Philadelphia post-metal quintet Rosetta released their sixth full-length album Utopioid last week, and I figured I owed it to the band I named my daughter after to give their new offering a review. The troupe has been around since the peak of post-metal saturation; their debut, The Galilean Satellites, was released in 2005, right alongside undisputed classics like Isis’ Panopticon, Cult of Luna’s Salvation, and Neurosis’ The Eye of Every Storm. For my money, The Galilean Satellites – released as a metal side and an ambient side designed to be played simultaneously – is the pinnacle … Read more
Tag Archives: post-metal
Grant the Sun – Grant the Sun
Made from members of the corrosive grindcore entity Beaten to Death and the metalcore act Insense, Grant the Sun turns its head towards progressive and post-metal instead, and succeeds effortlessly at making a naturally enjoyable debut. The Norwegian instrumental trio stick to a relatively simple formula: good riffs, a few guitar solos, some top-tier drumming, and sensical song structures. Melodic and heavy, the album is pretty good, but also lacks any characteristic that would make it unforgettable. In fact, despite how decent it is, I had a hard time recalling it even existed. I often express my disgust of gimmicks, … Read more
Sol iustitiae – Iam, Christe, sol iustitiae
As obscure as it might be, Iam, Christe, sol iustitiae is the first, instrumental demo release of Italian post-black metal entity Sol iustitiae. For now, the three tracks present on their bandcamp page are instrumental, but the band wrote that they plan on adding vocals on them in the near future. The production is raw, but not displeasing; every instrument can be heard distinctly, and the sound as a whole isn’t too bad. There’s only the issue of some soundwave clipping, but that should be resolved with the next mix. The music, however, is totally delightful! Sol iustitiae use … Read more
LLNN/Wovoka – Marks/Traces
Danish and American bands LLNN and Wovoka unite on a split album regrouping the former band’s part, Marks, and the latter’s, Traces. The synth-tinged blackened doom of LLNN is perfect for a soundtrack to pessimistic futurism, with its slow, droning, and heavy riffs atop which the singer screams his wrath. The six tracks of this first side make up a little less than twenty minutes, the same as Wovoka’s single song, ‘Traces’. While I was unfamiliar with the Denmark armada, Wovoka’s latest album, Saros, stuck with me as an example in post-metal. They’ve put yet another badge … Read more
Dreare – Blank and Forward
Dreare is an instrumental post-metal band from the Czech Republic, whom I was introduced to last year when Dave covered them in a One Sentence Review. Being a fan of instrumental metal I decided to check them out, and i’m glad I did!
The trio’s debut album, Blank and Forward, is full of subtleties and nuances. Reverb and feedback are used heavily, making the music sound raw and natural. The lack of complexity in the music also helps accentuate this, as you’re paying just as much attention to the space in between notes, as you are the … Read more