Phantom Winter – Into Dark Science

Author: Meredith Schmiedeskamp

Band: Phantom Winter
Album: Into Dark Science
Genre: Post-Metal / Doom
Label: Golden Antenna Records
Release Date: March 2, 2018
Listen & Buy: JPC, Amazon, Bandcamp, Spotify, iTunes
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Phantom Winter are known for creating dark and noiseful songs described as “Winterdoom” since their first album back in 2015. Following the tradition of „Cvlt“ and „Sundown Pleasures“, their third record „Into Dark Science“ is build on a sociocritical background and is difficult to conceive without looking at the linernotes and quotes from (feminist) writers and thinkers. On the musical side, the material is really demanding and doesn’t feature an overwhelming punch-in-the-stomach piece like “Bombing The Witches” from “Sundown Pleasures”. Blast-beats are appearing more frequently and the screams are scratching on the edge of edurability. Nonetheless, „Into Dark Science“ is very powerful and wipes out every inch of blooming flowers in spring.

May 9, 2018 Add Comment

Krane – Pleonexia

Author: Meredith Schmiedeskamp

Band: Krane
Album: Pleonexia
Genre: Post-Rock/-Metal
Label: Czar Of Crickets Productions
Release Date: October 27, 2017
Listen & Buy: JPC, Amazon, Spotify, iTunes, Bandcamp
Social: Facebook, Instagram, YouTube
Live: ADTicket
Website: kraneband.ch

With “Pleonexia” Krane from Switzerland have created an instrumental concept-work about conflicts, which are always proceeding on our planet. Although there are no lyrics, the most tracks contain social criticism in form of concise quotes from speakers like Louis Farrakhan, Robert Oppenheimer and Serdar Somuncu. Musically, Krane are playing their Post-Rock in an atmospheric, but heavy way. The guitars are shimmering as they should do in this genre, but the way of drumming is worthy of discussion. Either the drums keep quiet, or toms and snare are overused and stressful intonated. Less could be more in this case.

January 11, 2018 Add Comment

ColdCell – Those

Author: Sammy Fröbel

Band: ColdCell
Album: Those
Genre: Post-Metal, Melodic Black Metal
Label: Czar Of Bullets
Release Date: November 3, 2017
Listen & Buy: JPC, Amazon, Bandcamp
Social: Facebook, YouTube
Live: –

Risen from the ruins of the Switzerland-based Black Metal band Atritas, the Icelandic, German and Swiss collaboration ColdCell released a fear-driven, brutal and despaired-sounding album named “Those”, which makes you feel lost, but also satisfied. This record lets you smell the paranoia of being traced by an unknown spirit with its banging drum sounds and depressing vocals, but in a good way. The quintet has the ability to express something beautiful through broken sounds and scenes, like the various strange riff-sections and the dark singing in the two-parted “Entity I & II”. Lovers of Black Metal as Blutmond and also of modern Post-Metal like Amenra have to give this record a listen.

December 20, 2017 Add Comment

YLVA – Meta

Author: Sammy Fröbel

Band: YLVA
Album: Meta
Genre: Atmospheric Post-Metal
Label: Pelagic Records
Release Date: November 17, 2017
Listen & Buy: JPC, Amazon, Bandcamp
Social: Facebook, Instagram, YouTube
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How can a debut record even be this brute, but also melancholic? Australians YLVA know how to produce an album of this category. This foursome tries to trick the listener with a slow and atmospheric three minute intro, but that’s not what you’re going to get. The opener “Sting In The Air” turns into a virtuoso chaos of drums and the painful voice of Mike Deslandes. Even the first song is a perfect example for what to expect from this record – a melancholic Post-Metal storm with hints of Sludge and Doom, driven by the feelings of fear, desparation and anger. This is a great album for everyone, who loves the atmosphere of Amenra and Neurosis.

November 14, 2017 Add Comment

Sum Of R – Orga

Author: Timon Menge

Band: Sum Of R
Album: Orga
Genre: Ambient, Post-Metal, Drone Metal
Label: Czar Of Revelations (CD), Cyclic Law (LP)
Release Date: September 15, 2017
Listen & Buy: JPC, Amazon, Spotify, iTunes, Bandcamp
Social: Facebook, YouTube
Live: –

After releasing “Sum Of R” in 2008 and “Lights On Water” in 2013, the Switzerland-based duo Sum Of R around mastermind Reto Mäder, who teamed up with drummer/percussionist Fabio Costa lately, unveiled their third album on September 15. “Orga” (short for “organic”/”organism”) contains less Metal influences than album #1 and #2 and is an Ambient record in the first place. Fans of oscillating soundscapes and spaced out acoustic experiments, who like to imagine roaming through mysterious woods and spooky fogs will get a real kick out of this release!

October 31, 2017 Add Comment