Vagiant is a five-piece union of antisocial, paranoid still life loving, good-mannered and joyful nerds. That’s what they think about themselves, I think they need urgent medical care, lots of colorful pills, eventually biscuit cases. This is totally madness on loose. No genre attached, this is a quite contorted, experimental, glowing and flowing (post) Rock journey through different sounds and styles, from quiet, warmer moments to energy full, nervous breakdown-like explosions. In an extensively patterned and predictable, standardized world, Vagiant brings chaos and disorder, bring a fresh breath of music.
And what’s even better, you can grab for free (name your price) this 5 track release from their Bandcamp page. Read more Vagiant – Gospel According To Vagiant (2011)
post rock
Anathema – Weather Systems (2012)
I never was an Anathema fan, not back in 1990 when they started as a Death/Doom Metal band, not later when they slowly transitioned to Progressive Rock. But I admit, even if I did not follow them closely, I like some of their creation, they managed to deliver something of their own, music filtered through their personal touch. “Weather Systems” their upcoming ninth studio album have the same Pink Floyd after-taste as many of their previous creations since their 1996’s “Eternity” merged with atmospheric, dark, sometimes classic orchestral elements.
Describing their new album Daniel Cavanagh stated: “This is not background music for parties. The music is written to deeply move the listener, to uplift or take the listener to the coldest depths of the soul”. Definitively not. Parties – far as I know – are happy and energy full events, while Anathema always delivered more music suitable for burials and “Weather Systems” makes no difference, even if the lights seems to get through, in its depth this is quite dark and sad music. Read more Anathema – Weather Systems (2012)
Nihil Quest – Splendid Isolation (2011)
Quality Metal – for FREE. Reminds me mainly of Annihilator crashed into Alice In Chains, Nihil Quest delivered their debut full-length album with 11 groovy, but classic Metal tracks.
Nihil Quest was formed in the summer of 2006. The main idea was to play music inspired in first place by hard rock and metal classics (such as Black Sabbath, AC/DC, Slayer), but also they merging different influences and sounds from Blues to Industrial Rock.
Their first release was a three song EP entitled “0.9” and it was issued in late 2009. Two years later, a full-length, 11-tracks record was released. It was titled “1.1 Splendid Isolation” (released on 11.11.2011).
The band was not interested in cooperation with any record labels, as this would mean restrictions to the way the material is being distributed. The album was published via iTunes, Amazon MP3 store and other digital outlets. However it was also made available for free on Jamendo under Creative Commons license. This kind of licensing allows for playing the music without any fees and for non-commercial use in movies, computer games etc. Read more Nihil Quest – Splendid Isolation (2011)
Exilia – Decode (2012)
Merging the sound and approach of bands such as Guano Apes and Skunk Anansie, Exilia incorporated more Industrial elements and Nu Metal grooves and delivered a strong fifth full-length album.
Formed in 1993 in the classic city of fashion, Milan, (Italy) when singer Masha met guitarist Elio Alien, Exilia debuted with the album “Rightside Up” in 2000 and their following “Unleashed” which much heavier and more aggressive sound, released in May 2004, made to the Top 40 in the German charts.
The band’s biggest hit so far has been “Can’t Break me Down” released as CD single in 2005. They have played gigs with Oomph!, Guano Apes, H-Blockx, Clawfinger, HIM, Therapy?, In Extremo, Rammstein, God Forbid, Sanctorum and Ill Niño and singed to GUN Records, division of Sony BMG. Read more Exilia – Decode (2012)
Twin Atlantic – Free/False [RMX]
Twin Atlantic formed in February 2007, in Glasgow, Scotland, by Sam McTrusty (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Barry McKenna (lead guitar, cello, backing vocals), Ross McNae (bass guitar, piano, backing vocals) and Craig Kneale (drums, percussion, backing vocals). After recording their debut EP A Guidance From Colour at Long Wave Studio in Cardiff with producer Romesh Dodangoda (Funeral For A Friend, Kids In Glass Houses, The Blackout), and building upon the support from Kerrang!, the band’s profile was boosted enough for them to land support slots with Biffy Clyro and Smashing Pumpkins. They also supported American acts The Matches, Blink-182, Finch and Say Anything on their respective UK tours.
Singed to Red Bull Records, released their debut mini-album “Vivarium” in March 2009. The band toured extensively in 2009 and 2010, having played Download Festival, Guilfest, T in the Park, Sonisphere and Belladrum over the summer of 2009, including supporting Taking Back Sunday on a tour of UK and Ireland in July 2009. This continued into a full tour of the UK in September and then the United States with The Fall of Troy and Envy On The Coast in March and April 2010. In June 2010, Twin Atlantic supported The Gaslight Anthem on their British mini-tour and on 7 August 2010 they played at the Hevy Music Festival. They also supported My Chemical Romance on their tour.
“Free” was released on April 29, in Ireland and May 2, 2011 in the UK. In its first week of release, the album peaked at #37 in the UK Album Chart. This success led to them being part of the T In The Park 2011 lineup. In the summer of 2012, the band will be on the Vans Warped Tour. Part of their US promotion, Red Bull Records and Indaba challenged remixers with the contest of remixing their single “Free”. Read more Twin Atlantic – Free/False [RMX]
Devianz – A Corps Interrompus (2012)
Formed in 2004, in Paris (France), Devianz, this five piece band, now delivering their long awaited second full-length album, “A Corps Interrompus” (With Interrupted Bodies). 13 tracks, one bonus and one top collaboration with Vincent Cavanagh of Anathema on the song called “Ton corps n’est qu’atome” (You’re Body is Nothing But Atoms), revels a wild, willing and extremely capable band which managed to blending sensitive, acoustic rooted European Rock with the energy, explosion and rawness of the American Indie and Post-Hardcore. But more further than another perfect sonic experiment, Guyom Pavesi, Benoît Blin, Pierre Labarbe, Vincent Rémon, and Charles-Vincent Lefèvre write and recorded 14 songs. Read more Devianz – A Corps Interrompus (2012)
OSI – Fire Make Thunder (2012)
Office of Strategic Influence – eventually Office of Strange Influences nowadays 🙂 – is a project started originally by Fates Warning (Arch/Matheos, John Arch, Gordian Knot) guitarist Jim Matheos in 2002 and the only other constant full-time member is keyboardist Kevin Moore (Chroma Key, ex-Majesty, ex-Dream Theater, ex-Fates Warning). Although, the band’s name is a reference to the Office of Strategic Influence, a short-lived American government agency formed in 2001 to support the War on Terror through propaganda.
Jim Matheos originally intended to create a progressive metal supergroup while Fates Warning went on hiatus. He recruited then-Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy to work on the project. Matheos then asked Chroma Key and ex-Dream Theater keyboardist Kevin Moore to contribute by adding keyboard arrangements to the music he had written. Moore instead heavily edited the music, changing the song structures and adding vocals. Matheos decided to pursue this new, more electronic direction. The members and contributors write and track most of their material independently, sharing and developing tracks long-distance, only coming together at the end of the process for mixing and additional tracking. Read more OSI – Fire Make Thunder (2012)
M. Fallan – Contagious (2011)
This is the debut album by Parisian M. Fallan. His music reminds me of Sigur Rós, but also some veterans as Tuxedomoon. Taking off from gentle acoustic up to noise explosions right in your face, M. Fallen delivering a tumultuous, contorted trip, still subtle and beautifully layered.
It’s the kind of music which hypnotize you slowly, tie you down and eventually never release you again.
10 tracks, a joyful and gentle, but simultaneously dark and sometimes furiously raging search for answers, feelings, for light, for escape and not at least for ourselves. If you like pianos and screaming guitars, minimalist arrangement, acoustic moments, but also noisy eruptions and contorted grooves, M. Fallan will deliver all his feelings and thoughts merged into this collection of colorful songs and definitively will charm you. This is quite…. contagious. Read more M. Fallan – Contagious (2011)
The Stranglers – Giants (2012)
Much more alive then most of the more or less musical products delivered by the nowadays not even fifteen minutes superstar kids, The Stranglers are kicking like a mule with their 17th studio album delivered in their 38 years of “constant success”. Just read it somewhere that the combined age of their current line-up totals 242 years, while Baz Warne (guitars, vocals) who joined the band in 2000 with his springing 47 years is the youngest of the band, while founder member, drummer Jet Black (born Brian John Duffy) is 73. And still, just as I said, this “old dudes” are fresher then many of plastic s*its the industry delivers on fake golden plates tagged and labeled as “best” of something. There is no auto-tuned screaming, no wobbling basses, no frequency oscillations, there is no make-up and no self-pity post-emo painted in black emotions, just four guys playing music. Simply, straight and for real. Read more The Stranglers – Giants (2012)
Poets Of The Fall – Temple Of Thought (2012)
Marko Saaresto sounds just like a fresh and young Ozzy Osbourne, while his band, Poets Of The Fall merging classic values of Rock and Metal with sometimes Pop-like melodies, some typical Scandinavian vibes and a very clean, stripped to the bone, but modern sound.
While the opening “Running Out of Time” is an almost classic Rock/Metal song, the following “Temple of Thought” is more a Nordic Pop song with guitars and hidden Symphonic Metal layers in the background. And Poets Of The Fall juggling through the album between being radio-friendly and staying Rock. This is – generally – a quite hazardous game because you might ended up falling between the two chairs. While “Cradled in Love” reminds me of the score of the Twin Peaks or a possible runner for Eurovision, on “The Distance” they bring back some riffs merged with modern electronic layers. Read more Poets Of The Fall – Temple Of Thought (2012)
