Gespenst-The Bloodline

Pay close attention, readers.  Today we are featuring a year-plus old album that qualifies as another undiscovered gem.   How I found out about today's record was via a recent release from Fluttery Records, which we will feature on the next installment.  Today's post is an apt lead-in to what we will be talking about next.

It can be difficult to come across great music from the East, but this definitely qualifies. 

Gespenst was founded in Kuala-Lumpur, Malaysia by brothers Syahmi and Zuhair Rawi.  This is the first Malaysian group of any genre music I have found, which makes this record unique in a different way.

As it turns out, there is plenty unique about this disc.  This is not your standard-fare post-rock sound.  While it does feature loads of stretching atmospherics, generous helpings of keyboards and pianos, it also offers huge, chunks of guitar riffing and plenty of tasty leads.  This disc also features sparse vocals, and by sparse, I mean rarer than those found on your average Sigur Ros disc. 

What I love about this album is that, in addition to stretched melodies and eerie ambiance, it features rock beats that you can nod your head to.  Gespenst puts the rock back in post-rock.  Some bands are doing this nowadays--think recent releases by If These Trees Could Talk and Exxasens.  This is a somewhat new development in post-rock which is actually more of a nod to the old-school styles of post rock from stalwart bands such as Mogwai and Godspeed You! Black Emperor. 

Although this is a short album, clocking in with seven tracks averaging around five and half minutes in length, it is something I am really digging.  I'm glad I found out about the subject of our next installment, because it led me right to Gespenst.  This is a fantastic record that I can recommend again and again, even if you are not a fan of post-rock.  Thanks to Gespenst's bandcamp page, we've got the full album stream ready for you to feast your ears on.  Enjoy!

If These Trees Could Talk-Red Forest review

Greetings, readers and listeners!  We hope you have enjoyed the holiday, whether it be Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or whatever other holiday you chose to commemorate.  If you don't celebrate any such holiday, then happy antipathy month!

Now that we're back from our mini vacation, it is time to review some more albums that I missed in 2012.  Today's color is from If These Trees Could Talk.  This is a newer Ohio band that is a promising talent in the post-rock genre.

"Red Forest" is in some ways a deviation on the standard post rock sound in that it fuses elements from both ambient and metal to create a unique sound that cannot be justly described by simply name-dropping other bands.  In some ways, "Red Forest" is similar to later works from Godspeed You! Black Emperor and in other ways comparable to Monochromie and Ana Never. 

With these release, ITTCT incorporate heavy low-end bass, off-kilter drum patters, and distorted, driving riffs into the usual looped and stretched guitar melodies and delicate atmospheric electronics.  This is a defining trait of this band.  Drawing influences from Pelican, ITTCT bring a brilliant wave of progressive metal riffing to the front of the mix.  This effect is neither drowned by nor overpowering to the post rock elements, which plays a fascinating role in defining the sound and emotion this band expresses. 

Throughout its nine tracks, "Red Forest" varies in both tempo and approach.  This content is what makes this album such a rewarding listen.  Don't ignore this album if you dislike metal, but also give it a listen if your musical tastes are not in tune with post rock.  This album is a non genre-specific listening experience and can be enjoyable to listeners who follow a variety of musical styles.  Check this album out via the full stream, courtesy of If These Trees Could Talk's bandcamp page.  Thanks for listening and enjoy!