The Rock Blogger

Russian Circles. Station . 2008. 3.5 stars .

Chicago’s Russian Circles play kinetic and aggressive post-rock in the same sludgy tradition as city mates Pelican, crafting expansive instrumental songs that are filled with shimmering guitars and powerful rhythms. Continuing on with the success that was their 2006 debut Enter , Russian Circles’ latest offering pares back on their metal flourishes as they venture to cosmic planes, opting for a sound that is interstellar but not pretentious. These virtuosoes avoid self-indulgent noodling and instead anchor their songs with strong driving beats and deep, fluid bass lines. By carefully blending their metal and post-rock aspirations together, Russian Circles steer clear of derivative Mogwai and Isis worship and create something that is both intense and stratospheric.

The album begins with the crystalline riffs of "Campaign" which starts things off delicately enough to draw you in. The guitar melodies are immediately effective and opens things up with calm anticipation. "Harper Lewis" kicks in heavy drum rolls before the guttural, slithering bass joins in. Jangly guitar lines hover in between, opening up the space of the track before the intense metal riffs begin chugging along. Astral guitars then begin to scream across the mix in the most lyrical fashion imaginable, reminding me of Explosions in the Sky’s magnificent "Greet Death". The following "Station" keeps up the pace and glides across with hypnotic bass fills and distorted guitars that play against the swirling drum cycles and cymbal crashes. Just try to not bang your head along to these monstrous riffs, it really is difficult to restrain yourself.

The beautiful "Versus" veers back to post-rock territory, as icy riffs line droning reverb, sounding like a heavier version of a glacial Sigur Ros song, before fully extending into heart-breaking melodies. The speedy "Youngblood" abandons the clean veneer and rocks out with tight guitar riffs and furious drumming, played out with impeccable precision. The slow and tension filled "Xavii" closes things off with some final celestial passages.

As I hope I have demonstrated with my descriptions above, Station features some amazing musicianship as the band’s sense of timing, melody and dynamics are pristine and accessible. If this album had come out a decade ago, it would easily be considered a post-rock masterpiece. Unfortunately though this Station is just one stop among many others, never managing to go the extra mile to differentiate itself from the work of other post-metal masters. Yet as a companion piece to the work of Pelican, or Zebulon Pike, Isis, etc., Station fits perfectly among its peers and will provide the kind of astral, bong-ripping experience fans of the genre are searching for. So if you want to be captivated by an intense performance, look to the Russian Circles.

“Harper Lewis” Live

The History of Civilization in 5 minutes. This is ‘The Edifice’, a segment from designer/animator Saul Bass’ Oscar winning short “Why Man Creates” (1968).

Nine Inch Nails. The Slip . 2008. 4 stars .

Trent Reznor is on a roll. Just two months after NIN’s epic ambient release Ghosts I-IV , and not even a year after the excellent dystopia that was Year Zero , Reznor has unveiled another full length work - a more traditional sounding album that merges noisy industrial metal with hook-laden arena rock jams, all for free from the band’s website. Presented as a gift to NIN’s loyal fan base who made Ghosts a financial windfall, The Slip is a solid and accessible collection that, while not groundbreaking, still showcases Reznor’s newfound artistic freedom and energy.

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Night Time. 2008. Written and Directed by Tyson Stewart and Alain Lacoursière

Music by Emilie LeBel.

4 stars

I’m proud to have this exclusive opportunity to show an experimental short which was co-directed by my good friend Tyson Stewart. It’s a moody and mysterious twilight journey, where a dour narrator reminisces over strange women, ghosts, truck drivers and the dreary, rural places they frequent.

While Night Time is almost completely devoid of action and characters, the calm, somnambulist narration provides vivid mental images that slowly glide across these desolate landscapes, bringing you into deep, darkened pools of memory. The somber tones and street lamp halos give these introverted reflections a distinct and unsettling atmosphere, reminding me of a David Lynch film or my own teenage, alcohol-fueled stupors.

The poetic lyricism that lines these dream-like sequences is coupled by the menacing ambient score of Emilie LeBel, who plays haunting drones and synth passages that carefully swell in the shadows. These tracks lend the film an aching gravity, enhancing the wavering and voyeuristic sensations brought on by these images. The lonely shore, the seedy bar and truck stops are shown from detached and distant perspectives, cutting and spinning with free-wheeling angularity.

While the premise and structure of Night Time is simple, low key and strictly minimalist, its images are strangely comforting and human, exploring the darting thoughts and feelings of our seemingly lost and love-lorn guide. With their nuanced sense of mood, timing and setting, this young duo freely showcases their promise and aspirations. I look froward to seeing more work from them.

(As a side note, Night Time is not only a great short, but it is one of the first outside contributions to The Rock Blogger! Thanks Tyson! This looks to be a future trend here on the blog, as I look forward to guest reviews, photos and film submissions like this one. If you are interested in getting your work shown on this site, feel free to email me at goatlemment@hotmail.com).

Busy lately, so here’s another quick post-rock tune to tide you guys over.

Easily one of the crown jewels of Mogwai’s catalog, “Dial Revenge” can be found on Rock Action (2001).

One of GYBE’s greatest accomplishments, from their Slow Riot For New Zerø Kanada EP (1999).

Beautiful, orchestral post-rock that still remains unrivaled in the genre.

Loma Prieta . Last City . 2008. 3.5 stars .

Short and sweet, thats how I would describe Loma Prieta’s Last City . This Oakland CA band plays speedy hardcore/screamo jams with impressive technicality, running through time signatures and epic melodies with incredible ease. As the mathematical riffs swirl around cymbal crashing and rapid fire rhythms, the howling vocals provide the emotional release for all the tension that’s built up. The occasional piano melody and gentle guitar parts help balance things out as well.

As these tunes move at feverish pace, most of them clocking in at around 2 minutes, it comes on like an adrenaline rush, leaving you in a state of shock and exasperation as you wonder what happened to that lovely and mellow post-rock guitar passage. Oh that’s right, it was destroyed under a barrage of drums and screams. But that’s ok, this is a screamo album after all and its focused on angst-ridden catharsis, throwing raw emotionalism like red paint to a wall.

Lyrical themes? Hard to discern at first. The phrase ‘Last City’ recurs, so this, along with the general tone of the album, tells me that has something to do with urban alienation and escapism. ‘The name "Loma Prieta" itself might be a reference to the devastating 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake , so maybe the anguish here is about wanting it all to fall down - or maybe they’re just observing it - either way its a fitting name.

I would recommend this to fans of any kind of punk music, well except that radio-friendly bullshit, as its hardcore attitude and complex musicianship will give your day a quick and brutal shot of energy. While its very short, and the vocals could have been a little more understandable, its still an entertaining and refreshing listen.

Follow the Loma Prieta link above to be taken to their Myspace page, where you can find links to listen to this album for free.