Been slightly busy lately,only two records this time. Sorry guys!
44.Riverside - Out Of Myself (2003)It’s been a damn long while since I’ve last listened to this band. But I still love this album and know it by heart. To me,this album sounds like a mix between 70s prog and some very melancholic prog rock of the early 2000s like couple Anathema tracks. Anyways,my favorite aspect of the record is that it’s very claustrophobic. Songs like I Believe or OK just make me feel miserable. Sure,the record is pretty prog but it has the depressing feels of a record from The Cure. The record also is very balanced. Opening with a 12 minute epic,The Same River which has some incredible bass riffs and soloing which moves onto the title track,a track that definitely shows off some Tool influences. I really love the whispering vocals on this track. Next up is I Believe which is a very pretty acoustic ballad. The lyrics are also pretty great. And then,we have an instrumental called Reality Dream. Pretty smooth instrumentation with nice bass riffs and then…the best track of the record comes up. Normally,people prefer Riverside’s next record,Second Life Syndrome simply because it’s a stronger record. And guess what? They’re right. But the reason I really hold OOM very close to my heart is how anti prog it is. Really,Loose Heart is shorter than 5 minutes but has a huge amount of feels and two incredible guitar solos. The song kinda reminds me of Comfortably Numb at some points. Especially the second guitar solo is fucking perfect. One of my favorite guitar solos EVER. Anyways,next up is Reality Dream 2 which I actually prefer over the first one since i just find it to be a tad catchier. In Two Minds is probably the weakest track on the record but the lyrics really make up for it. It’s like I Believe’s older cousin. Second to last we have The Curtain Falls. This track to me used to be the weakest on the record,but it’s made its way up as i gave it more listens. The solos and the grooves on this track are just amazing. Really great keyboard and guitar work. And then,OK closes the album on a very sad and depressed note. Out Of Myself impresses me in a way no other prog record does. It’s atmospheric,depressed and just a raw record. Anyone who is tired of generic prog should check this band out. They have been one of the best prog bands of the new millennium.
Favorite Track:Loose Heart
43.Cult Of Luna Somewhere Along The Highway (2006)This record right here. This is the record that got me into Atmospheric Sludge Metal and Post Rock. This record perfectly combines those two genres and makes something amazing with both of them. Swedish sludge metal band Cult Of Luna have a really original sound. They always have this really doom and sludgy wall of sound while the song progresses and the drums back those sounds up so well that it just feels perfect. And the vocals,oh the vocals. In my honest opinion,I often dislike Post Metal vocals. For example,Oceanic to me is a better record without vocals. Sometimes trying to sound rough and tough just makes you much less rough and tough,if that makes any sense. Rydberg’s vocals,backed up by the amazing guitarist Johannes Persson’s gritty voice just creates a very deadly ambience. It not only compliments the music but also improves it. Now let’s talk about some highlights,there are three tracks on the record above 10 minutes and those three are some of the best Post Rock related tracks I’ve ever heard. I’m not gonna go into much detail track by track but there is a very high level of finesse with these tracks in both production and songwriting. And the record is very well arranged and perfectly structured. I will go as far as calling this one of the best metal releases of the 21st century so far. If you dig Isis or Agalloch,this could be the record you’ve been dying for. And even if you have not heard any post rock or post metal,this record is a wonderful place to start,so why the hell not?
Favorite Track:Dark City,Dead Man