Coma of Eris - Coma of Eris

Labels: Middle-Man Records/Zegema Beach Records

Formats: Tape/Digital

Release Date: 14 Feb 2025

Tracklist:

1. You're Trying To Save A Skeleton

2. Expectance

3. Cloud City Demolition Company

4. A Dip In Lake Drowning

5. Archers Take Aim

6. Someone Half-Assed It or An Idiot Tried Too Hard

7. Uneven Exchange

8. I Will Become Turbo Man

9. Graphs of Trez

10. More Than Just Lost

11. Dozing Past Decency

It's been eleven days since my last post here but it feels like eleven weeks (or even years!). So much has happened globally recently that this kind of falls into insignificance. Obviously, I'm talking about what's been going on in the United States and what's been coming out of the elected "President's" mouth. I think that's also why Coma of Eris came into being.

A coming together of Coma Regalia and Apostles of Eris, alongside members of Saetia, Our Future Is An Absolute Shadow and Deracine (amongst others). Their self-titled record was released (digitally) merely a couple of weeks ago via Middle-Man Records and Zegema Beach Records. with tape copies due in late March/early April. 

‘You’re Trying To Save A Skeleton’ opens up the album from this brand new skramz supergroup (if I’m allowed to call it that!) and it’s exactly what you’d want to come from Coma Regalia, Apostles of Eris, et al. Emoviolence-like explosions greet you through the vocals of both Dave Norman and Edie Quinn, while the instumentation from Edie, Jesse Mowery, Tom Schlatter and Jason Wolpert provide an equally heavy backdrop of guitars and percussion. ’Expectance’ follows with a lot more guitar melody that mainly comes to the fore during the song’s quieter moments, in between layers of feedback and screamed/sung dual-vocals that add heaps of humanity. The mixing and mastering from Edie helps to bring that same feeling out of the recordings as well. 

Almost half of the songs here barely surpass ninety seconds but in the case of ‘Cloud City Demolition Company’, things hit a bit differently. The guitar work is a lot more mathy and technical here, though that leads to a more engrossing song in the end. The panic-chord harmonics and skittish time-signatures will appeal if you’re craving that right now. ’A Dip In Lake Drowning’ is not only a cleverly worded song title but also a brilliantly delivered song, as Coma of Eris show their more downtempo emo side (if there’s such a thing!). It sounds a lot more old-school to my ears anyway. That old-school nostalgia lasts mere seconds as they launch into ‘Archers Take Aim’ with yet more screamo abandon. With that being said, the clean vocals that hover over the harsh screams don’t banish that feeling altogether.

Given what I wrote in my opening paragraph above, ‘Someone Half-Assed It or An Idiot Tried Too Hard’ pretty much describes the current political climate better than I ever could. It’s also a damn good song that embodies the rage that the collective members feel right now.m ’Uneven Exchange’ is a much more brooding song, as it’s intense opening gives way to a sound that’s a lot more atmospheric. I’d go as far as to say that it’s probably my favourite song on the album. Going from brooding atmosphere back to more familiar screamo territory on ‘I Will Become Turbo Man’, Coma of Eris once again show their class with a whole heap of everything that makes the sub-genre so great. When you listen to it you’ll know what I mean.

There’s an unexpected groove/funk layer to ‘Graphs of Trez’ that’s completely welcome. I often feel that bands seem to forget about the latter few songs of an album and in doing so, they come across as a bit formulaic. That’s not the case here. It reminds me of when members of Glassjaw formed Head Automatica. Moving into penultimate song ‘More Than Just Lost’, Coma of Eris strip things back to a simpler approach before another explosive ending. The record’s final song ‘Dozing Past Decency’ is an amalgamation of everything that’s made this album so good. From uptempo highs to atmospheric lows and downtempo realism. 

This record is made up of great musicians and even greater people. It’s hard to put into words how strange things are politically right now but at least we have music to get us through. Coma of Eris are here to remind us that there’s another way. Make America Less Reliant On MAGAlomaniacs Again.

You can stream and purchase the album digitally from both labels below:-

News on physical tape copies will be available from both Middle-Man Records and Zegema Beach Records below:-

Middle-Man Records - https://www.facebook.com/middlemanrecords

Zegema Beach Records - https://www.facebook.com/zegemabeachrecords

Canary Bones - Demo

Labels: Self-Released

Formats: Digital

Release Date: 03 Jan 2025

Tracklist:

1. I Heard You Die at the End

2. Pearls Before Swine

3. Hard Year

4. Service Delivery Failure

Later this year I'll be able to celebrate fifteen years of writing and building this blog. Even after all that time I still love receiving messages/e-mails from bands who have discovered This Noise Is Ours through other reviews I've written. In January I wrote about the recent 7" release from Australian post-hardcore/screamo band Keratin, which led to David from fellow Australian noise rock/post-hardcore band Canary Bones reaching out about the band's debut demo.

The Naarm (Melbourne, Aus) sextet released their four-track debut demo early last month. Their sound is recommended for fans of everything from the grunge rock of Helmet and Sonic Youth, to the alt/noise of Jesu and Swans, right through to the early punk/post-hardcore of Fugazi and Hüsker Dü, as well as the likes of At The Drive-In, Botch, Coalesce, Deftones and Poison The Well. Those influences are both varied and music (sorry!) to my ears. Let's dive in...

I couldn’t wait to get home from work today. Aside from being able to order the debut tape from a new UK death metal band (featuring members of bands I’ve been a fan of for years), I wanted to also delve into some new music by a band that reminds me of why I started writing in the first place. Enter stage right Canary Bones. Starting with ‘I Heard You Die at the End’, the sextet provides a groovy/danceable take on noise rock. It’s predominantly mid-paced, which is a nice change of pace given what I’ve been listening to of late and is catchy too.

‘Pearls Before Swine’ is much more riff-laden, especially thanks to the melodic/metallic delivery while the overall feel of the song is heavier. That owes a lot to the organic and raw mix on the demo, which nails down the sextet’s sound even though it’s surprisingly brief. We all get to a point in life where every year is considered a ‘Hard Year’ but Canary Bones condense post-pandemic life into less than four minutes of punk-fuelled noise that describes the tiredness both they and we all feel now. Being careful how I word this next sentence; there’s a similarity between the snotty old-school punk of the UK and the sound crafted by Canary Bones here.

The demo ends with the excellent ‘Service Delivery Failure’, which is something we can all relate to here in the UK. The slightly harrowing sample at the beginning leads to lone guitar lead-work and ambient distortion, as things build slowly. This is where the band’s post-punk influence grows and takes center stage. It’s simplistic and almost primitive but at the same time it’s cleansing too, showing the many layers this band has.

Ultimately, any band worth their salt has worked their way up from the bottom. I don’t use the word “bottom” in a derogatory way, just as a term to differentiate those bands from others that were born with silver spoons in their mouths. Canary Bones are just starting their journey and their demo is a snapshot in time, a strong one at that. It’s always hard to tell where a band is headed after just one release, but the only way is up if this is anything to go by.

You can stream and grab a digital download of the Demo from Canary Bones via bandcamp below:-

Canary Bones - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61565754681613

Faithxtractor - Loathing and the Noose

Labels: Redefining Darkness Records

Formats: Vinyl/CD/Digital

Release Date: 10 Jan 2025

Tracklist:

1. Noose of Being

2. The Loathing

3. Fever Dream Litanies

4. Flooded Tombs

5. Ethos Moribund

6. Caveats

7. Beholden to Nightmare

8. Cerecloth Vision Veil

There's an abundance of newly released US death metal doing the rounds right now. As a nation, it has always been prominent but the genre just seems to be growing exponentially over there. After a brief dalliance back in time with my last review, I'm back in the present (sort of) with the 5th and newest album Loathing and the Noose from US duo Faithxtractor. It was released in January and is their second on Redefining Darkness Records, following 2023's Contempt for a Failed Dimension. 

Three days ago I turned 39. How the hell did that happen! Faithxtractor are on hand to help me forget that I’m one year closer to 40 thankfully, with their new album Loathing and the Noose. Launching straight into ‘Noose of Being’, the duo’s death metal is surprisingly metallic and technical, for a sound that’s also so intense. The percussion brings most of that intensity, while the bass adds heft lower down. The guitar work provides much of the atmosphere and musical imagery while the deep vocals remind you that this here album is very much from the US. 

‘The Loathing’ picks up right where the opener left off, albeit for the momentary pause in between. It’s blisteringly fast tempo-wise yet there’s still plenty of time for Ash Thomas and Zdenka Prado to pack it full with subtle and short moments of introspection, as well as mind-bending musical expression. The continuation straight into ‘Fever Dream Litanies’ keeps the momentum level high, while the song itself flits between an illusion of mid-paced death metal and more familiar aural battery. This album is so good and I’m not even three full tracks in yet!

All eight tracks here only just stretch past the 37 minute mark, so there isn’t any time to waste on gimmicks or ponderous interludes. Neither of which are in Faithxtractor’s nature. ‘Flooded Tombs’ goes all out straight away with the nastiest off-kilter death metal you’ll hear anywhere. The instant switch between insane tempos and pensive, yet uneasy atmospherics make the song all the more engrossing. The stupidly good solos and utterly heavy ending help as well!

The scarily fast groove/thrash musicianship and tempos that kick off ‘Ethos Moribund’ dig their heels in, providing an intense backdrop to a killer death metal song filled with intricacy and melody. Speaking honestly, Faithxtractor was a band that was always on the periphery for me; however, not anymore. ‘Caveats’ presents an eerie facade during it’s intro before the duo leap back into yet more technical, maniacal death metal. 

Before you even have time to blink, you’re up to the album’s penultimate song ‘Beholden to Nightmare’ with it’s blistering percussive battery, constant metallic guitar mastery and gnarly vocals. It’s an explosion of extremity that shows no sign of relenting. Closing out Loathing & the Noose with ‘Cerecloth Vision Veil’ is a masterstroke as Faithxtractor pivot from frenetic up-tempo death metal to something that’s more mid-paced and old-school sounding (at least for a time). It’s not too long before everything’s turned up to 11 once again, mixing tempos and ultimately ending on the highest of highs.

This album is a revelation. Dark and brutal enough to satisfy extreme metal’s hardest of junkies while having the melody and lightness (if that’s the right term) to be able to gather in new listeners, who’re maybe taking their first steps into heavier realms. Brilliant!

You can stream and purchase the album on all formats via bandcamp below:-

You can also purchase physical copies from Redefining Darkness Records here - https://www.redefiningdarkness.com

Faithxtractor - https://www.facebook.com/Faithxtractor

Redefining Darkness Records - https://www.facebook.com/redefiningdarkness

Sulfur - La démone Premiere

In just over ten days time, Canadian label Tomb Tree will be releasing a brand new split tape featuring UK emoviolence bands Sulfur and Martin Randal Travel (who have sadly called it a day according to their Instagram page). I am thrilled to be able to premiere Sulfur's track 'La démone'. I can't tell you how excited I am about the fact that two new-ish UK bands are being released by a label halfway across the world, who in turn are championing them across the whole damn world!

Before I post the fresh YouTube stream of the song (courtesy of Tomb Tree/ZBR), here are some words about the song from Sulfur:-

'La démone was the first time we'd sat down and written a slow burner of a song so I decided I wanted to make the lyrics hit as much as possible. Written about my struggle with bulimia, it's almost a chronological walk through the most intense part of the disorder that I'd dealt with right up until the point before I really broke out of that cycle. 

Thankfully, a song we'd put that much work into could go on a split with some of the people who helped us get involved in the wider UK emo scene. Kush especially has done so much work to help grow the scene and allow newer bands to make their way around the country.'

Without any more delay, here's 'La démone' in it's violent, radiant glory:-

As for the tapes themselves; here's a picture of the lovely Primary swirl variant /20:-

Sulfur Instagram - @sulfur.hc

Martin Randal Travel Instagram - @martinrandaltravel

Tape copies will be available for purchase on February 24th via Tomb Tree here - http://www.zegemabeachrecords.com/tomb-tree-tapes and here - https://zbrusa.com/collections/tapes.

Tomb Tree - https://www.facebook.com/tombtreetapes

Yarostan/Aleska - Split 2xLP

Labels: Bad Mood Asso/Bike Punk Salamanca/Bus Stop Press/Crapoulet Records/Longrail Records/Seaside Suicide Records/Self-Released/Smart & Confused/Zegema Beach Records

Formats: Vinyl/CDr/Tape/Digital

Release Date: 04 Apr 2019

Tracklist:

1. Yarostan - Des parkings pour admirer

2. Yarostan - Nous contre nous

3. Yarostan - Effondrement

4. Yarostan - L'inertie du mouvement

5. Yarostan - Commencement

6. Aleska - (Re)commencement

7. Aleska - Indispensables

8. Aleska - Vanite Illusoire

9. Aleska - La Derniere Lueur

10. Aleska - Construire

11. Aleska - Un Enternel Recommencement

12. Aleska - Detruire

14. Aleska - Quand La Lumiere Disparait

For the first time this year I'm jumping back into my ZBR roster review series, due to focusing my attention on 2025 releases where I can. This particular split is a special one, as it combines two albums (Yarostan's Self-Titled debut and Aleska's 2nd album Construire ou detruire). ZBR made a limited run of tapes in April 2019 for this comp, while many of the labels mentioned above helped make vinyl, cdr and additional tape runs for Yarostan's album while Aleska self-released their record on LP and cdr. I'm going to write this review as if I was writing about both albums separately, to try and make things slightly easier.

Yarostan are first with their self-titled album, opening with ‘Des parkings pour admirer’. Ringing feedback leads to semi-melodic post-hardcore that’s rooted in the sound of the early 00’s, to my ears. The instrumentation is lovingly performed and the mix of both harsh, and clean vocals make it more accessible than at first it might appear. Having already reviewed the 2022 album II, as well as being the proud owner of a copy of Cinq (the 2020 five-way split), I’m familiar with the band’s newer recordings but not so much their earlier ones.

‘Nous contre nous’ is a glorious piece that builds with an extended instrumental that takes up almost the entirety of it’s first half before Yarostan’s heaviness takes over for a short while. What’s great about this song is that the heaviness doesn’t detract from it’s atmosphere (it actually adds to it) and the mathcore-esque ending gets the heart rate going.

Sometimes, sitting and just listening to music without trying to dissect it for review purposes is lovely and I’m trying to do it more this year but so far February’s been a slow month for various reasons. Listening to ‘Effondrement’ nearly brings a tear to my eye because it itself sounds so emotive. I’m also reminded that being shackled to a computer all day and then again most evenings doesn’t help either.

Yarostan’s penultimate song ‘L’inertie du mouvement’ brims with both noisy punk attitude and emotion-filled post-hardcore. It’s a song that makes use of their heavier side early on before the second half sees a retreat. Gentler instrumentation from the band is joined by additional brass tones as it reaches it’s conclusion with ambience and French spoken-word.

The grandest song of all on Yarostan’s self-titled album and indeed this split is ‘Commencement’; all twelve+ minutes of it. Aa you’d expect, it’s a slow build but one that’s filled with anticipation. It’s instrumental, moving through different passages of gentler melodic guitar and percussion, to heavier sludge-like riffs and off-kilter time-signatures later on. Again, they use spoken-word elements to dramatic effect. It finishes as it began before segueing into cinematic, yet distorted guitar noise.

The second side belongs to Aleska’s album Construire ou detruire and as if it was meant to be, it opens with ‘(re)commencement’, which acts as an intro and leads into ‘Indispensables’. It’s here that I understand why ZBR chose to put Aleska alongside Yarostan on this split. Their take on post-hardcore is very similar musically but with the addition of much more caustic screams. It’s great. There’s a slightly unnerving edge to ‘Vanite Illusoire’ thanks to it’s earthy heaviness, though that uneasy feeling is soon banished by more excellent musicianship and song-writing craft. It kind of reminds me of the twinkly emo/screamo of UK band Healing Powers.

From what seemed like an urgent demeanour from Aleska, ‘La Derniere Lueur’ changes things with a slower tempo and airwaves filled with precise drumming/guitar work that deserves your full attention. Those harsh vocals take hold later on alongside their more familiar passion and poise. ’Construire’ is as long as the song it follows, just with more of an At The Drive-In influence in places. It’s more mathy than others on the album too. Basically the culmination of this song is just top-tier post-hardcore/metal delivered in a way that sounds pretty retro, which is always fine with me.

Aleska’s urgency is back in spades on ‘Un Eternel Recommencement’, though only for a short time and for greater impact as a result, because as soon as they’ve started they too retreat slightly into a lighter mid-section that’s followed by more off-kilter trickery. Their majestic long-player comes in the form of ‘Detruire’. True to form and just like Yarostan did, Aleska provide a lovely track filled with cinematic melodies all of their own. I’m imagining at this point what it would be like if both bands just did a proper collaborative album together. It would certainly be a spectacle.

After such a journey, album closer ‘Quand la lumiere disparait’ sounds very lo-fi to the ear initially before there’s one last gasp for air from the lungs of Aleska. Joined by subtle blues/jazz tones, it still has a lot of personality as it drags you through a violent end. 

Trying to reflect on both albums individually and in terms of this split release without repeating anything I've already said is tough. There's a real affinity between both bands and it shows, especially when both albums sit so well alongside each other. Having spent all my time so far this year listening to new 2025 releases, going back in time a bit doesn't hurt, especially when the music is a flawless as it is here.

You can stream and buy the individual albums on all formats from both bands here:-

 

Note: Aleska has one copy of the ZBR split tape still available via their bandcamp page.

ZBR also has one other copy available here - https://zegemabeachrecords.bandcamp.com/album/yarostan-aleska-split-2xlp

Yarostan - https://www.facebook.com/yarostanband

Aleska - https://www.facebook.com/Aleskaband

Bad Mood Asso - https://www.facebook.com/assobadmood

Bike Punk Salamanca - https://www.facebook.com/seitanshellbikepunks

Bus Stop Press - http://busstoppress.weebly.com

Crapoulet Records - https://www.facebook.com/Crapouletrecords

Longrail Records - https://www.facebook.com/longrailrecords

Seaside Suicide Records - https://www.facebook.com/seasidesuiciderecords

Smart & Confused - https://www.facebook.com/smartandconfused666

Zegema Beach Records - https://www.facebook.com/zegemabeachrecords

Malauriu/Sinoath - Scuru/Symphony of the Scythe Split 7"

Labels: Doomentia Records

Formats: Vinyl/Digital

Release Date: 20 Jan 2025

Tracklist:

1. Malauriu - Scuru

2. Sinoath - Symphony of the Scythe

Czech extreme metal label Doomentia Records recently gathered together two bands rooted in Sicily (Italy) for a split 7" of epic proportions. Featuring one song from both Malauriu and Sinoath respectively, it's a proper nod to the old-school way of doing things. Split releases like this don't come round very often, what with the current fashion of bands shooting for collaborative albums instead. Malauriu is a duo that has been active for over a decade now (splitting time between Italy and the UK), while quintet Sinoath stretch all the way back to 1990.

Malauriu started out as a black metal band before heading in a more experimental rock/darkwave direction (according to Metal Archives) and it’s their song ‘Scuru’ that opens this split. Their sound contains all kinds of elements from ambience to orchestral organ/synths and the black metal that signalled their formation. As somebody who isn’t a huge fan of the recent dungeon synth explosion, nor symphonic metal in general, the extreme metal that forms the backbone of this song is perfect and I really appreciate the honest approach that Malauriu takes.

Sinoath have many years of recording/performing experience under their belts compared to Malauriu (who haven’t exactly wasted any time themselves) and ’Symphony of the Scythe’ is a hellish soundscape filled with raw black/death metal. It’s very European sounding as you’d expect and the addition of both brass, and classical piano textures add bombast where there was none before. The solo towards the end exhibits their musical prowess even further.

This split is executed brilliantly as it showcases two bands from the same region/country who both have their own unique interpretation of extreme metal. At first Malauriu didn’t hit me properly but their music is catchy here and it soon grew on me, while Sinoath’s old-school rawness was unexpected before being overpowered by classy instrumental layers. Sometimes, it’s easy to form expectations as long as you’re prepared for them to be shattered. Mine were here but in a very good way.

You can stream and download this split digitally below:-

Vinyl copies are also available to purchase from bandcamp above, as well as from Doomentia Records here - https://www.doomentia.com/7/.

Malauriu - https://www.facebook.com/malauriuofficial

Sinoath - https://www.facebook.com/SinoathOfficial/

Doomentia Records - https://www.facebook.com/doomentia

Pathogenic - Crowned In Corpses

Labels: Skepsis Recordings

Formats: Vinyl/CD/Digital

Release Date: 07 Feb 2025

Tracklist:

1. Mass Grave Memory

2. The New Rot

3. Dead But Not At Rest

4. Exiled from the Abyss

5. Fragments

6. Crowned in Corpses

7. Drag Your Crosses

8. Silicon Regime

I decided to take a few days off recently and it has proven to be the wrong decision. My rhythm is completely out of whack, especially when it comes to writing. I've had this review queued up for about the same amount of time and I couldn't sit on it any longer.

Crowned In Corpses is the latest album from US prog death band Pathogenic and it's due for official release on February 7th via Skepsis Recordings. Pathogenic formed in 2004 and this is their third full-length to date. They have shared the stage with the likes of Suffocation, Revocation and The Faceless amongst many other, while also performing at festivals including the mighty New England Metal and Hardcore Festival along the way.

It’s prog-death time again thanks to Massachusetts quintet Pathogenic. Crowned In Corpses will be released on Friday, so this review acts as another quick heads-up on it. Opening with ‘Mass Grave Memory’, you’re greeted with dissonant guitars, off-kilter drums, creepy modern synth work and guttural vocals. It has quite a clean sound for such a heavy album, but don’t let that worry you. From what seemed like a straight-forward first salvo, ‘The New Rot’ dials up the progression a couple of notches, adding in more off-kilter bass/guitar drops and wild lead work throughout. There’s plenty of full-throttle moments in there but it’s the closing section that really hits the spot. Just when it sounds as though it’s coming to an end, Pathogenic throw in a final dramatic solo amidst the death metal backdrop.

The wholesome acoustic intro and seductive guitar build-up on ‘Dead But Not At Rest’ smacks of classic progressive heavy metal before Pathogenic’s true sound takes over once again. There’s a lot more made of the instrumentation here, though the vocals aren’t hiding away. This is a beast of an album so far. Talking of beasts, ‘Exiled From The Abyss’ is the perfect song to close out the first half of Crowned in Corpses. There’s more of a European/Scandinavian tone to it and the slightly shorter length means it has a crushing urgency too, even when the bridge section slows things briefly.

Kicking off the album’s second half with ‘Fragments’, Pathogenic take a gentler approach (if that were possible) by replacing their dissonant death metal sound with something more brooding and melodic. There’s no break in momentum either and as soon as ‘Fragments’ comes to it’s final conclusion, the album’s title-track ‘Crowned In Corpses’ takes over with barely a breath. Normal service is very much resumed too, as the careening heaviness is back in spades on what turns out to be the shortest song.

“Drag Your Corpses’ is everything you want and need this far into a record. Hard and heavy, it prepares you for the album’s curtain closer ’Silicon Regime’, which delivers a truly progressive high-bar. I’ve been putting off using this comparison up to now but I feel that Pathogenic sit absolutely perfectly alongside many past/present Willowtip bands (like Electro Quarterstaff, Wormed, Vale of Pnath etc). Maybe I’m way off but that’s how this hits me.

If you’re waiting for release day to stream/buy this then you’re gonna be in for a treat. Pathogenic have been plying their trade now for over twenty years and that experience shows. Top-tier stuff for sure!

You can stream and purchase three of the album's singles including 'Dead But Not At Rest' below:-

You can pre-order physical copies and also merch from the Skepsis Recordings store here:-

https://www.skepsisrecordings.com/collections/pathogenic

Pathogenic - https://www.facebook.com/pathogenicmetal

Skepsis Recordings - https://www.facebook.com/skepsisrecordings

athousandangelsandseven - athousandangelsandseven

Labels: Zegema Beach Records

Formats: Tape/Digital

Release Date: 27 Jan 2025

Tracklist:

1. 77 Years of Immeasurable Pain

2. I can't understand how you never thought it would get to this point

3. We Suffer (the Same Fate)

4. Clipped Wings

Yesterday saw the release of the debut EP from US heavy skramz quintet athousandangelsandseven. With four songs spanning less than ten minutes it's already making waves, with almost all of the first pressing of tapes (63) from Zegema Beach Records already sold out. This is a triumph of word-of-mouth at a time when social media is growing larger and more powerful than ever, with the band's online presence stripped back to just Ampwall and bandcamp (oh and Instagram!).

The epitome of DIY, athousandangelsandseven have literally done everything themselves on this release (except for the tapes of course) and the buzz is real. Opener ’77 Years of Immeasurable Pain’ is a crazy blast of mathcore, mixed with grind and screamo of the most ferocious variety. Honestly, I didn’t think we’d reach a point where the likes of Pupil Slicer, Rolo Tomassi and SeeYouSpaceCowboy would be made to sound like easy-listening but here we are.

‘I can’t understand how you never thought it would get to this point’ switches things up with a slower, more atmospheric instrumental approach for its first sixty-seconds before the off-kilter madness returns. The crushing percussion and bass are slightly dwarfed by the dual guitar work and multi-vocal delivery but it all adds up to something quite immense.

With a very emotive and thought-provoking sample as it’s intro, ‘We Suffer (the Same Fate)’ delivers exactly as promised with both stunning accuracy and biting dissonance. I’m still on a tech-death/mathcore binge at the moment and while this EP isn’t the former, it still gives me a reason to grin manically from ear to ear. 

Closer ‘Clipped Wings’ is exactly how every band should end their releases; like a complete and utter sonic wrecking ball! Coming to a close in mystifying fashion, athousandangelsandseven leaves you both speechless and breathless. Out of almost nowhere, this band has ushered in a new level of heaviness that’s gonna be hard to beat.

You can stream and purchase this EP as a name-your-price download via Ampwall below:-

athousandangelsandseven Instagram - @athousandangelsandseven

The remaining tape copies from Zegema Beach Records can be purchased from the below links:-

ZBR Bandcamp - https://zegemabeachrecords.bandcamp.com/album/athousandangelsandseven

ZBR CAN/INTL - http://www.zegemabeachrecords.com/zegema-beach-releases/athousandangelsandseven

ZBR USA - https://zbrusa.com/collections/zbr-releases/products/athousandangelsandseven

Telepathy - Transmissions

Labels: Pelagic Records

Formats: Vinyl/CD/Digital

Release Date: 28 Mar 2025

Tracklist:

1. Oath

2. Augury

3. Knife Edge Effect

4. Tears In Fibre

5. A Silent Bridge

6. End Transmission

7. Home

I can't believe that it's already almost the end of January. It seems like a couple of days since I started to plan what I was going to write about this month. I knew early on that I'd be writing about the soon-to-be-released fourth full-length from Polish/English post-metal quartet Telepathy. Transmissions will be released by Pelagic Records in late March and is currently available for pre-order. Residing in the UK, Telepathy have been active as a band since 2011 and have been consistently releasing music ever since. 

I write this review as I eagerly await my first subscription box of the year from Pelagic Records. To be honest, I’ve spent way too much on record this month but let’s gloss over that and get lost in Transmissions, which starts with already available single ‘Oath’. Telepathy’s sound is a beguiling collage of progressive and instrumental post-metal, intertwined with cleverly placed samples and subtle synths. It’s no wonder that Pelagic chose to add them to their roster.

I feel that this year is already shaping up to be a special year for heavy music (I’ve said that a few times already here and I’m sticking by it). Opening with a 9+ minute song in the form of ‘Oath’ shows that Telepathy are here for the long-haul and honestly, it’s the perfect beginning as it effortlessly flows into ‘Augury’, which grows with every bar and note. We need more albums where bands just play constantly and ignore those stupid pauses between songs, as they ruin the flow.

‘Knife Edge Effect’ has a very different feel to it as it’s filled with more samples and elegantly placed synths. It’s not an interlude by any stretch but it relies less on Telepathy’s heavier instrumentation until much later on, where it sounds like they throw in some harsh vocals (that of course may be additional samples). 

The first of two properly lengthy songs is the mid-point number ‘Tears In Fibre’, which weighs in at over 14 minutes and is one of those songs that grows slowly. It’s layered instrumentally in such a way that it’s movements seem to flow in and out like the tide. At this point we’re not even halfway through yet either. The song’s latter half is much more progressive and also slower in tempo as Telepathy move in a sludgier/doomier direction.

‘A Silent Bridge’ isn’t silent but is a bridge between the lengthiest songs on Transmissions. One filled with samples, crackling noise and synth-laden ambience. It gives way to the oddly titled ‘End Transmission’, which isn’t the final song on the album. It is the album’s longest song though and it benefits from a greater playing time, as Telepathy’s instrumentation really deserves it. The song slides effortlessly between heavier movements and quieter ones that are again filled with subtle samples that add more mystique to both band and record.

Album closer ‘Home’ is much more stripped back and  has that warm embrace about it, the sort you get when you return to somewhere familiar and safe. That feeling is banished at the midway point through as Telepathy throw new layers of sound in. After a sudden break in the music, the album ends in haunting fashion. This album gives you a feeling of hope yet also despair. The instrumentation is breathtakingly good throughout but there’s just something about those samples, I just can’t put my finger on what it is. Either way, I can’t wait for it’s official release in March, It’s gonna be well worth it.

You can stream 'Oath' and pre-order Transmissions on all formats below:-

Telepathy - https://www.facebook.com/telepathyband

Pelagic Records - https://www.facebook.com/pelagicrecords

Federico Favaro - Abstractions

Labels: Self-Released

Formats: Digital

Release Date: 21 Feb 2025

Tracklist:

1. Automata

2. Daydream

3. Horizon

4. Liquid Quartz

5. Polaris

I started putting this review together on Sunday evening after I had spent the afternoon in the company of friends, beer and vinyl records of varying genres. I realised fairly soon after starting that I was in no fit state to carry on so I paused. I'm glad I did because I wouldn't have been able to give this new EP from solo Italian progressive guitar phenom Federico Favaro the justice in deserves. 

Federico's debut EP Abstractions is due for official release on February 21st and he kindly wrote to me recently. I'm currently going through a phase where I'm bouncing from instrumental prog to technical death metal. This release obviously sits in the former category and I'm excited, and honoured to be able to hear it in advance of it's official release date.

This month is flying by and I haven’t written nearly as much as I would have liked. That being said, I’ve purchased and listened to more records at the same time, so you win some you lose some right? Italy has long been a bastion for epic, progressive music and a new name can be added to the ever growing list of exceptional talents this year with the debut EP from solo guitarist Federico Favaro. 

Abstractions begins with ‘Automata’ and it’s classically-inspired intro that flows seamlessly into an aural mosaic of epic guitar-work, alongside equally enjoyable bass and percussion. All instrumentation has been performed by Federico himself on this release (as I understand, please correct me if I’m wrong), making this more than just a “guitar” record.  

I know a lot of people recoil at the thought of progressive music because they think it’ll go on forever but it’s not the case here. ‘Daydream’ builds from Flamenco-like guitar plucking to much heavier and indeed engrossing progressive rock/metal soon after. One thing Federico wrote when he contacted me was that his music was nowhere near the standard of Plini (for example) but I disagree. 

There’s something really upbeat about ‘Horizon’ early on. It has bit of a punk sound to it (at least to my ears). It’s not too long though before any nod to punk disappears in favour of classically-tinged/off-kilter music that’s an absolute joy to listen too. Like the rest of the songs on Abstractions, it could be considered short in prog terms but that’s no bad thing.

The piano that greets you on ‘Liquid Quartz’ is beautiful and fits in perfectly with the jazz elements that flow through the EP. The djent-like guitar/bass tones later on show that Federico isn’t afraid of sudden direction changes and as with the rest of the EP, doesn’t shy away from ripping up traditional musical structures. 

Closing with ‘Polaris’, Federico offers up a song that’s deceivingly gentle and before you know it, you’re whisked off to another realm filled with dissonance and mind-bending riffs/tempos. I was reading an article earlier from somebody who thinks that musicians hate making music. If that’s actually the case then EP’s like this would not exist.

Federico Favaro is a genius and his music deserves so much attention for being genuine, and a true labour of love. Abstractions will hopefully be an example of what’s to come on future releases. What this space.

If you'd like a sneak preview of some of the songs that appear on this EP, head over to Federico's YouTube channel for some play-throughs and other videos - https://www.youtube.com/@FedericoFavaro/videos

Abstractions will be available digitally on February 21st.

Federico Favaro Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/federico.favaro_guitar/