With draughts of experimental music imbuing the atmospheres of the post-metal background, we get a work of art heavy with dissonance, and deeper meaning than can be thought of at first listen. In fact, the album is influenced by Dante’s Divine Comedy, most specifically, the 32nd Canto of “Inferno”, … Read more

Sales de Baño – Horror Vacui

by Deidre House

album art

The second release from Argentinian avant-garde jazz sextet Sales de Baño is Horror Vacui, an intriguing live performance. The ensemble is led by bassist and composer Carlos Quebrada, and also features flute, trumpet, keyboard, guitar, and drums. They definitely play “outside” a lot, but what I appreciate here is that it’s often difficult to tell what is composed and what is improvised. Quebrada has done an excellent job, at times approaching a sophisticated chamber music sound and at others harsh avant-noise.

At first, it may seem that the playing here is somewhat aimless in the way that avant-garde music … Read more

OSR: December 9th, 2015

by Dæv Tremblay

RIP Chrysalis is Eartheater‘s second full-length album, an entrancing piece of experimental electronic music.

Nono Cerchio is the side-project of two Nero di Marte members! It’s actually a more post-metal, atmospheric album, and I love it!
Sorry, that’s the only video or complete stream of a song I found online!
Hexnut is a crazy avant-garde ensemble that immediately hooked me with their two Meshuggah covers, as well as all their other insane compositions. Tvivler‘s another band the bassist of the highly-esteemed Town Portal is in. It’s not as interesting, but it’s full of drive and aggressiveness. From ex-members… Read more

PSA: Why our year’s-end lists will be posted in January, and why everyone should do the same.

by Dæv Tremblay

There’s a certain, nonsensical trend, among magazines and blogs, to post their tops of the year lists as early as possible. Some even in early December! What’s the point of doing a year’s-end list if there’s still one month to go, one twelfth, more than 8 percent of the year left? If you stop and think about it for a single minute, it makes no sense! We also did the same here on the blog, we’re not without flaws, but it was just because everyone around was doing it, and we didn’t stop to ask why, or why not.

However, … Read more