It's happening! Praise the lord! These two amazing artists have been working for awhile but now their collaboration has become a solid reality. Plini and Sythu Aye will release their first split EP “I” very soon, on November 28th precisely. They also revealed the artwork and a beautiful teaser to announce their plan.
The tracklist is composed of 4 tracks: “Orm”, “Rupture”, “Solstice” and “Moonrise” and will feature guest appearances from David Maxim Micic (Destiny Potato) and Jakub Zytecki (Disperse).
The cherry on top? This EP will be available for a "name your price" download! It looks like this EP already wins...
Ghost Atlas is the name of the side project of Erra's guitarist and vocalist Jesse Cash. And if you watch the music video below, you might just see a few more members.
This project brings a catchy alternative hard rock sound with stunning clean vocals revealed with the release of their first music video "Elixir Of Life". This is the first single to be taken from a double EPentitled “Gold Soul Coma”, the first volume of which was just released today! Go take a look at the video because it's something you might reeeeeally enjoy!
The legends at Metal Hammer recently spoke with Opeth's Mikael Åkerfeldt and Anathema's Daniel Cavanagh about a number of topics relating to music and metal. The conversation turned to musical evolution and angry metal elitism when Åkerfeldt offered the following insight.
"Every band I’ve loved has moved forward. All the world-class songwriters, whether it be Black Sabbath or Pink Floyd, have evolved. Maybe not AC/DC because they’re perfect as they are! Bands like Porcupine Tree have continued that tradition. It’s a mark of intelligence in music and genuine creativity.
In metal, evolution doesn’t seem to be that important. I think most metal fans just want their Happy Meals served to them. They don’t really want to know about what they’re getting. For a while, I thought metal was a more open-minded thing but I was wrong. Maybe it’s different from country-to-country. Don’t get me wrong, I love metal, but I’m also open-minded. I admire some bands that do the same record over and over again – I wonder how they don’t get bored! For us, and Anathema, it seems impossible for us to stay still."
Interesting to say the least. Not all of metal sees things in the "happy meal" light, but I know for a fact some individuals do. Kudos to Mr. Åkerfeldt for calling this out.
Ever have album art melt your face? Every once and awhile a band will
create or commission artwork which is undeniably awesome, iconic, or
inspiring. Sometimes it compliments the music in the perfect way,
leaving a mark on the listener or maybe even music history itself.
Welcome to the Art Gallery. We're gonna take a look at some really impressive art while listening to some great music in the process.
Have you ever seen artwork that was so damn awesome that you still remember the first time you saw it? I was flattened when Amon Amarth's "Twilight of the Thunder God" came out in 2008. Not only by the music but by the insanely detailed scene depicted on the front cover. THIS IS VIKING METAL \m/
Human Improvement process is an impressive band emerging Italy on
Memorial Records. This year they dropped a great record "Deafening
Dissonant Millenium" bolstering some mind bending artwork. Better yet,
it compliments the title of the album in an unsettling way. Highly
recommended on all counts. We should have a review on this one coming
soon!
Exivious needed to be included because of the way that they experiment with their artwork. For both of their albums, they've allowed the fans to create their own poster based on the official album art. The process for their latest album "Liminal" (read our review here) was intricate to say the least. All in all this band has spawned incredible results (take a look here).
Emerging from the UK, When Prophecy Fails are a great Progressive Metal /
Rock band with a flair for the creative. If you dig bands like Karnivool, Deftones, and Dead Letter Circus this will be right up your alley. These guys have been very busy
of late, releasing their debut self-titled album late last year and
following up with an EP "Everything Ever, At Once" just this year. Both
releases are solid, bringing a number of sounds and ideas. On top of this, they just joined forces with our friends at Monolithic Music with plans of future conquest.
You can also download both of their previous releases
and even a single on the side for a "name your price" download on Bandcamp! That's a deal and a half! Be sure to check them out below and follow up with some support if you enjoy the tunes.
Rolling Stone recently had the rare opportunity of interviewing Maynard Jame Keenan, the frontman of the legendary band Tool. They asked a few questions regarding the new album, reportedly to be released next year. The following excerpts are taken from the original Rolling Stone report (click here) detailing what he had to say.
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"I don't write the music. They write the music," he says of his bandmates. "I wait for them to bring music to me. They tend to go back over and over stuff. It's a long process. For a person like me, it can be a very tedious process."
"In some ways, they are bigger perfectionists. But you can only help support their talent so long. They don't have to go through it 700 times. They can trust that first thought. But that's their process, so you gotta let them do it." And is that process happening? "I couldn't tell you,"
"But as an artist you don't want to become a greatest hits version of yourself, either," he says. "You want to push the boundaries. You want to figure out how can you challenge yourself to discover something new, discover something different about yourself. What are your limitations? What avenues can you push and expand? That is life. I don't have any interest in coasting yet."
"Just in general, each project is going to find its own way," he says. "Depending on the motivation."
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Also - a few months ago, drummer Danny Carey spoke with Loudwire. This is what he had to say.
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“It’s still the three of us right now and four of us it will be soon, you know, just working on all our parts and working on our compositions together,” Carey says, referring to Keenan’s current absence from the recording sessions. “Stylistically, we’re trying to push things in different ways, but it always comes out sounding like Tool no matter what we’re trying to do. We’re working everyday on it and it’s going really well, so I’m hoping we’ll get into the studio by the end of the year.”
When we asked about a possible 2013 release date for the album, Carey responded, “I doubt it. Right now, since we haven’t started tracking stuff at this point, it’ll be hard. We could have the record finished by the end of the year — that’s a possibility, but the logistics of getting it manufactured and getting the record company in line and all this stuff, I doubt we’ll be able to get it out before Christmas. We’ll see how it goes. Most likely, it’ll be early 2014.”
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Will we actually get a new Tool album in 2014? That's yet to be determined. Stay tuned for more. And while you're waiting, jam the tracks below!
It's been about four years since the release of the damn near flawless
Exivious self-titled debut. What was originally a Cynic / Textures side
project has experienced a few line up changes in that time but has still
emerged strong as a full-time band. With the departure of drummer Stef Broks (Textures) came the installment of the insanely talented Yuma van Eekelen. Tymon Kruidenier (ex-Cynic) and Michel Nienhuis still command the guitar corps as Robin Zielhorst (ex-Cynic) handles the bass. Together, they make awesome things happen.
For example, the band ran a very successful crowd funding campaign earlier in the year which allowed fans to
make custom tweaks to the album artwork through a unique application (representing a constant state
of change, thus "Liminal"). Ever since, the anticipation has mounting and now they're on the loose again with their
sophomore full-length "Liminal"!
If you haven't got to listen yet, it is PHENOMENAL! It is the manifestation of pure creativity and taste. Same as with their self-titled, they bring an excellent mix of hypnotizing instrumental progressive music with a jazzy, experimental flavour. Except this time around it's much more melodically focused and matured in some ways. You can actually stream the entire album through our friends at got-djent.com. I've been letting my mind melt onto this one since last week. It's successfully become the soundtrack of my life, if you will. And with good reason.
The single "Entrust" appropriately opens the experience with a sense of awe and mystery, two things that will ensue throughout the duration of the album. Before you know it, the opener thrusts your ears into a world of beautiful melody and creative force, two more elements that will follow through the record. Because of this, it more or less functions as the perfect opening.
And the fun doesn't stop there. Every single track on "Liminal" has something exciting and original to offer. Right after "Entrust", Yuma lets loose with an awesome drum solo on the track "One's Glow". The second single "Alphaform" brings you to a world of elevated musical sensuality. "Triguna" is the most experimental track on the album. "Deeply Woven" is possibly my favorite track on the record with an awesome Jonas Knutsson sax contribution... but it's very hard to say with the sheer amount of aural pleasures present. Especially when you stack it up to the remaining "Movement", "Open", and "Immanent" which are all beautifully conceived, breathtaking additions.
I have no real criticisms here. But I will criticize you if you've read this much of the review and don't give "Liminal" a try. This album's damn near perfect, if not perfect. It's an easy 10 out of 10 in my book. And strangely enough, the only two 10's I've ever given on this site have been back to back...
To wrap things up, Exivious have truly outdone themselves. Rebounding from the last record and the events since, they've managed to create a truly awe-inspiring and matured experience in "Liminal". Missing this album should be considered a crime for music lovers.
Go ahead and stream the tracks above. And don't forget, got-djent.com has the entire album running online. If you enjoy the music as much as we do, be sure to support Exivious and grab yourself a CD here!
Progressive/Experimental Metal/Rock titans Cynic have finally released the album title and artwork to their new full length album. The curiously titled album, "Kindly Bent To Free Us", which would be the band’s first release since 2011’s EP “Carbon- based Anatomy”, shall be issued in the form of 2 different LP versions and a deluxe collector’s edition as well. The album comes with a fresh batch of tracks as opposed to “The Portal Tapes” album which was a collection of demos from the band’s repertoire, released back in the March of 2012.
Tentatively scheduled to see a Valentine’s Day, 2014 release, serves to please the cynical side of those of us who would rather devour a farm-fresh record than go out, and well, “Valentinate”. Tasteless jokes apart, the Experimental/Progressive act promises a record that would add to the list of most anticipated records in the first quarter of the year, no questions asked. Cover art for the album has also been made public. Look below. We've also included some classic, cynical tracks while you wait.
We're honored to have Exivious as our Artist of the Week! It's been about four years since the release of the damn near flawless
Exivious self-titled debut. What was originally a Cynic / Textures side
project has experienced a few line up changes in that time but has still
emerged strong. Now they're on the loose again with their
sophomore full-length "Liminal"! And if you haven't got to listen yet, it is PHENOMENAL!
We had the chance to interview the lead guitarist Tymon Kruidenier (ex-Cynic). Read up below and jam the tracks!
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TK = Tymon Kruidenier
MT = Mike Thall
MT - How did the band get started up?
TK - As a lot of bands get started I guess. I was a young metal head with an electric guitar and wanted to start my own band. But that was all the way back in 1997, when I just started playing actually. It wasn't until 2005 that the modern day Exivious was born. At that point, I knew pretty well where I wanted to go with Exivious, I spent years trying to figure out what it was that I wanted to do. So when I finally found the right musicians to work with in 2005, we took some years to gel and pinpoint the exact direction we wanted to go in. And that's where it really started.
MT - How did you come up with the name Exivious?
TK - It's a little embarrassing to explain, but my excuse is that I came up with it when I was 17 years old. Exivious doesn't mean anything, it just popped into my head during an English lesson at school. We debated changing the name, back when we released our first album. But we figured we already build up a bit of a name in the underground scene, so we decided to stick with it. An added bonus though, is that it's very easy to look us up on the internet. Literally all hits on a Google search for Exivious are related to the band haha.
MT - You guys have a new album dropping THIS WEEK! Can you tell us about it?
TK - Yes, finally! I held the CD in my hands for the first time 3 days ago. It's an awesome feeling to finish such a long process. We pretty much spent the last 2 to 3 years putting this thing together. But yeah, what can I tell you about it? It's a more balanced album, it's heavier, it's softer, it's more dynamic, it's more epic and even though I hate the word, it's a lot more mature than our debut. We are quite happy with it ourselves!
MT - Any songs in particular we should be watching out for?
TK - Each song on Liminal really has its own identity and story to tell. I'm excited about all of them for different reasons. Triguna, composed by Michel, is the most abstract song on the album with a very intense ending. One's Glow is a very energetic and rhythmic song with an awesome drum solo by Yuma. Immanent is a very groovy song with some really big and epic parts in it. I hope there's something for everyone on Liminal!
MT - What was it like transitioning from your debut to the new album?
TK - Very natural and easy actually. The first album took a long time because we were still searching for an identity. With Liminal, we already knew very well what we liked about our sound, what we didn't like so much, what new influences we wanted to add to our sound, etc. So it really was a matter of sitting down and letting the ideas flow. There were the occasional struggles of course, but that comes with the territory of being a perfectionist.
MT - You're among the select bands to run a successful crowdfunding campaign. How does it feel to have that kind of support?
TK - Amazing! We might not have millions of followers, being in this niche type of music, but the followers we do have are really dedicated and loyal. And we're very grateful for that! We worked our asses off to try and create something special with Liminal. It's very exciting to send it out to our backers next week, I really hope they'll like it!
MT - Who or what inspires your music?
TK - Who or what doesn't? We love to get inspired by abstract things like emotions, dreams, situations, nature or just life in general. It's quite challenging to try and capture these concepts in instrumental music, but very rewarding. Other than that, we inspire each other in the band. And then there's all the great music out there to get inspired by.
MT - What was it like transitioning from Cynic to Exivious?
TK - Freedom! To do exactly what I want to do, music wise and business wise. And to do all of this with 3 great and likeminded friends who happen to be great musicians. Don't get me wrong, I'm very grateful for my time with Cynic. I gained tons of experience and had so much fun. But having said that; I'm a bad follower. I always have a clear idea on how to do things and on how to improve things. That wasn't my place in Cynic. With Exivious we're all on the same page, we share similar goals, similar tastes in music and we're just great friends. I'm very happy with where Exivious is at right now.
MT - Rumor has it Exivious may be going full-time. Any light you can shed on this?
TK - We'll always have our side projects, because that's just fun to do. And me and Yuma are both working as producers and engineers as well, work that we love to do. But Exivious has priority over everything else at this point, so we're hoping to treat Exivious pretty much as a full-time commitment.
MT - Have you toured much?
TK - Not yet! After we released our debut, Robin and I were touring all the time with Cynic, so we didn't have the chance to gig with Exivious. When we quit Cynic, we did 1 European tour with Exivious, supporting Obscura and Gorod and then got to work for Liminal. So now that Liminal is done and almost out, we're hoping to finally do some proper touring with this band!
MT - Any favorite shows?
TK - I loved playing at Brutal Assault in 2011, an open air festival in Czech Republic. Such a great atmosphere! And there were some awesome shows on our last tour as well. I remember the show in London (Underworld), the show in Haarlem (Patronaat) and the one in Prague (Black Pes) as some of my favorites. I usually prefer smaller, more intimate venues, for the type of music we play.
MT - What's the craziest thing that has happened to you at a show or on the road?
TK - Traveling all the way to India with Robin, for a gig with Cynic at a festival, only to find out Paul & Sean couldn't make it due to visa problems. We got put up in this ridiculously big villa that was part of a resort with a swimming pool and an awesome buffet (3 times a day). So we then agreed on playing some kind of ambient set, just Robin and me. We prepared some interesting ambient versions of Cynic and Exivious songs, only to find out the entire festival got cancelled the next day! So all we did was eat ridiculous amounts of food, 3 times a day, and then fly back home hahaha.
MT - If you could tour with any bands in the world, who would you take the stage with?
TK - I'd love to tour with bands like Devin Townsend Project or Opeth. It would be awesome to share our music with a bigger crowd. But it would also be fun to see what would happen if we would support a post-rock band like God Is An Astronaut. Touring is fun anyways and what's most important to me, is that the guys in the bands you're touring with are cool. So as long as that's in order, it's all good!
MT - What do you guys do for fun?
TK - Play the guitar, compose new songs, play gigs... but I'm guessing that's pretty obvious. Other than that, I love to tinker with computers and other geeky things. I love to think, to travel, to read interesting articles and to watch good movies. I also love spending time with friends and my parents and siblings. Nothing out of the ordinary really. And the other dudes are just as boring as I am.
MT - Favorite alcoholic beverage?
TK - Belgian special beers. Dubbel, tripel, quadrupel... they're all awesome!
MT - Is there anything you want to say to the fans out there?
TK - Thanks for taking the time to read this and I'm hoping you'll dig our new album! And if you're one of the people who supported us by backing our crowd-funding campaign: thank you once again!
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Combining elements of Pogressive Metal, Post-Metal, and Post-Rock, Moirae is a band
with a spark in their music. They weave together creativity with
off-time intricacies to develop some very interesting, high quality
tracks. This Florida five-piece thinks outside of the box when it comes
to their art. Far outside the box.
And as luck would have it, they just dropped their debut album "Eternitarian" at the tail end of last month. This record amplifies the awesomeness brought through their previous EP / single releases. And just to sweeten the deal, the album is available for streaming in it's entirety on Bandcamp! Go ahead and give a listen you won't regret.
There are plenty of incredible solo artists in the world, but Plini may have taken the cake for 2013. This is why we had him featured as our Artist of the Week not too long ago. His latest EP "Sweet Nothings" (review here) and it's predecessor "Other Things" (review here) both came out this year in absolute triumph. They bring a number of elements in an awe-inspiring instrumental package including bits of Fusion, Prog Rock / Metal, healthy experimentation, etc.
We recently conducted an interview with the one and only Plini. Be sure to read up and learn below!
MT - You just dropped an excellent new EP "Sweet Nothings" to follow up "Other Things". What all went into creating those?
P - A fair bit of time and a lot of sitting around! The writing and recording of the first 80% of both releases only took a day or two per song, but I get scared when something is almost “finished” and hesitate to call it done. The stuff on Sweet Nothings was actually close to finished a few months before I recorded Other Things - I was just more confident to put out the stuff on Other Things (most of the orchestral parts on Sweet Nothings didn’t exist until a couple weeks before I released it) so it got to come out first!
MT - What was is like transitioning between the two releases?
P - I had a lot better of an idea of what to do/how to do it with “Sweet Nothings”, because for whatever reason, the reception of the music and art of “Other Things” far exceeded my expectations, so it was kinda like “oh yeah I’ll do it like that again, that worked last time...” And then the reception of Sweet Nothings exceed my expectations yet again!
MT - Is there anything you can tell us about the third EP in the "Other Things" trilogy?
P - Right now it only exists in my memory and a couple of very short clip. But I feel like overall it will be bigger and more dense, but also smaller and frail. The heaviest, but also the softest, and definitely the best. You will buy it.
MT - How did the EPs get their names?
P - It was going to be an album - “Things” - and “Other Things” (as a sorta bonus EP) but I decided to arrange it into a story/trilogy and not emphasise one or the other. So yeah.
MT - Any favorite songs from the new EP?
P - I like how Tarred & Feathered came out, it was purely acoustic guitars and drums until a week or so before releasing it I decided to go all out. I also love the solos Gru and Stevo did, and Luke’s playing (especially the ending) on Sweet Nothings. But I basically have a love/hate relationship with everything I write, so it’s hard to pick a fave.
MT - How has the response been?
P - Stupidly good, very surreal. Having a box of CDs that I made in my room and sending them to addresses all over the world to make people happy is one of the strangest and most awesome things I’ve ever done. Also discovering that some of the musicians I really admire have somehow found my music and enjoy it/share it with their fans is CRAZY.
MT - How did you get your name, Plini?
P - It was from a book (The Glass Bead Game) my mum was reading when I was a baby.
MT - How did your solo career get started up?
P - I wouldn’t call it a career just yet... but I started recording stuff a few years ago and eventually felt optimistic enough to put it online (back in the days of myspace and soundclick, good times). People seemed to enjoy it, shit happens!
MT - How do you typically go about writing music?
P - I fuck around a lot until something worthwhile happens and then I see where I can go with it! Normally it’s a guitar riff with a drum feel. Then I just keep building it up until it feels like anymore would be too much. After the first half a minute or so is written I tend to get a picture in my head of the overall form of the song, which I then arrange it to.
MT - Who or what inspires ya?
P - People, music, art, nature, science, feelings. The main musical ones at the moment are Steven Wilson, Ulf Wakenius, Justin Timberlake and CHON.
MT - Do you play live at all?
P - I played at my high school once.
MT - Did anything crazy happen at that show?
P - People clapped, I was surprised.
MT - I'm not! If you could collab with any artists in the world, who would they be?
P - The ones that (I hope) will happen soon are Sithu Aye, Mario from CHON, Aaron from Intervals... and many more. A couple of dream collabs would be like Steven Wilson or Kimbra or something.
MT - What are your plans for the rest of 2013 / early 2014?
P - Got a little side project I’ve been working on for a while that will be coming out at the end of November and then I’m having a lil holiday. After that I’m gonna get stuck into figuring out how the trilogy ends!
MT - Here's the fun round... Plini plise take my moni?
P - With pleasure!
MT - Anything you want to say to the fans out there?
P - You all rule and I am extremely grateful and can’t wait to release more music and hopefully start touring and meeting you lovely people soon! <3
MT - Thanks for your time! Seriously... take my money
Obsidian Kingdom is the kind of band that proficiently blends a number of genres and great ideas into a noteworthy, cohesive musical package. But if you wanna be a dick about it, they would probably fall under the labels of Post-Metal, Progressive Rock, and Experimental with a capital E. They've been at it ever since 2007 (and likely some time before).
Late last year they let loose with their first full-length (third release following two solid EPs). "Mantiis" brings fourteen tracks of insanity through different flavours, some of which you've likely never tasted before. So if you're into the idea of trying something new, this is your lucky day!
Obsidian Kingdom is offering up "Mantiis" along with the EPs "3:11" and "Matter" for a "name your price" download! Listen below and get on it while the offer lasts!
For those of you who haven't heard, Tool's founding bassist, Paul D'Amour, has a new band on the loose. On top of this they were recently signed to the juggernaut Sumerian Records and have a new album headed for your ears! In fact, the album is slated for release sometime early next year.
In the good ol' toolish fashion, it was originally slated for this year before being pushed back. But it's a safe bet this will hit store shelves before Tool's next album (Which is also now slated for next year. Read up here).
Aurally, Lesser Key has a lot in common with Paul D'Amour's original band but they bring certain elements to call their own. While you're waiting, give the single "Intercession" a good listen below. You might just see what I mean.
Also, the band has a few dates coming up along the west coast. You can find the ad under the music video.
There's a new musical force emerging from Son Servera, Spain. The Ox deliver music on
another level through a solid, experimental, psychedelic, tasteful Progressive / Post-Metal sound with creativity to boot. They independently released their debut "Obsidian" a few months back. So far there has been a slowly mounting, yet overwhelmingly positive response to the record. And with good reason...
Imagine if Textures, Mastodon, Intronaut, Gojira, and maybe even Deftones made sweet music together. That's how I would attempt to describe the sound The Ox bring. Except there's a wild card in the mix, being The Ox themselves. Similarities aside, this band succeeds in bringing a variety of fresh elements into their sound. This is done through differing means from track to track. For example, let your mind take in "Wisdom" or the nine-minute epic "Drifting Out To Sea".
Several other strong points line the duration of this record. Tracks such as "Ethereal Journey", "Souls Collide", the title track, and the closer "All Seeing Eye" come to mind. However, it should be stated that every track on "Obsidian" makes an excellent case for your attention. Intros, interludes, whatever. All the music is very well-conceived.
I listened to this album on and off over the span of a month. One of the best parts of this experience was the familiarity of the music after just a few listens. After taking in another album or two, I could easily return to The Ox and feel a certain nostalgia with the music. Certain riffs could simply worm themselves into my mind in no time.
There really aren't too many drawbacks while listening to The Ox. Objectively, of course, this album is not meant for everyone. For example, if you have a short attention span, an inexplicable hatred for Progressive / Post-Metal, or just a wicked bad taste in music, look elsewhere. Only the most minor issues blemish this record.
Personally, I hear a great deal of potential in this band. While listening to "Obsidian", it's not hard to get the impression that this really is just the beginning for an incredible, upcoming musical unit (probably because that's the reality of The Ox). As far as debut albums go, this is sublime. The future should be a welcome place as The Ox continues to mature, expand, and evolve in their craft.
To sum things up, this is one that just needs to be heard. Especially if you consider yourself a prog head or an eclectic metalhead, this album should be a priority. This band's potential is dynamite and it's more than evident through "Obsidian". Give a listen to the tracks above. If they strike your fancy, visit Bandcamp or contact the band about obtaining a physical copy!
Ever have album art melt your face? Every once and awhile a band will
create or commission artwork which is undeniably awesome, iconic, or
inspiring. Sometimes it compliments the music in the perfect way,
leaving a mark on the listener or maybe even music history itself.
Welcome to the Art Gallery. We're gonna take at some really cool art and listening to some good music in the process.
First up, we're heading to Argentina. Given the independent nature of this upcoming solo-project project, it sure has a lot of awesome artwork behind it. Now I could be wrong, but I believe Reg3n himself designs the art for this very reason. And if he does, he does a damn fine job of it. When I first saw the off-kiltered art for "Spiral Maze", my jaw dropped a bit. The Meshuggah is strong in this one.
Next, we're heading to Germany with the legendary Blind Guardian. Their artist is anything but blind. Not only does the band boast possibly the best voice in current metal, they show off some incredible artwork in the process. All their covers are impressive but the art behind "A Twist In The Myth" always stood out to me in a big way. Probably because I'm a damn nerd \m/
Last, but not least by a long shot is Tool. This band is incredible in a number of ways and their artwork has always supported their sound diligently, bending the minds of people worldwide. It's rough deciding between these memorable covers, but "Lateralus" is the inevitable choice. Composed by the one and only Alex Grey, this band's art is hard to overlook.
Tides From Nebula (for those of you who haven't heard of them before) is a Polish instrumental, progressive rock band. They've been making a name for themselves with several shows across Europe and they'll soon be on tour with The Ocean, Shining, and Hacride. Their music manages to be truly uplifting, bringing the listener amazing and inspiring soundscapes. This is music you truly need to discover.
The good news is that their new album “Eternal Movement” is finally out in Europe... but not in North America where you'll need to wait until November 5th to listen. Ahahaha (evil and cruel European laughter). Check out the single “Only With Presence” below along with some splendid tracks that have already leaked on YouTube. And don't forget to purchase (or pre-order if you reside in the US) the album if you enjoy the music!
Australia's 21-year-old musical genius, Plini, is back to pleasantli please us with yet another amazing release entitled "Sweet Nothings". And believe me, it's sweet! "Sweet Nothings" is the second part of a trilogy of EPs Plini's been working on and editing over the past two years. The trilogy is entitled "Other Things" just like it's first release that this EP follows up.
The very first track, simply titled "Opening", immediately leads to a dreamland filled with serenity and lightness of an ethereal nature. This music is literally like a therapy or a brain massage if you will. It's able to make you feel so careless and forget about all of the crap happening around you. Instead, you can simpli enjoy these opening minutes of relaxation and mental levitation. There's an amazing gem included on this track - the last guitar solo of the song was performed by Piotrek "Gru" Gruszka and my god it is brilliant! "Opening" is probably the most "proggy" track of the EP and it works perfectly as an introduction. It not only gives you an idea of what you're getting into, it switches off your brain and lets you float into what comes next.
Now that your mind is prepped for travel, it will find something more catchy and uplifting. The second track entitled "Tarred & Feathered" is somewhat reminiscent of the song "Heart" (featured previousli on Plini's "Other Things") with it's amazing use of rhythmic acoustic guitar with soft and memorable sounds and riffs. Towards the end, the orchestral elements will make it one of the most epic instrumental songs you'll hear in 2013.
Next step is called "Away". Combining thin and refined guitar patchwork and wisely detailed riffage, both layered with intelligent and amazing synths, Plini has made another unquestionably inspiring song. It packs the same "proggy" approach heard in the first track, but with more of a catchy take on the guitar work which makes it less atmospheric and more ear popping in some ways.
Perfectly balanced musical ideas appear in the final song "Sweet Nothings", especially in the beginning and in the epic ending. A simple lead brings you to an ending in which guitar gets heavier but sill not aggressive. Between low end riffage and an amazing solo emerges an epic and surprising finale in which the synths play the same riff of the beloved song "Heart" (the previously mentioned opener of "Other Things"). This definiteli finishes things in the best way possible (or maybe even better!). You should also focus on the brilliant piano details, performed in this track by Luke Martin, pushing the whole song to a higher level.
This is a damn near perfect EP, touching and delighting in it's allure. "Sweet Nothings" is therapy for the mind, body, and soul. You need to listen to this, repeatedly. The world around you will look much better and you will feel much better. It packs memorable guitar work that manages to be progressive and even jazzy without being foolishly complex. Instead it's amazingly simple and catchy despite being original and uncanny. There isn't really much more to say when you're in front of the best instrumental EP of the year. Amazing.
It's been about four years since the release of the damn near flawless
Exivious self-titled debut. What was originally a Cynic / Textures side
project has experienced a few line up changes in that time but has still
emerged strong. Now they've emerged from the studio after creating their
sophomore full-length "Liminal"! And from the
songs / clips that have been made available thus far, it is sounding PHENOMENAL!
After running a successful crowd funding campaign which allowed fans to make custom tweaks to the album artwork (representing a constant state of change, thus "Liminal"), they're currently gearing up for the actual release.
Speaking of which, the band recently sent us (and all their supporters) a detailed press release. Read up for additional info below (including the release dates) and ogle the artwork / jam the single. Your ears can thank me later.
P.S. Our friends at got-djent exclusively released another track. Get on that!
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Hey guys!
OK, this is not really a studio report because the album has been done for quite some time now. But let's just keep the tradition of using the term 'studio report' for any kind of updates on Liminal.
Announcements
In all our excitement from announcing us being signed to Season of Mist and us working with booking agency Factory Music, we actually forgot to update you guys through email. We know, not everyone is following us on Facebook so some of you might have missed these announcements. If you want to read more about these announcements, please visit our new website at www.exivious.net
Release date
So, we finally have a release date for Liminal! November 8th in Europe and November 12th in the US. We wish it could have been faster, but unfortunately, labels need their time to prepare releases and November was the absolute earliest they could do. Our apologies for the long wait!
Crowdfunding / label version confusion
There's been some confusion about a crowdfunding version of Liminal verses a label version. To clear things up: there will only be one version. The customers who pre-ordered the digipak will receive the digipak as is. The customers who ordered the Personalized Unique Edition will receive the digipak packaged in a fancy little box together with their own unique poster, some stickers and a flyer. All orders (digipak / Personalized Unique Edition / PUE plus shirt etc.) will be sent out at the same time: as soon as we receive the digipaks from Season of Mist.
Thanks for the patience and the support!
Exivious
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Not to be confused with meth... Maeth is quite the interesting band. I could sit here rambling in an attempt to describe them but this Bandcamp quote pretty much hits the nail on the head.
"proggy, riffy, textured. well thought out music. instrumentation is exacting and brilliant. came across maeth just as random search but have loved every second of this gem"
They mix together a bunch of styles into a truly unique and off-kiltered listening experience which is... well... worth experiencing. Especially for all the progheads out there. And just to sweeten the deal, the band is offering up their recent album "Oceans Into Ashes" along with their debut EP "Horse Funeral" for "name your price" downloads on Bandcamp! That's right. Stream below and support this band if you enjoy!
Australia's sweetest progressive artist Plini is finally returning with a new EP called "Sweet Nothings". This is going to be Plini's second EP working as a follow up to "Other Things" which was released earlier this year.
"Sweet Nothings" will be released independently on October 11th. The release will come together with some amazing artwork. There will be a limited series of physical hard copies that you can already pre-order. Grab yours here!
Plini has uploaded a splendid trailer to his channel showing off some of the material he's been working on. If you're a fan of forward thinking progressive music, fusion, amazing atmospheres and soundscapes you should check this out immediately. Don't miss your chance to get your copy of this amazing work!
It's happening! Praise the lord! These two amazing artists have been working for awhile but now their collaboration has become a solid reality. Plini and Sythu Aye will release their first split EP “I” very soon, on November 28th precisely. They also revealed the artwork and a beautiful teaser to announce their plan.
Links: Plini Facebook // Bandcamp // Sithu Aye Facebook // Bandcamp
