POST-ROCK
Despite the weather, it’s allegedly spring now, which means more band announcements from Bristol’s ArcTanGent Festival (August 16-18). Top of the list in terms of alumni from this column are a reformed Vasquez. They join an already formidable line-up that includes legendary math-rockers Giraffes? Giraffes! playing their first UK show, post-metal heroes Pelican, rising proggers Poly-Math, and Prog faves Blueneck and Vennart.
And as luck would have it, Giraffes? Giraffes! are also about to release their new album Memory Lame (Top Shelf). It’s a typically exuberant masterclass in dense, frenetic riffs, tight grooves and a tracklisting cut into 37 parts, with some motifs lasting as little as 15 seconds. It can be a disorientating listen at times, but fans of Giraffes? Giraffes! would surely expect no less. In terms of finding just where the limit of complexity in experimental instrumental rock is, it’s genuinely mind-bending. The nine-part HUG OF DEATH section is available to stream now and it’s highly recommended.
Another band from this year’s ATG crop are post-rockers Halo Tora, who return with their second album Man of Stone: First Chapter (self-released). Taking its cues from modern progressive rock, post-rock and math, while retaining an accessible edge, it’s the most confident and consistent we’ve yet heard the band. For a taste, the A Perfect Circle-like opener Earth Exit Bloom is a good place to start, while the atmospheric Always The Last To Know and the title track, which features Solareye from Stanley Odd, are also well worth exploring.
Breaking away into more atmospheric territory, Andy Othling’s ambient project Lowercase Noises have released a new album, The Ironic Distance (self-released). Written after returning home from a living-room tour at the tail end of last year, it comes from the enforced creative restriction of using only one guitar and synthesiser on each track. As a result, it’s an unusually focused thread of drone-like ambient, where motifs emerge and evolve organically, without the sleights of hand that dense, multi-part arrangements can offer. Check out Of Course It’s All Things for an introduction.
In slightly more energetic fare, New Haven four-piece Wess Meets West have just released their third album A Light Within the Fracture (Hassle). It’s at its best when alternating between intricate math-inflected post-rock and angular alt-metal. It’s a grower in general, although tracks like Skylar, There’s Rot are hard not to like straight off the bat.
Finally, for something completely different, Danish math-proggers
Odd Palace are set to release their debut record in June. Taking inspiration from all over the place, from King Crimson to the speed-freak mathcore of Protest The Hero, Things To Place On The Moon is a white-knuckle ride from start to finish. Chemical Solutions is a good place to start, but at the time of writing, there’s nothing publicly streamable.