TerraTerra is the debut studio album from Russian experimental one-man band TerraTerra. The band employs wide spectre of elements in their music, and if you are a fan of bands such like Cult of Luna, Enslaved, Isis, Tool, and more, I kid you not, you will make a room in your heart for this album.
TerraTerra consists of modern day, relentless, in-your-face riffs, and pounding rhythm section. The drums really shine through over the thrashing, heart-pounding tracks with insane sound quality and wicked speed that are easily to focal point in many of the songs.
TerraTerra add this ear-popping and near hypnotic distortion to their heaviness which really adds character to the album. Although there are no vocals, the band makes up for it by a mind blowing performance. Ayli K.’s heavy take on the already heavy genres is what makes this record a very pleasant discovery.
Aprilmist are a band from Kansas City, MO that plays a progressive form of cascadian black metal and this is a review of their 2017 second EP release “Remembrance.”
Melodic guitar leads start off the EP along with all of the musical instruments having a very powerful sound to them while the vocals are mostly high pitched black metal screams and when the music speeds up a great amount of tremolo picking and blast beats can be heard which also gives these two songs more of a raw feeling.
Throughout “Remembrance” you are faced with a great mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts while the riffs also bring in a great amount of melody giving the songs more of a progressive feeling.
Aprilmist created a recording that remains true to the progressive black metal sound while also having the raw, epic and melodic moments. The production by Bret Liber sounds very professional too.
If you are a fan of progressive, melodic and cascadian black metal, you should give this one a chance.
New York City is still home to one of the most avant-garde, forward-thinking and influential music scenes of all time. Off the top of my head, I can mention more than a handful of NYC-grown bands and musicians who chellenged the musical status quo and influenced the alternative music world for years to come – from the Velvet Underground to Sonic Youth. The local metal scene is also part of the city’s diverse and intricate network of creative and innovative band, and Infinity Shred is definitely a perfect example. The sound of the band is indeed a very personal and very distinctive blend of metal and synthwave, with electronic music influences creeping in into the natural metal roots of the band’s upbringing.
Long Distance was released on October 14, 2016, and it is the band’s second full-length.
Listening to this album is almost an enlightening experience. As the setlist progresses, the sound I hear from my speaker keeps surprising and redefining my perception of what metal could sound like when cross-contaminated with other influences. Post rock drones? Why not. 80s synth pads? You bet! No-Wave style noise burst? Oh yes. This record is a live, colorful and unpredictable beast that channels the diverse sound of NYC under the scope of its metal music scene in a truly brilliant way.
Given Free Rein is a post-punk power trio from Athens in Greece who earlier this year released their debut album “In-Eart Trip.” I talked with the mainman behind the project Andrew Kouretas
Alright, first thing is first. Before we dive into all the music stuff, how’s life?
Cool in general terms! I am good and I feel really lucky that I live in a country where I am free to express myself the way I want and create the things I like. At the same time, I live in a country where the economy sucks and we all have big problems.
Speaking of new music, you have an album. What can people expect from “In-Ear Trip“?
The “In-Ear Trip” is the journey of the mind through the dark city streets towards the light of the future. The inner voice that someone hears only when the music triggers his imagination and his soul,when the headphones are plugged into his ears and then into his brain and take him away. It is an album made with passion and devotion and the songs cover a big range of music style influences, from punk to electronic and post rock.
What was it like working on the album?
It was the coolest thing I have ever done, and the most rewarding process I ‘ve been into. It was quite a challenge for me to to work in such high technical and musical level with very talented musicians. It was the first time I was doing that so I was thrilled and filled with enthusiasm from the very beginning until the release of the album. I have to admit that all this process changed me as musician but also as a person and definitely I am not the same guy as when I started.
Are there any touring plans in support to “In-Ear Trip”?
At the moment, no.
While we are on the subject of touring, what countries would you love to tour?
England for sure! But any country would be real fun.
Who and what inspires you the most?
The difficulties I have to face in everyday life is the biggest inspiration of all as they kind of put me in the process of writing music. For me inspiration has to do with a certain atmosphere I want to create in every song and this has to do with the sounds I use each time. I don’t know if the gear leads me to the idea or the idea leads me to the gear but maybe it’s both. I believe that the sound itself has a profound impact on the idea and I like grasping the vibe of the sound frequencies.
What other genres of music do you listen to? Have any of the other genres you listen to had any impact on your playing?
It was always difficult for me to distinguish the musical genres. For me, music is not so a stylistic matter as it is an atmospheric field where various sounds combine with each other and form a work of art. Maybe I could say that electronic music has been a big influence for me along with rock, punk and metal music. Surely, I have been influenced by everything I ‘ve listened to. Lately, I listen to trap music among other things.
I really appreciate you giving us your time today. Is there anything else you would like to tell us and the fans before we wrap things up?
Support Given Free Rein band. It would be an honour for us to have our music spread worldwide and be able to continue our trip!
Norway’s power trio Kiss Kiss King Kong assault listeners’ ears with highly energetic and sporadic bursts of brilliant dynamics on “To High To Say Hello.” Colorful, complex, and superbly catchy, the band’s debut album is an exceptional collection of hyperactive post-rock and noisy flights of fancy, with momentous musicianship infectious hooks scattered throughout. This album is adventurous, imaginative, and surprising. In fact, it’s the most fearless and unique album I’ve heard this year, although it’s a release from 2015.
The opening “Intro the Night” kickstarts “Too High To Say Hello” like an auditory coma. On “668: Neighbour To The Beast,” the music jolts with a start/stop frenzy that’s too tremendous to ignore. The guitarist provides an impassioned melody for each wildly creative rhythmic shift, which vary between hectic, tranquil, and atmospheric. Best of all, this song proves to be one of the most inventive and unforeseen tracks I’ve heard all year. The psyched-out guitar work is seductive, and the instrumentation on this tune veers more towards psychedelic swing than anything progressive. It bleeds into the equally exciting rock’n’roll banter “Rock All Night” and its follow-up “On A High,” making for completely unexpected stylistic shifts.
Further on, “Bordell California” lives up to the zany awesomeness of its title. It’s luscious, multifarious, and wholly confident — considering it is the longest piece on the record. It is perhaps the most experimental piece on the album, and definitely one of the biggest highlights of “Too High To Say Hello.”
Post-punk trails on short “Jet Age” further contribute to the album’s overall multicolourness. The closing “Rewind” is an elegant piece with soaring vocals and tasteful melody.
“Too High To Say Hello” is so inimitable. Rarely have I been so impressed with the sheer nonconformity of an album. Then again, it’s equally rare to find a modern band who strives so hard to set itself apart from the pack. Without a doubt, this one is special.
Grab a copy of “Too High To Say Hello” from iTunes. Like Kiss Kiss King Kong on Facebook.
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