Harpoon - Deception Among Birds

One you might of missed.

Harpoon hit a high with their release of "Deception Among
Birds". This was an ambitious blend of punk and hardcore but
with elements of math/prog that also drew from the depths of doom.

Much like Humanfly, this band are not bound by a generic template
but rather just follow where the music takes them. Always heavy,
always changing, this was an excellent album, that for me,
stood out among the releases of 2011.

Repeated plays open up the expansive ideas that are offered up
to the listener. Do not take my word for it - Seventh Rule
Recordings have kindly put it up for a free download Here!

Facebook

Eight Bells - The Captain's Daughter

Formed from the ashes of SubArachnoid Space, Eight Bells
is the new project for founder Melynda Jackson and drummer
Chris Van Huffel.

Using the template of sonic guitar exploration, Eight Bells
bring a more metal and evil feeling vibe than previously
used with SubArachnoid Space.

With new member Haley Westeiner on bass and vocals - which

are minimal - this trio are forging a sinister mix of prog-metal

and bursts of experimental blackened chaos. 

Super freaked solos wash over drones and feedback while the

thunderous drumming pushes the riffs into noise filled squalls

of distorted, psychedelic jams that have the feeling of chaos

that threatens to make everything fall apart ...... but then, delicate

passages with ghostly ambience bring things back together again.

I loved SAS but with this album, some of the post-rock noodlings

have gone, leaving a much more stripped down band that are boldly

going into the unknown, without a compass or map .... fuck knows

where they are going but I will gladly jump on board and see

where we end up.

This goes straight away into my albums of the year list.

Highly recommeded.

Buy from the always magnificent Seventh Rule Records

Facebook

Thanks to Liz at Earsplit PR.

Millions - Failure Tactics

Seventh Rule Recordings have released the new album by

Millions and it fucking kills.

Post-hardcore/noise rock is the order of the day and the band

have upped the ante from the 2009 "Gather, Scatter". Shared vocals

give an urgency to the dark lyrics which are laid over meaty, chord

led riffs.

The music is dense and loud, chaotic but controlled with a tension

that threatens to burst out in violence. The two guitars sound as

if they are at war with each other as they trade aggressive riffs

but they are underpinned with the very solid drumming and

the fuzzed up rumble-monster that is the bass.

The record was produced by Chicago’s Andrew Ragin 

(THE ATLAS MOTH), mastered by Kyle Spence (HARVEY MILK)

and the result is a sonic barrage of taut songs that will make you

play again and again.

This is a fantastic album that will be in my "best of list" this

year without a doubt and could well be the album that makes

people really take notice of Millions - Recommended! 

Get CD/Digital version from Seventh Rule Bandcamp

Facebook

Raise The Red Lantern - Breathe Fire (2005)

One you might of missed.

Raise The Red Lantern play a pulverising mix of hardcore and
sludge type rock that sounds like High On fire crossed with
Coliseum.

Fat powerful slabs of sound riff away on unstoppable grooves
while the solos are cranked out with distortion and menace
but never for the sake of flashiness.

The vocals are yelled/shouted/screamed to great effect and across
the whole album, the songs just stomp along.

I was always kinda thought this would of been a Relapse/ Southern
Lord release but it came out on the always fantastic Seventh Rule
Records.

They have it on a free download Here