Poly-Math – The Cadaver Tomb, Part 1

As a rather striking departure from their usual sound, British post-prog quartet Poly-Math has decided to try a different approach by going the way of alternative rock, especially the kind that’s now a bit outdated—dark, with some reliance on electronic music elements, almost gothic or industrial in tone, you know the kind—but still very much appreciated when done right, and they’ve struck a massive success with this album unduly cut in half; for the record, I have to say that I haven’t had the chance to hear the second part of The Cadaver Tomb, but if it’s as strong as the first half, then count me in!

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Carcinoma – Labascation (Rat King)

I was already a fan of the band when I heard Apanthropinization, their 2018 split with Abyssal, but, on their debut, Carcinoma really found their way. I’ve already recommended this album to Matt saying it’s “Portal lite”, but it’s a gross simplification. I also hear some influence from Coma Cluster Void in their chromatic chords and sometimes studious rhythms. Overall, however, Labascation ^{(citation needed)} is an ultra solid, dense, heavy, dark, and gloomy album that will fill you with dread.

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Infinity Shred – Recovery (3 Dot)

Post-rock and synthwave together is really cool, and Infinity Shred do it really well. I was quite gripped when I discovered the band with their 2016 album Long Distance, and their 2017 and 2020 releases were also very good, but it’s this shorter EP that makes me write about them. Recovery—I have no idea how it connects to their 2012 EP Gnar Dream, or if it does—has a total of six tracks, but it feels to me as if all of them serve only to prepare and support the title track, “Recovery”. It’s indeed the choicest part of the EP, and the three tracks before it really only feel like a prelude (even though “Monitor A” could be thought of as another standalone piece), while “Is” and “Was” serve as a postlude, with the latter also representing a great song on its own leaving us wanting for more. The whole flows seamlessly from start to end, which further exacerbates my impression that all of it was built around “Recovery”, the song. In any case, this is a fantastic EP, and I urge you to revisit their older material as well.

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¡Fiasco! – Post-Truth (AF Music)

¡Fiasco! is a nu jazz quartet from Washington, DC who made me follow them when they released Arson last year. With Post-Truth is like a more refined Arson, with still the great melodicity of the guitarist and saxophonist involved, and their marvellous interplay with the rest of the band. It’s a great jazz record that will get you through all sorts of emotions and thoughts!