Progressive metal became pretty much synonymous with Dream Theater. It’s probably not fair, but it’s a fact. EtHERSENS it’s a French progressive metal project and “Your wandering ghost” it’s their second album after considerable a six year gap.
While the opening, almost 10 minutes long “Two For One Mind” evoke the mentioned Dream Theater spirit and it’s an intense and powerful progressive metal hurricane, the following “Same Goodbye” merge some dark, shoegaze flavored atmosphere and ambiances with the classy Porcupine Tree flavor. Another name which came up in my mind was Pain Of Salvation.
So, this is not a one track-mind type of band and not a one track type of album. And the album it’s intense and colorful throughout, make the listener to listen, keep the interest alive from riff to riff, from break to break. They not only created a positive tension and expectation, but delivered exciting, quality music. Give it a shot! Songs like “Livin’ Memory” will definitively ringing in your ears and will make you wanna listen more! Read more EtHERSENS – Your wandering ghost (2014)
“Angel Guts: Red Classroom” is the ninth studio album by Xiu Xiu, it’s scheduled for release on February 4, 2014, only two month away from the Nina Simone tribute album and entitled simply “Nina”. I still try to figure out if I like or I don’t like the music of singer-songwriter Jamie Stewart. There is a strong, charming, 70’s and 80’s rooted David Bowie flavor which is awesome. On the other hand, sometimes the sonic trips are going over the edge of bizarre and I’m not sure I’m always capable to follow them anywhere unconditionally. But at least I’m honest to admit it. Then again, I hate the snobs who pretend they understand everything and praise anything which it’s “out of the box”, just because it’s… odd. I’m a weirdo, but I have the decency to admit my limitations! 😆
I tried to dig out some background info about this French band, but I didn’t find too much and the few things I found were in French, not a language I know. Guitarist/singer Fred Lefranc sent me a link to their teaser last December, meanwhile the 5 track EP was officially released. Unfortunately they don’t have a video yet, but fortunately, they put it on-line on the Bandcamp. (While Spotify in some countries it’s not available, on Deezer if you don’t have account, can only listen 30 seconds of each song and not everybody it’s iPhone addicted and have the iTunes applications instaled… So, for promotional purposes YouTube, SoundCloud and Bandcamp are still the best free options available. MySpace it’s a… dead space. 😆 )
Autism is an instrumental post-rock project from Lithuania. After releasing a digital debut EP “Falling Motion”, which got quite positive reactions from post rock fans all over the globe, Autism has released a brand new album “The Crawling Chaos”. The new release contains 6 tracks, while the sound it’s much heavier, metal rooted and the atmosphere it’s darker, but nicely layered and filled with memorable melodies.
Iggy Pop and James Williamson on a record again was one of the ultimate rock’n’roll dreams. The Stooges ever playing again was another one. Then dreams came true. The fourth Stooges studio album, “The Weirdness” was recorded and released 34 years after its killer predecessor “Raw Power” and features founding members Iggy Pop (vocals), Ron Asheton (guitar), and Scott Asheton (drums) along with new band member Mike Watt (bass guitar), but also guest musician Steve Mackay (saxophone), who also appeared on the Stooges’ 1970 album, “Fun House”. And the album was engineered by Steve Albini.
Depeche Mode are back. Strangely, “Sounds of the Universe” feels like a million years away, although it was released in 2009, so, only four years ago. This is the final piece of the trilogy of records that Depeche Mode were doing with producer Ben Hillier. And the thirteenth studio album of the band, the first for their new label, Columbia Records, scheduled for release on 22 March 2013.
Everybody’s praise Bowie and his brand new “The Next Day” album, which comes after a heart attack and a serious 10 years gap. The 66 year old Bowie announced the release of his new album at his 66 birthday.
Thot are back. “Rhythm.Hope.Answers.” it’s their brand new single, available even for 
Merging shoegaze flavoured gloominess and endless distorted guitar chords; slow pulsing electronic layers and bitter sweet clean vocals; cinematic tension and mechanical monotony; Thierry Arnal, the one-man army behind Fragment, is back with his new album entitled “Temporary Enlightenment”. This is a quite dizzy mixture of alternative rock and drone, post-modern psychedelia and slowcore, dream-pop and shoegaze, a bridge build of sound and noises, but on solid emotional pillars, between Sunn O)))) and Sigur Rós, between Pink Floyd and Candlemass, and everything ever-after and above.
Luca Cavina (Calibro 35, Craxi, Incident on South Street) : distorted Bass and Vocals and Paolo Mongardi (Fuzz Orchestra, Ronin, FulKanelli, ex-Jennifer Gentle) : distorted Drums, started this project in October 2010, aiming at “using the minimum in order to get the maximum and is: not metal, not punk, not math, not noise, not prog, absolutely not jazz-core, neither post-whatever” – as they firmly declared.
