Analogue of The Sun - Eardstapa

I've talked loads about my admiration for bands north of the border and am always excited when another bursts it's way through the undergrowth. Analogue of The Sun are a band that came to my attention last December, but that I'm only just getting around to writing about now. They sent me a link to their debut album Eardstapa with promises of sludgy, ambient post-metal vibes. A hint to their sound may come from the fact that they supported the mighty *Shels in Glasgow in June of last year.

Tracklist:-

1. The Wanderer
2. Snow on The Hull
3. What The Thunder Said

4. Synonymy

I always think that Scottish bands present some of the most majestic soundscapes. If you listen to bands like Prelude To The Hunt and Of Spire And Throne, while in different genres, they both reach incredible heights. Analogue of The Sun are the same. They start of quietly with opener The Wanderer, with gentle guitar and clean singing, before throwing in intermittently heavy bass. You feel like they are building up to unleash a Cult of Luna-esque wall of noise and as such you're always anticipating. They kind of do at the midway point, but sitting atop of the heavy instrumentation are clean vocals, which add tonnes of atmosphere. There are flecks of indie, screamo and Neurosis-esque moments throughout and this is just the opening song!

After that grand opener, Analogue of The Sun switch into a sort of improv/ambient intro to Snow On The Hull before twisting into more indie inspired instrumentation. It's pretty rad that their music can sound so experimental yet danceable at the same time. Some people may baulk at the artsy tag, but these guys pull it off well, without sounding too madcap. Snow On The Hull sees them going down a really twister-jazz route, with some vocals which seem off-key but actually work really well with the sound clash beneath them. What The Thunder Said, much like Snow On The Hull, is a shorter piece. This has a more menacing atmosphere thanks to the crashing cymbals and rumbling bass. It's stop-start and pretty much unclassifiable. For the most part it's instrumental, so it gives you a bigger insight into the song-writing skill of the band. After the initial chaotic section, they settle down and play something quieter and more laid back, which becomes more feedback-ridden and dissonant as the song reaches it's conclusion.

It all ends with Synonmy, which weighs in at almost twelve minutes. By now, you don't have a clue what to expect but you can't dare take your ears away from the speakers. The song starts of gently, with a kind of pop-vibe and what sounds like programmed drums, though I can't be sure. There are strings in the background, piano and cleanly sung vocals with soaring harmonies. This song may seem at odds with those before it, but it's a perfect way to end the record. The dissonance from previous tracks does show itself about five minutes in and at time after and they do throw in elements of the jazz, but for the most part it's a more straightforward song in the way it's structured. It gives off a sense of drama and warmth, which stays with you. 

I came into this with an open mind, not knowing what to expect and was really surprised by the breadth of ideas and textures that Analogue of The Sun weaved into the record. I don't want to pigeonhole it as post-metal as I think that's unfair. It's just good, different music that takes influences from different genres including metal. It's original.

Listen to this for yourselves here:-

You can purchase Eardstapa digitally or on CD from the above page as well.

Analogue of The Sun Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/analogueofthesun