Auric – Empty Seas

by Dæv Tremblay

Auric is as sludgy as can be. With tinges of black and doom metal, this makes for a very oppressing record. It’s heavy, it’s ugly, and it’s scary.

The album starts off in your face, and it ends in your face, and there are very few moments of rest in-between (the first half of Stagnate being the most prominent one). I really like the atmospheres that are being brought in the music, just making you feel unwell. The last song, Rib Cage Prison, imports elements of post-metal too, giving to the song a different feel than the rest of … Read more

July Recommendations

by Dæv Tremblay

monthlyrecommendationsjuly

Here’s the monthly recommendations post you’ve awaited for so long! Ah, who am I kidding? I’m the only one reading this blog! Anyways, what are the unmissable releases of July 2015, according to the three-legged raven?

First off is Ethan McKenna‘s sophomore, In Transition. It’s what I’d call an acoustic prog album. Ethan makes use of advanced techniques on his acoustic, like percussive playing, loads of harmonics, and some slap and tapping too, for good measure. Even though its main focus is on the acoustic guitar, it’s well-accompanied by the usual bass and drums, and sometimes even by … Read more

trioVD – Fill It Up With Ghosts

by Dæv Tremblay
trioVD is an experimental jazz trio from the UK, and Fill It Up With Ghosts is their 2009 debut album. After this one, they’ve released X in 2011 and Maze in 2012.

I would readily compare trioVD with T.R.A.M., as they’re both experimental jazz trios comprised of a saxophone, a guitar, and drums. Both lacking the low end and groove provided by the bass guitar; it may be because I’m a bassist myself that I find this somewhat enraging, but it is quite upsetting that such great music goes without a bassist, it seems like such a waste! Still, trioVD, … Read more

News: Covet live studio video!

by Dæv Tremblay
Covet is a math rock trio led by Yvette Young, the guitar virtuoso (if you haven’t checked her solo acoustic EP, you need to right now, right here). The song, either unnamed or eponymous to the band’s name, is rather relaxed but shows some great musicianship from everybody but mostly from the frontwoman, Yvette. They’re supposedly in the studio, recording their debut album, and if you’re not excited for it, you need to listen to the Acoustics EP she put out!… Read more

The Eyjafjallajökull, double Icelandic metal review: Momentum and Misþyrming

by Dæv Tremblay
Momentum started out in 2003, in the capital Reykjavik, where more than a third of Iceland’s population resides. With black and death metal roots, they have evolved their very own sound, which could be vaguely described as psychedelic progressive doom. Their latest album, The Freak Is Alive, shows the band in its best form yet: heavy and slow riffs, intricate drumming, low vocals that sound like they’re from a Russian choir, and the use of uncommon instrumentation in some parts (sitar and bells, for example). All of this makes for an interesting listen that doesn’t wear out after repeated… Read more