Nucleus Torn - Knell

Is it probably their most enigmatic album? An answer is not important n here but the word “enigmatic” stuck into my mind by the first time I heard this for a strange and unknown reason. Probably due to the fact that every time I hear the album I discover something new. Probably due to the fact that it is obviously enigmatic to me how they have managed to bring the musical harmony between their sad, deep and emotional acoustic melodies and themes combining them with those electric breakings that are coming almost from nowhere like a storm…

And even in those breakings the music still sounds so natural and smooth but at the same time it hides an unknown wild force. From storm back to calm as the acoustic musical rivers will carry the listener far away, until the next storm. Strange the game that they play but I would be a part of it anytime.

This is the second release by this Swiss musical act. If you are aware of their 2006 debut “Nihil” you could probably form a general idea of what is to follow in here but even in that case you would find extremely difficult to form your feelings in words if you want to describe what you are hearing, yes the same is happening to me now. The fact is that there are negative feelings buried under their classical music oriented acoustic parts, feelings of sadness, sorrow and melancholy. But the question comes straight ahead: “Can we point those fallings as negative?” It depends… but this is another topic out of here… And yes there is a mysterious strength on their electric breakings thanks to the slow riffing and the esoteric electric guitar themes, bringing in my mind the most clever guitar moments of the Scandinavian post Black Metal scene. And the vocals male or female… they are putting their own trademark into the final musical piece of art…

A strange kind of whispering, esoteric and dark musical beauty: this is what it is all about. I have placed the album on my CD player at about 7 o clock in the afternoon and it is five o clock in the morning now that I am writing those lines… and its music still fills the air, it is obvious it has managed to overtake me… And you know something? This happens not quite often…

(from here)

Those who like dark music will love this album. It is covered with beautiful and depressing acoustic melodies and some outbursts you will definitely love. Enjoy it!

Nucleus Torn - Knell

(Prophecy Productions / 2008 / Avantgarde/Progressive Metal/Folk / VBR2 189 kbp/s)

Tracklist
01. I 8:05
02. II 14:29
03. III 29:14
04. IV 4:16

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The Ocean - Heliocentric

The Ocean Collective (usually referred to as “The Ocean”) is an experimental rock band from Berlin, Germany. Their work combines elements of modern hardcore and technical metal with classical music and electronic soundscapes. The band often describes its sound as “ambient soundtrack doomrock”.

The Ocean was founded in 2000 by guitarist and songwriter Robin Staps. During the following two years, about 40 musicians joined and left the band until a stable line-up was established. July 2002 saw The Ocean play their first concert at Berlin’s now defunct semi-legal Eimer Club. Shortly after, the band released their eponymous debut album featuring “Islands/Tides,” a 30-minute-long song that also constituted the substance of their early live shows.

(read more at last.fm)

Their new record leaked, get it while it's hot!

[ Pelagic Records | 2010 | Atmospheric Sludge | 192kbps | 50:42 ]

Tracklist
1. Shamayim - 1:53
2. Firmament - 7:29
3. The First Commandment of the Luminaries - 6:47
4. Ptolemy Was Wrong - 6:28
5. Metaphysics of the Hangman - 5:41
6. Catharsis of A Heretic - 2:08
7. Swallowed By the Earth - 4:59
8. Epiphany - 3:21
9. The Origin of Species - 7:23
10. The Origin of God - 4:33

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Track 10 (if missing)

La Dispute - Somewhere At The Bottom Of The River Between Vega And Altair

La Dispute is a five-piece band from Grand Rapids, MI. Most frequently referred to as Post-Hardcore (but sometimes also Progressive Rock and Screamo), La Dispute has spent roughly the last year of its existence writing and recording their first full length album, called “Somewhere at the Bottom of the River Between Vega and Altair,” in hopes of accurately displaying their growth both as individuals and as a single artistic unit while creating an end product that encourages the listener to both think and feel.

Drawing its title from an Asian folktale, “Somewhere” attempts to prompt discussion regarding the aspects of ourselves that prevent us from maintaining our happiness as people by documenting both their own experiences in the matter and the experiences of those around them, while musically encouraging the listener to expand their notions of music and art by exploring time signatures, tempos, dynamics, song structures, etc. The result of countless sleepless nights, exhaustingly precise recording sessions, and a diligence bordering psychosis, “Somewhere” is far and a way the bands most mature, articulate, and diverse release thus far expanding significantly upon the groundwork from its previous two short releases.

(taken from last.fm)

This is definitely one of my favorite records at the moment. Highly recommended for everybody!

[ No Sleep Records | 2008 | Post-Hardcore | VBR | 51:30 ]

Tracklist
1. Such Small Hands - 1:35
2. Said The King To The River - 4:01
3. New Storms For Older Lovers - 4:59
4. Damaged Goods - 2:55
5. Fall Down, Never Get Back Up Again - 2:45
6. Bury Your Flame - 4:35
7. Last Blues For Bloody Knuckles - 5:00
8. The Castle Builders - 2:46
9. Andria - 4:20
10. Then Again, Maybe You Were Right - 1:36
11. Sad Prayers For Guilty Bodies - 3:46
12. The Last Lost Continent - 12:02
13. Nobody, Not Even The Rain - 1:10

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Devin Townsend Project - Addicted!

Devin Townsend Project begins where Ziltoid the Omniscient left off, with Devin Townsend at the helm. The project is a planned four-album series. Rather than a specific line-up of musicians, as he utilized in The Devin Townsend Band, and rather than performing the entirety of the music himself, as in Ziltoid the Omniscient, the Devin Townsend Project will feature a number of different musicians for each album.

The first release, Ki, is set to be available for purchase by late May and early June 2009. For Ki, Townsend recruited veteran jazz drummer Duris Maxwell, local bassist Jean Savoie, and the former keyboardist for The Devin Townsend Band, Dave Young. Devin has also recruited Ché Dorval as an additional vocalist.

The second release is titled Addicted. Planned to be a heavy, simplistic, and straightforward rock album, it serves as the bridge from the quieter Ki to the expected zany metal tones of the album following it. The line-up thus far confirmed is Ryan Van Poederooyen (also a veteran of The Devin Townsend Band) on the drums, another member of the DTB Brian Waddell on the bass, and Anneke van Giersbergen (notable from The Gathering, Agua de Annique and Ayreon) on an unspecified amount of vocals.

The third and fourth albums are called Deconstruction and Ghost, with further concrete details forthcoming.

(more on Last.fm)

Myspace

(HevyDevy Records / 2009 / Ambient/Progressive Metal/Rock / 320kbp/s)

Tracklist
1. Addicted! 5:37
2. Universe In A Ball! 4:09
3. Bend It Like Bender! 3:37
4. Supercrush! 5:13
5. Hyperdrive! 3:36
6. Resolve! 3:12
7. Ih-Ah! 3:45
8. The Way Home! 3:14
9. Numbered! 4:55
10. Awake! 9:44

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Devin Townsend Project - Ki

Devin Townsend Project begins where Ziltoid the Omniscient left off, with Devin Townsend at the helm. The project is a planned four-album series. Rather than a specific line-up of musicians, as he utilized in The Devin Townsend Band, and rather than performing the entirety of the music himself, as in Ziltoid the Omniscient, the Devin Townsend Project will feature a number of different musicians for each album.

The first release, Ki, is set to be available for purchase by late May and early June 2009. For Ki, Townsend recruited veteran jazz drummer Duris Maxwell, local bassist Jean Savoie, and the former keyboardist for The Devin Townsend Band, Dave Young. Devin has also recruited Ché Dorval as an additional vocalist.

The second release is titled Addicted. Planned to be a heavy, simplistic, and straightforward rock album, it serves as the bridge from the quieter Ki to the expected zany metal tones of the album following it. The line-up thus far confirmed is Ryan Van Poederooyen (also a veteran of The Devin Townsend Band) on the drums, another member of the DTB Brian Waddell on the bass, and Anneke van Giersbergen (notable from The Gathering, Agua de Annique and Ayreon) on an unspecified amount of vocals.

The third and fourth albums are called Deconstruction and Ghost, with further concrete details forthcoming.

(more on Last.fm)

Myspace

(HevyDevy Records / 2008 / Ambient/Progressive Metal/Rock / 320kbp/s)

Tracklist

1. A Monday 1:43
2. Coast 4:36
3. Disruptr 5:49
4. Gato 5:23
5. Terminal 6:58
6. Heaven Send 8:54
7. Ain't Never Gonna Win 3:17
8. Winter 4:48
9. Trainfire 5:59
10. Lady Helen 6:05
11. Ki 7:21
12. Quiet Riot 3:02
13. Demon League 2:55

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Faust - Faust IV

Faust is a German krautrock band, originally composed of Werner “Zappi” Diermaier, Hans Joachim Irmler, Arnulf Meifert, Jean-Hervé Péron, Rudolf Sosna and Gunter Wüsthoff, working with producer Uwe Nettelbeck and engineer Kurt Graupner. The group formed in Wümme in 1971 and soon began recording their debut, "Faust”, which sold poorly, but established a devoted fanbase. With a series of early 1970s releases, Faust became one of the most significant bands in the genre that would eventually be known as krautrock.

Faust were arguably the most radical of the groups of their era, using advanced studio techniques and electronics in a way that opened up new possibilities for studio composition. At the time they may not have appeared to have had the same impact as a number of their German peers (notably Kraftwerk, Can and Tangerine Dream), but they are increasingly recognised as the most far-sighted of the German groups of that era.

(Taken from last.fm)

This album is an essential for every 70s psychedelic/progressive rock and especially krautrock fan or any fan of any band influenced by these movements (so basically everybody visiting this blog). Listen to this! There's nothing more to say.

Tracklist

1. Krautrock
2. Sad Skinhead
3. Jennifer
4. Just A Second (Starts Like That!)
5. Picnic On A Frozen River, Deuxième Tableux
6. Giggy Smile
7. Läuft...Heißt das es läuft oder es kommt bald...Läuft
8. It's A Bit Of A Pain

Mediafire | Rghost

Astra - The Weirding

Like a heavy hammer onto anvil, down from Ether’s starry meadows, the sounds of ASTRA are engulfing this planet Earth. With their heads floating in the mist of Europe’s original psychedelic and progressive eras, the boys formed under the winter sun of San Diego, CA in the year 2001 as Silver Sunshine. They released their SDMA-nominated, eponymous debut album in 2004 on Empyrean Records, followed by “A Small Pocket of Pure Spirit”(also nominated) - their evolved EP in 2005 on the same label. With the departure of original Silver Sunshine drummer Iain Andrew Sclater, and the joining of new drummer/multi-instrumentalist David Hurley in 2006, their sound and direction have evolved and grown. They have decided to change their name along with their sound and lineup and are now known as ASTRA. With the recent joining of guitar wizard/multi-instrumentalist Brian Ellis, the planets have aligned and ASTRA is now complete. They’ve toured the west coast of the U.S. twice and shared the stage with many friends like: Dungen, Winter Flowers, Earthless, Jennifer Gentle, Jana Hunter, Bigelf, Saint Etienne, Persephone’s Bees, Entrance, Titan, The Black Keys, The Sunshine Fix, All Night Radio, Green Milk From the Planet Orange and DMBQ to name a few. So what’s on the horizon for ASTRA? Richard Vaughan (guitar/mellotron/vocals), Conor Riley (guitar/mellotron/arp odyssey/organ/vocals), Stuart Sclater (bass), David Hurley (drums/flute/various noisemakers) and Brian Ellis (guitar, moog) are curently recording their debut full length album entitled: The Weirding, for Rise Above Records to be released in March of 2009.

(Taken from Last.fm)

Debut album of this psychedelic / progressive rock band. The record sounds so vintage that you could think it was released back in '79 instead of march '09. Sometimes Astra really hit the sound of the old Pink Floyd and King Crimson records. They will aslo perfrom at the Roadburn Festival 2010. Enjoy!

Myspace

Tracklist

1. The Rising of the Black Sun

2. The Weirding

3. Silent Sleep

4. The River Under

5. Ouroboros

6. Broken Glass

7. The Dawning of Ophiuchus

8. Beyond to Slight the Maze

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