Bruce Lamont - Feral Songs For The Epic Decline (2011)

Band: Bruce Lamont
Country: Chicago, Illinois
Style: Avant-Garde/Drone
Label: At A Loss Records

Coming off of two releases last year, not including his many guest appearances as well, Bruce Lamont managed to finally put out his debut solo record. Expressing ideas that aren't so definable, if his main band, Yakuza, was definable, by his many projects. This is a journey of an album and is an experience that should be taken in from start to finish.
This album really takes a different approach towards the avant-garde jazz metal of Yakuza, the industrial metal/rock of Circle of Animals, the soundtrack metal of Bloodiest, or his Led Zeppelin tribute band; on here, you have a mix of singer/songwriter folky acoustic stuff, long drone passages, industrial soundscapes, and hints of his more metal side. Opener, One Who Stands On The Earth, can give you somewhat of a rough sketch as to what you'll get with the rest of the album, but once again, it's gonna be a rough sketch. There's enough going on in a single track to keep anyone entertained, but if you're coming into this expecting it to resemble his other bands, this might throw you for a bit of a loop. The journey that was mentioned above is certainly one that will test a listener's patience, as some tracks will remain very quiet and bleak, the darkly textured acoustic track Year Without Summer, is in stark contrast to the noisy industrial assault of Deconstructing Self-Destruction.
This isn't so much of a heavy record, in any sense, it's textured and it's layered, but it's never going to overwhelm you with how much sound is present at a single time. There's always just enough to keep the song interesting, but not make it sound like a wall of sound, which works in this album's advantage because I don't think a big production would have made this album feel as ritualistic as it does. I think the word ritualistic is actually the best term for this album, as it does feel like a ceremony at more than one time, with ups and downs, long passages that just entrance the listener and, despite not doing drugs to this album, still managed to fully capture my attention.
Overall, this is a very good record, personally, it's not as good as Yakuza's, but that's just my opinion. I could see a lot of stoners putting this record on and just tripping out to it, I could actually see Lamont being stoned while making some of these tracks actually. If you like experimental music in any capacity, this comes highly recommended.
Overall Score: 9
Highlights: One Who Stands On The Earth, Disgruntled Employer, 2 Then The 3

Falkenbach - Tiurida (2011)

Band: Falkenbach
Country: Düsseldorf, Germany
Style: Viking/Folk Metal
Label: Napalm Records

Back in the mid-90s and mid-2000s, Falkenbach released some of the best material to come from the viking metal scene. It's been six years since his, being main man Vratyas Vakyas, AKA Markus Tümmers, last release, 2005's "Heralding - The Fireblade." This new album continues the trend of increasing folk instrumentation over his metal sound. The production on this new album is also better, bringing a lot more sounds to the forefront of this album, especially acoustic guitars and flutes, the two things that really stood out to me.
This album really embraces the folk roots of Vakyas' musical backbone, making use of, what I consider to be, Celtic influenced melodies and various other folk instruments. Though Takyas has said in the past that he doesn't consider Falkenbach to be a 'metal' band, denying any influence from the genre at all on his music, tracks like Time Between Dog and Wolf might give you the impression he's lying. But with the overwhelming sense of melody and folk instrumentation on here, the metal elements within most of these songs isn't even all that prominent, used mainly as a foundation. The sound that Vakyas has developed throughout the years on his records has gradually become one that truly sounds epic and full, seeing from how much he says he only listens to classical music, it definitely comes through on here at least.
If you're expecting something heavy, like metal, you might be disappointed by this, and Falkenbach's newer material as well, as the distorted guitars are almost never the main focal point in a song. When they are, they're nice and loud, but they almost never do anything other than provide the backbone, I know I already said this. In a track like In Flames, an extremely catchy track by the way, the guitars play some rather simple chord progressions throughout the track, while more symphonic elements back it up and more melodic acoustic/clean guitars have the main melody; it's not the most technical sound, but it's one that definitely lends itself to Falkenbach's sound.
Overall, this is a very good album, a lot of folk metal groups are very generic, either turning into a Korpiklaani clone or trying to fuse it into black metal, which is a style that's been tried to death as well. This group/project is one of the few from the folk scene that can truly be called an original and having it's own sound. Definitely an album for fans of folk or melodic sounding metal, I'd even recommend this to someone that likes traditional folk music.
Overall Score: 8
Highlights: Where His Ravens Fly, In Flames

Oskoreien - Oskoreien (2011)

Band: Oskoreien
Country: Valencia, California
Style: Black Metal/Neo-folk
Label: Seventh Seal Records

Coming off of his more viking and folk metal background, of both the demos of this project and his involvement in supergroup Folkearth, this debut full-length album shows main-man Jay Valena taking a decidedly more black metal approach. Not to say that this record is completely devoid of his folk roots, as they are still very present on this album, but they are not the dominant force on it. There's a greater sense of natural sounding progression and melodicism, it's not overly cheesy or "happy," if you will, like some bands tend to be in that scene, walking a very fine line between the being original and sounding like a parody of what the intention was.
What I noticed throughout the album was the similarities to another band that come from a similar sort of sonic mix, Agalloch. As Valena, on his bandcamp page, sites folk, black metal, and post-rock among his influences, or as his tags, and those are all styles that Agalloch has taken from in their sound. The acoustic guitars bring the right amount of folk tinged moments, River of Eternity, to soften the blow from the more aggressive black metal tremolo picking, Illusions Parish, while the ambiances that build up within the tracks definitely show at least a bit of homage to post-rock. I also have to give it to Valena for his vocal performance on here, while his screams are nothing great, fairly typical, I found his clean vocals to remind me of one of my favorite singers, Garm (Ulver, ex-Arcturus, ex-Borknagar) and his style of clean vocals on the early records from those bands.
Coming from a production standpoint, I don't know if this was recorded in a professional studio or not, but the very fuzzy guitars, hear Entropic Collapse, really bring a unique quality to this band, not unlike the early Agalloch records, that makes it feel more alive, if you will. There's enough variation to keep thing from being overproduced, but definitely still raw enough to feel natural and authentic, where I like it to be. When comparing it to the new Agalloch record, and I realize this comparison is becoming both tiring and right here, is actually a bit unfair, however is not as clean or well-produced like that one was, for those that might get that idea.
Overall, this is a great record and it's really well performed and recorded. I could see a lot of black metal fans maybe skipping over this, just because of not knowing about it mainly, but also because of the cover or Valena's work in Folkearth, but that would be a mistake. Definitely look for this album, you won't regret it.
Overall Score: 8.5
Highlights: Illusions Parish, Transcendence

ЗАВОДЬ - Ритуал EP (2011)

Band: ЗАВОДЬ
Country: Kharkov, Ukraine
Style: Black Metal/Hardcore
Label: Independent

The first EP, though they had a split and demo before this, from this Ukrainian blackened hardcore band proves to fit that sound perfectly. I only just found this band scoring blogs for new music this year, and ended up finding this little gem in the ruff of some other mediocre stuff. Despite being only four songs long, there's a great amount of potential held within here, as many people have noticed as well, as these guys are being compared to the great Panopticon.
Sonically, these guys are more black metal than hardcore, though there are those moments where they delve into some more crusty sounds. These guys stick to the tremolo picked riffing for the most part with everything else kind of running just as fast, trying to keep up, hear II. Despite being labeled hardcore, there isn't really a lot on here, besides the crusty/noisy sounding production, a lot of this is actually pretty melodic and memorable, with a few brief forays into dissonance on III. I'll be honest, I liked this EP a lot, so it's hard to call this a complaint, but the thing I found that maybe dulled the experience of listening to this was the production on the drums. They aren't bad, but they sound a bit too tinny for my personal taste.
Overall, this is really solid and I enjoyed this quite a bit. I can't say that what's on here is original, but what's on here is crafted well and is done precisely. I'm looking forward to a full-length from these guys, definitely check this out.
Overall Score: 7.5
Highlights: I, III

Nociceptor - Among Insects EP (2011)

Band: Nociceptor
Country: Dallas, Texas
Style: Tech Metal/Djent
Label: Independent

Nociceptor is a band that has slowly been gaining recognition within the djent/tech metal world recently thanks to their debut album, "Sum of All Scars," finally starting to get some attention. This new EP features two re-recorded songs from that debut and demonstrates a newer and more polished sound than their debut. While some do find this to be Travis Montgomery's (Threat Signal) side project, there are also just as many that find this to be more engaging than that one is.
While the band's debut album mixed Meshuggah grooves with Mudvayne vocals, this new album refines that sound by adding in a bit more of the djenty guitar sound and really brings them into the "genre" head-first. I'm not gonna lie, those traces of nu metal, as well as a bit of metalcore, are still heard in here, hear The Fell, but they've been reduced so they're not as annoying. While most of this release is dominated by grooves, going into a more melodic part usually for the clean vocals, which have actually become quite the highlight for this release. The band has also re-recorded Mollusk and Pornoholocaust on here, giving them a more polished sound that benefits them.
Overall, a solid release that shows a more matured sound, as well as a more polished one as well. This will definitely appeal to the people that like the whole djent/tech metal stuff for sure. If you like technical, Meshuggah styled metal, definitely listen to this band.
Overall Score: 7
Highlights: Botfly, Mollusk, Angus McCillicuddy

Codes In The Clouds - As The Spirit Wanes (2011)

Band: Codes In The Clouds
Country: Kent, UK
Style: Post-rock
Label: Erased Tapes Records

Coming off of a remix of their debut last year, this is CoTC's second full-length record. I was not really all that familiar with the group until I found out they were on the same label as Ólafur Arnalds, who's last record turned out to be one of my favorite records from last year, which made me want to check this out. Although, essentially, they are a post-rock group, most of the groups/artists that are on Erased Tapes have a more cinematic touch to their music, which I definitely found on here. I think it will make itself obvious to anyone who listens to this album, that besides the usual instrumental builds and falls, additional instruments have been included in here to set it apart from other groups.
I found instruments, mainly synthe based sounds, like organs, bells, horns, and strings. The regular instruments also manage to switch it up throughout the disc as well, incorporating traces of shoegaze, Look Back, Look Up, jazz, The Reason In Madness, In Love, and country-esque, Your Panopticon. These elements all come together in a way that really give this album, and band, that cinematic vibe to them that just makes it feel more diverse and original sounding than the average post-rock group.
Besides those parts however, this is a pretty regular post-rock album, it has all the ups and downs, mellow and heavy, so it should come as too much of a surprise. What makes this band different when you take out all the additional synthe work, is that when the mellow parts come are used, they are very sparse and slow and when the heavier parts come in, their sound becomes really full and big, hear Washington. Personally, I enjoyed some of the heavier tracks myself, tracks that got louder and a bit more distorted, as opposed to staying quiet and mellow, those moments, understandably, have more use to build towards a crescendo rather than staying dense and big all the time.
Overall, while I'll say that this was a pretty solid album, it had some really cool songs, but some that were just middle of the road for me. I could see people that liked the Ólafur Arnalds record really getting into this one, but there are some that might see it as just another post-rock group. If you like more subtle, somewhat orchestral rock music, than definitely give this record a shot.
Overall Score: 7.5
Highlights: You and I Look Like Seasons, The Reason In Madness, In Love, The Tragedian

Interview - Dan Dankmeyer

I recently been able to get in contact with Dan Dankmeyer, the guitarist of his own project. He is without a doubt one of the rising stars in the world of tech metal, with a better sense of melody and songwriting than most groups/projects have.

Ian: How long have you been playing/writing/recording music before releasing your first solo album?

Dan: I've been playing for about 10 years. Which makes me cringe because I am nowhere near as good as I feel I should be for playing that long. I've never taken one lesson in my life. I learned everything from guitar tablature and just playing. My first recordings were on Sound recorder on windows 95, haha . I would record it through the built in mic in my monitor! My amp was like 15 feet away. Then, a friend of mine gave me a 10 watt practice amp with a headphone jack. So what I did was, I taped a broken half of a headphone up to the mic in my monitor, and recorded. Then, I stumbled upon a program called Tabit. Which is basically a MIDI tablature program that allows you to tab drums,g uitar, bass and a ton of other instruments, and play it back. So I would sit with a guitar in my lap and write, then tab riffs, program drums, and turn them into songs. It was great because you had the ability to create something that a full band could, but by yourself. Then finally in December of 2007, I got my first recording interface to record real guitar. And the rest is history.

Ian: Were you in any other bands before you went solo? Do you prefer to work solo or with others?

Dan: I've actually never been in a band before. I played with some friends early in high school but I got kicked out after like the second practice. I've only really have jammed with 2 guitarists in my whole life, and it was just for a couple hours each time. So I'm used to doing things by myself, which is why I prefer to work alone. I like it because you are in 100% control of everything you do, and when you want to. There aren't any schedules to adjust to, or any members that don't feel like practicing/showing up. No drama. It's all on your own time and mood.

Ian: Who would you cite as some of your primary influences?

Dan: In no order: In Flames, Unearth, Darkest Hour, Thrice. These bands just amazed me when I heard them and I thought the guitar work as insane. And since I heard them at a somewhat young age, they really crafted how I play guitar. My newer influences aren't really bands, but just different elements from different genres of metal, not just one band.

Ian: How did originally decide to start releasing music for free (or on bandcamp anyway)?

Dan: When I first started recording in 2007, it was just for myself, and maybe to show some of my friends. I eventually started a myspace, put some songs up, and if anyone wanted the Cd's, they could message me and I'd send it to them. Then I found Bandcamp, and you could stream and distribute in one place, so it was ideal. My main goal is just to get the music out there because I feel alot of people will enjoy it. And it's more likely to be heard if it's for free. I offer everything at a "name your price" deal, so making a couple of extra bucks is cool.

Ian: You've been quite prolific, releasing four full-length albums last year ("Q4 2009", "Light", "Gears", and "X"), and this new one "Arcologies" about a week ago, about how long does it take you to write, record, and mix/master an album to the point where you're satisfied with it?

Dan: When I first started recording, I planned on making a CD every year like I was some known band or something. Then I later thought how dumb that would be and decided that if I'm going to get good at writing songs, I have to do just that-write a ton of songs. So I just record in my free time. And I just so happened to have a Cd's worth of songs every 3 months, so I stuck to that formula of releasing stuff every 3 months. As for the writing process, for my first 3 releases, I would just make a drum track in Tabit without any actual ideas going into the recording. Then I would just make stuff up as I went along. Then for the next couple, I would have an idea for the intro and maybe the next couple bars after, then I would make the rest up. For "Gears", "X", and "Arcologies", I would come up with the intro, and then i would jam on that idea for a while and actually write other things before I recorded, so basically when I went into the recording I would have material, like a rhythm, or a lead. Then I would just put those ideas together. I used to write, record, and mix everything in one sitting. I remember sitting at my computer for 8 hours straight on some songs. Now I break them up into 3 hour sessions. I will come home from work at 11:30 PM and dedicate 12-3 AM to recording, then hit the hay at 4 AM. So a song can take anywhere from about 3 days-to a week to write, record, and mix. I've written and recorded 5 minute songs in one day before. I'm not sure how I do it sometimes.
　
Ian: You stated that "X" was the first album where you used an 8-string guitar, would you say the 8-string has changed how you write songs?

Dan: Structurally, no. As an instrument, definitely. There is so much more you can do with it. You have a ton of tunings you can experiment with. There is so much tonal range. I remember hearing them on "Rareform" by After The Burial and I thought it sounded amazing. And I always wanted to incorporate my own style to them. But it wasn't for about another 2 years I finally pulled the trigger and bought one and I don't regret it at all. I haven't touched a 6 since I got my 8. 6 strings feel like a child's toy to me now, and I have tiny girl hands.

Ian: What, in your opinion, sets "Arcologies" apart from your past releases?

Dan: I think I tried my hardest to try new things on this CD. I also think it has a great variety of styles. There is a good balance of melodic songs like "Acrophobia" and "Name This Something Cool". And there is a good balance of more metal songs like "Domination Nation", "Kill Now, Shred Later" and "Cloud". I also had more time under my belt with the 8 string.

Ian: What kind of feedback have you received so far on the new album?

Dan: So far, so good. Most of the feedback has come through a couple forums, Last.Fm, and some blogs and other sites. Personally, this CD was the hardest to write for me. And I wasn't as stoked about it as I normally am for releases. I'm really bipolar when it comes to my own music. Sometimes I will think it's awesome, and other times I will think it sucks.
　
Ian: What do you think of the djent scene? Would you consider yourself to be a part of that scene?

Dan: Its definitely growing. I think it's misunderstood in someways. I'm still not even 100% clear as to what the real "definition" of it really is. And with that, I don't consider myself to be a part of it.
Ian: With each album, your status has grown and is being put among the greats of the "djent" sound like Animals As Leaders and Cloudkicker. How do you view your music compared to artists like these?

Dan: Animals As Leaders are light years ahead of me in every category. They are ridiculously talented. They are more of a "musicians" band. I just try to make songs with emotion and energy. As for Cloudkicker, I've only heard his latest album "Beacons" once. His stuff has a ton of more space than my stuff and is a lot more repetitive. But those guys are doing great things for instrumental bands. I just know I still have a lot of work to do to be on the same level as those guys as far as overall quality.
　
Ian: How do you view creativity?

Dan: It comes natural to me I think. I feel I've always been a creative person. As far as music goes, you just have to forget about any "rules" that come with music and do what you think sounds good to you. I grew out of the "playing other peoples stuff" phase pretty quickly and started developing my own style. Inspiration comes from different places for everyone.
　
Ian: Are you already working on new material? Do you have any other projects that we should keep an eye out for?

Dan: As of right now I have a decent amount of material for a new song and it seems like it will work, so I hope to have it finished within a week. Music takes up about 60% of my free time. It can be quite tiring always writing and recording. Even in the comfort of your own home and schedule. Sometimes it's just nice to sit back, eat some food and watch South Park and whatnot. I don't have any other projects. But I would love to take a stab at some electronic type stuff. Stuff similar to the song "Walls" on Arcologies. And I would also like to try some orchestrated stuff. But I simply do not have the time.

Ian: What are you currently listening to? Any bands/artists we should check out?

Dan: According to my Last.Fm, I've been listening to: Your Memorial, Norma Jean, Tesseract, After The Burial, and The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza alot. I would check out Your Memorial. I really hate using genres, but I would call them "progressive metalcore". That probably doesn't sound too good, but I love them. They are heavy ,melodic and original. I don't really venture too far out of the metal/hardcore genres. I would like to listen to other styles, but it's just hard for me.

Ian: Do you believe melody take precedence over groove? What's your take on melody vs. groove?

Dan: They are both powerful elements to songs. I have always loved melodic stuff. And I'm a very melodic player. Melody is one of my strengths as a guitarist I think. I'm not the best at groovy type things. I have just recently started exploring them and I would love to get better at them. But for me personally, melodies get stuck in my head more than grooves. It's different for everyone.
　
Ian: That's all of my questions, thanks for the interview. The last words are yours.

Dan: First, thanks for checking out my tunes, I really appreciate it! Also, thanks for my first interview ever, it was a blast and I hope I can do more in the future. Thanks to anyone who reads this or checks out my music. I hope to have many many more albums to come. You can download and listen to all my stuff for free at www.dandankmeyer.bandcamp.com. I also have a musician page on facebook, so check it out if you're bored. Thanks!

I'd like to thank Dan for being patient with me during this interview and for his kind words and honest responses. As he said above, and I support it, check him out, this guy is going to be big.

www.myspace.com/dandankmeyer

www.dandankmeyer.bandcamp.com