The Rock Blogger

Conifer . Crown Fire . 2008. 3.5 stars .

Confier play psychedelic sludge metal in the same vein as Pelican and The Russian Circles, pushing heavy, wiry instrumentals to stratospheric heights. Making Crown Fire stand out, aside from its stellar musicianship, is its organic flow and Eastern-tinged flourishes. Its spiraling riffs and cyclical percussion roll on hypnotically, creating a immersing, stoner-friendly torrent of sound. Its more expansive pieces are set beside dense jams like "Song for Krom" which blends deep bass attacks a la Kyuss with celestial release.

There’s really nothing wrong with this record - its focused, intense, well produced and a fine thing to trip out to. Conifer do however sound very similar to their many rivals in the the sludge/doom metal genre, making their natural and fluid sound seem more constrained than it should. There are some attempts at experimentation, including some spacey post-rock noodling ("History of Disappointment") and even some oddball vocals towards the end of the record, but these brief moments seem somewhat forced compared to their more refined and confident performances.

While Crown Fire may not be breaking any new ground (I know, its an unreasonable expectation for this young band), its still a great piece of work that matches the tremendous energy of Isis, Pelican, Cult of Luna or whoever else is leading the post-metal pack these days. If you are already immersed in this exploding underground scene, then you should certainty check out Conifer. They are, as their name implies, one of the most organic sounding metal bands around.

Confier LIVE IN CAMBRIDGE, MA 7/17/05

Sunn O))). Dømkirke. 2008. 4 stars.

Along with close contemporaries Earth and Boris, Sunn O))) have become flag bearers for the doom-metal avant-garde, pushing the genre to new experimental boundaries with each full-length album. While they may have just lovingly mimicked Earth’s early drones with their first set of releases, Sunn O))) quickly evolved into a innovative force of their own right, pushing out heady, slow-as-molasses jams of impenetrable darkness. The chilling spoken word intro of White 1 or the pseudo-black metal wraiths on Black One demonstrated the cloaked duo’s capacity for creating exciting and terrifying masterpieces that were as unique as they were heavy.

Dømkirke carries on with the proud tradition, bringing the distinguished drone masters and their special guests to an ancient Danish cathedral where their compositions could be given a full atmospheric treatment. From what I understand, this was recorded live, giving the album raw power and urgency - a strange word to use given the band’s snail-like pace. The majority of this album moves away from the groaning and drawn-out riffs of the past, opting instead for dense, dark ambient pieces. That being said, the album is still bass-laden and unbelievably heavy, its just more focused on atmospheric drones rather than lumbering guitar work. Vocal contributions from black metal artist Attila Csihar are spine-chilling, as his dark, operatic chants echo like the rites of some ritualistic cult-figure. The later half of the album has him more restrained, offering distant and indistinguishable shrieks and rasps to hover over the searing drones.

Dømkirke may not sound as direct or metal as 2005’s Black One, but the thick graveyard atmosphere and dense production remains fully intact. The inclusion of monk vocals and the chosen recording space also lend Sunn O))) even more gravity to pull you down into their murky pits. As a band willing to take risks with their already unconventional and disturbing sound, Sunn O))) have once again shown their intense mystique and musical craftsmanship.

I saw an image similar to this in a book on architecture.

The level of the detail in the carvings and statues is breathtaking.

Tales of deities, angels, and warriors wind across the entire face of the temple.

It’s a shame they don’t make things like this in Windsor.

(not sure if this is the right cover, but it’s what’s showing on RateYourMusic now).

Deerhunter. Microcastle. 2008. 4.5 stars.

Deerhunter’s much anticipated followup to last year’s breakthrough Cryptograms is a dreamy shoegaze record full of trippy melodies and crystal-clear ambiance. The majority of the songs on Microcastle are far more focused than those on their predecessor, with a more streamlined, psych-pop structure that delivers quick bursts of shimmering energy. Beautiful numbers like “Never Stops” wash over you with their cool, hazy atmosphere, sending off druggy, blissful vibes not unlike My Bloody Valentine. The expansive production also lets psychedelic songs like “Little Kids” breathe with full vigor, spreading out into a sea of mellowing reverb.

While Deerhunter may be more focused and refined this time around, the album isn’t called Microcastle for nothing. There are several labyrinthine tracks that lure you into densely layered passages, immersing you in ambient detail. Songs like “Green Jacket” are mysterious, ghostly and gorgeous despite their general lack of direction. They lie in the middle of the album like dark pools of water, a comfort zone for the sleepy astral traveler.

Microcastle, as I have hoped to indicate above, is a richly textured album that moves between tight, wiry alternative rock (”Nothing Ever Happened”) and lush experimentation with ease. The divergence between moods and tones can often be challenging, as you’re not sure whether to fall asleep to this album, or have it blaring along to reckless hedonism. There is no doubt in my mind that Microcastle will be named as one of 2008’s greatest albums, even though segments of it are somewhat ’samey’ and indistinguishable from each other. Taken as evidence of Deerhunter’s speedy evolution, or as a colorful shoegaze album, Microcastle is a fresh, exciting and seductive listen.

“Nothing Ever Happened” Live

Sighting by Sorina Dragusanu

By Damien Van Vroenhoven 2007

Somnivore. Clergy of Oneiros. 2007. 4 stars.

Finnish dark-ambient artists Somnivore draw on allusions to Greek mythology to create this somnambulist album. Deep, rumbling drones, distant voices and airy electronics suck you into these 6 unsettling dreams. A cold atmosphere hangs over the entire album, conveying scenes of abandoned buildings, smoldering cities and mildewy caverns.

The progressions here are absorbing, with enough subtlety to invite meditative, introspective experiences. While the mood of these pieces is vaguely sinister, with its many whispering actors and eerie chimes, Clergy of Oneiros still stirs reflection.

Some of the tracks can be a slightly repetitive and downright baffling, but the more industrial tinged songs at the album’s conclusion brings the meandering to satisfying apex. Midnight music for the lucid dreamer or the downright deranged.

The Protomen. The Protomen. 2005. 4.5 stars.

This monster of a prog-rock album follows the back story of Capcom’s Megaman series and delivers its narrative in the most epic, dystopian way possible. Crafting a concept album around a video game may seem insane, but The Protomen have clearly produced one of the most electric and exciting albums of its kind in quite some time. The album immediately sets the stage for post-apocalyptic action, describing the dark Orwellian world ruled by Dr. Wiley and his army of evil robots and the sole inventor, Dr. Light, who secretly creates mankind’s only salvation. The story is surprisingly easy to follow across these jams, drawing on themes of vengeance and duty, capturing the throes of a science fiction battle quite beautifully.

The music itself is consistently interesting, with plenty of electronic effects, slamming piano keys and stunning vocal performances (my friend mistook the lead singer for Matthew Good as he passed by). The Protomen take several pages from prog-rock and glam-rock theatrics, with shades of Rush, Queen and perhaps The Mars Volta thrown in for good measure. Everything from the guitar solos to the urgency of its lyrics make this album an incredibly fun and satisfying listen. The Protomen take their source material quite seriously, with an explosive performance that focuses on the thematics of the game, rather than camp factor or straight parody.

While it may take a few tracks to get into the album’s universe, once you hit fiery songs like “The Will of One” or “The Stand (Man or Machine)” you’ll realize that something truly magical is taking place, elevating this far above being mere fan boy material. Even if you have no interest in Megaman, or any video game whatsoever, the lyrical themes are strong enough on their own to carry this. When it comes to hair-raising performances, The Protomen are just as brave and heroic as their patron saint.
Ps. Be sure to check out the band’s website, its really interactive and trippy.

“The Will of One”

The Morningside. The Wind, the Trees, and the Shadows of the Past. 2007. 5 stars.

This is a stunning melodic death metal album from a little known Russian band. Sounding like a cross between Agalloch and early Ulver, The Morningside blends emotional and melodic riffs with a grey woodland atmosphere and some clean acoustic flourishes. With a great emphasis on extended instrumentals, these songs are massive and progressively composed, conveying a variety of moods in its many steep peaks and valleys.

The guitar work in particular is majestic, with a crystalline production that lets each tight, wiry riff cast an icy sheen. The vocals for the most part are in the form of distant growls, which despite their melancholic tone, complement the epic musicianship beautifully. There are also some clean, sung vocals thrown in the album’s later half, as a calm, reflective voice contemplates the mystery of the wilderness, conveying cool imagery not unlike the cover above.

The Wind…, much like Agalloch’s The Mantle, strikes a perfect balance between heavy metal catharsis and lush atmospherics, carving out a niche of its own (Grey Metal?). It comes over like a cool thunderstorm, first with crashing booms, then followed by a cleansing downpour. If you are a fan of Agalloch, post-rock, or atmospheric black metal, you owe it to yourself to listen to this. It really is a masterpiece.

The Morningside - “The Wind”

Mogwai. The Hawk is Howling. 2008. 4 stars.

These post-rock pioneers seem to have divided critical opinion over the last few years. Being that their breakthrough debut Young Team came out over a decade ago, fans have debated as to whether their followups are merely paled copies of their first efforts or successful attempts at refining and focusing their sound. 2006’s Mr. Beast was an excellent case in point - some argued that it cut Mogwai far too short, narrowing their songs down to powerful bursts, essentially loosing the slow-burning, spacey atmosphere that made them famous. Others, myself included, saw the transition as an attempt to reassert their dominance in a genre now full of faceless copycats. The Hawk is Howling follows the measured lead of its predecessor but is thankfully more intricate, dense and fluid.

The album’s opener, “I’m Jim Morrison, I’m Dead” is a beautiful and impressively detailed track that builds organically into a shimmering crescendo. Its progressions are far less forced and mechanical than some of the other Slint-inspired numbers from their discography. “Batcat”, the first single from the album, is the album’s most intense and bloody song, with lots of cascading feedback and distortion, sounding like a compressed climax from Tool. The burning tension leads to fiery, angular release, reminding me of the final, terrifying moments of Slint’s “Good Morning Captain”, an obvious inspiration for the band. Far from being derivative, “BatCat” blends a climbing doom metal procession with psychedelic passages of noise, making it a genuine tour de force.

Other highlights include the infectious psych-pop of “The Sun Smells to Loud” which features a bouncy, guitar hook accompanied by bright electronic flourishes. Easily one of the catchiest Mogwai songs to come along, perhaps since “Hunted by a Freak”, revealing the more wide-eyed and wondrous side of the band that is often neglected amid the usual gloom and doom (and boom).

The rest of the album, save for a few explosive climaxes, is not as distinctive. Songs like “King’s Meadow”, “Daphne and the Brain” and “Local Authority” are certainly beautiful and relaxed jams, but they seem uneventful in light of their more intense counterparts. “I Love you I’m Going to Blow Up Your School” has a compelling build up, with spidery riffs and a foreboding atmosphere, but its very similar to the gargantuan “My Father My King” from the EP of the same name.

While about half of this album has Mogwai returning to some of their better ideas, there is enough of an experimental edge to this to keep it interesting and fresh. Its a satisfying work to be sure, and it manages to solidify Mogwai’s position as a intense and influential creative force in post rock. The Hawk is Howling may not have the same effect on 2008 as Young Team had on 1997, but its still an impressive accomplishment, both in terms of its tight cohesion and its tense, spiraling compositions.

Mogwai “I’m Jim Morrison, I’m Dead” Live in Mexico City