Monochromie-Enlighten Yourself...review

Greetings, all!

As I mentioned last week, life has been busy and other priorities have gotten in the way of us updating the blog.  I promised an album review for this week, so here it is.

Today we take a look at the new Monochromie album, "Enlighten Yourself While You Sleep." 

Monochromie is the musical project of French artist Wilson Trouve.  This disc has proven to be a worthy follow-up to the always spectacular "Angels and Demons."  Naturally, when news broke earlier this year about the brand new album, I was stoked.  I patiently waited until the day of release and then purchased it without having heard a single track.  "Angels and Demons" had that big an impact on me.

Continuing with the overall concept of dreamy, ambient post-rock, the new disc introduces a plethora of sounds, including light bells, distorted buzzing, and atmospheric swells of ambient keyboards.  The distortion on this disc is astounding, but Trouve is careful to not lean on it too much.  Instead of coming across overbearing or plain noisy, it serves its purpose to enhance the exceptional musical quality on display.

Fans of post-rock heavy hitters Mono and Hammock can not go wrong with this release. 

In terms of mood, "Enlighten Yourself..." displays a more somber, reflective attitude, dwelling more in the darker aspects of the post-rock sound.  The aura of sadness this album conveys, however, is not uninterrupted.  Instead, uplifting melodies stroll through the darkened landscape like sparks on live electrical cables.  Explosions of introverted silence and sweeping atmospheres pace the record. 

Overall, this was a very enjoyable listen.  It is up to par with "Angels and Demons" and even surpasses it on some fronts. 

As a side note, Monochromie's label, Fluttery Records, has been kind enough to post a snippet of my raving review of "Angels and Demons" to help promote "Enlighten Yourself..."  Check out a couple of standout tracks here.  As always, thanks for reading and enjoy!!
P.S. Sorry for the poor image quality.  The software wasn't uploading the larger image.

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!

Monochromie-Angels and Demons review

Don't get me wrong.  I liked the film adaptation of Dan Brown's "Angels and Demons" a lot, and the score was incredible.  But, no this review has nothing to do with the film, the book, or the soundtrack.  Today we are looking at the new album from French post-rock act Monochromie.

Monochromie is the product of Wilson Trouvé.  His music shows a unique perspective on the post-rock genre, presenting numerous attitudes and textures through the musical landscape.  This variety is what makes Monochromie one of the best post-rock artists around in my opinion.  Airy ambient structures collide with more earthen live instrumentals and keyboards, which are at times distorted beyond recognition.  These opposing viewpoints, between light and bleak atmospheres, creates an impressive melody that at times flows like placid waters and at others like jumbles of boulders.  Chaos is interspersed with calm.  This texture may sound disjointed, but it works remarkably well. 

Citing influences ranging from Explosions in the Sky to Frederic Chopin to Franz Schubert, Monochromie is well-versed in several styles of music, including ambient, electronic, post-rock and even classical.  This variety is presented well throughout the album.

"Angels and Demons" relies on electronic ambient spheres of music played in tandem with heavily distorted live instruments to create melody, which is a tactic many post-rock bands employ.  This album has no vocals.  The music at times sounds uplifting and proud, and at others downtrodden and sad.  These kinds of contrasts are present at every turn during this album.  I can proudly give this album better marks than many of the other post-rock albums I have reviewed of late.  This is on par with Hammock's new offering, and even better than Inner Trip and Ana Never.  I highly recommend this music to fans of down tempo and electronic music, as well as the average fan not experienced in post-rock. 

Check out the full album stream, courtesy of Monochromie's bandcamp page below.  Thanks for reading and enjoy!!