Indie Shoutout vol. 7

A Troop Of Echoes is a Providence, Rhode Island -based post-rock/mathrock group with a touch of jazziness and a lot of potential. Their newest full-length album The Longest Year On Record was released last June. The core band consists of a guitarist (Nick Cooper), a bassist (Harrison Hartley), a drummer (Dan Moriarty) and a saxophonist (Peter Gilli). The album also features almost 20 guest artists on strings, horns, percussions etc. 

At first listen The Longest Year On Record seems like a breath of fresh air on a sunny but cold autumn day. The melodies and rhythms are both mellow and upright at the same time. The pace of the album seems to be carried by a change of energetic and calm parts. 

The album's opener Manifest and Legion is a beautiful song which utilises the bands capabilities from the get-go. Groovy drums, beautiful guitar melodies and jazzy saxophone playing along with "the feels" of post-rock. The ending which consists of a rumbling wall of all kinds of drums and toms and such leads the song to the second track Small Fires which is an energetic piece. To me the only downside to this track is that at times the saxophone melody seems like it should be a vocal melody..only it's played on a sax. The highpoint is when the sax gets a little boost from a reverb and plays some high notes. Small Fires was a good choice for a single release. The third song Arecibo doesn't really bring a lot more to the table other than some crunchier bass-lines and a tad more distortion on the guitar.

Further down the album the song Severna hit me totally. This was the point in which I knew The Longest Year On Record was a good album. It starts off with a beautiful saxophone melody which then leads to the rest of the band coming along. The song has a great saxophone solo by Gilli. I also have to give credit to the drums on this track. The first half is groovy and the latter gives the song a lot of dynamic potential...I mean a LOT. The next song Constellation is also a favourite of mine. A great crescendo leading to a guitar melody that breaks out of typical keys to bring the song an interesting touch. The ending is another crescendo in the feel of the first one adding once again some great dynamic drum play. 

The title track of the album comes second to last; after a beautifully constructed sort of an interlude-like song Broadway Ghost which carries the album onward nicely. The Longest Year On Record is yet again a very dynamic track. It doesn't really introduce anything new other than a tempo change and some chorus singing. A very enjoyable track which grows throughout the track. 

The ending song Pure Alexia (is silent in this room) is almost a perfect ender in all it's subtlety. The sounds of the piano and the sax fit well together in this one. After the end I'm left with a great, refreshed feel of satisfaction. The only gripes I had with this album were minor out-of-tune saxophone parts (or maybe it's just me) and I wish the bass was mixed a tad louder. 

All in all a great album and worth at least a download. A Troop Of Echoes has the album available for digital download, CD and an upcoming vinyl release. The download and order is possible through their bandcamp site @https://atroopofechoes.bandcamp.com 

Love

- Matti

Indie Shoutout vol. 6

Night Lives is a fresh sound in the music scene of Joensuu, Finland. Their hardcore sound instantly triggers an image of the hardcore monster Converge in my mind. Night Lives released their debut LP titled Shadow Of Man this month. The album contains 8 strong hardcore songs with a bit of sludge and post-metal thrown in the mix for some personality.

I had heard of Night Lives in early 2014 when I heard a couple of songs from the upcoming album from their bandcamp-site.

Shadow Of Man is divided into 2 sides as it's only released as vinyl and digital download (links below). The A-side starts with a track called No Dawn which demonstrates the band's contrast-filled sound of hardcore and post-metal. The second track Burn Tradition was probably the first track I heard of this band. This track brings more of that hardcore punk element to the album which then continues in the track Vows. Strong riffs and the vocal sound accompany each other through the track which ends on a melodic and melancholic lead guitar melody/riff. The last track on the A-side is called Break which is pure Converge-styled HC.

We then switch to the B-side which starts with a mellow and eerie intro to the song First Tide. The song develops into a huge crushing explosion. The song then connects itself to the next track Last Wave which continues with the energy-filled punk riffs. After that the record calms down to the title track Shadow Of Man which starts with a cello intro giving the song some distance from the rest of the album. Shadow Of man is clearly my favorite track of the album as it sticks out the most of the eight songs. The last song Dawn is a slow closing track that has a lot or melodic guitar leads and post-metal-ish crushing.

Over all the album reminds me a lot of the epitome-record Jane Doe of Converge. I will definitely check Night Lives out in Ilosaarirock this summer

Shadow Of Man is available for download for only 6€ @ nightlivesband.bandcamp.com.




Peace
- Matti

Indie Shoutout vol.4

Rats Will Feast on suomalainen hardcore-punkkia ja post-rockia yhdistelevä bändi, jolla on kaikki tarvittavat eväät tulevaisuutta varten. Suomalainen melankolia puree kovaa ja haikeat melodiat tuovat sopivan kontrastin riistävälle hc-punk-mätölle. Rats Will Feastin nimikkoalbumi on kuuden kappaleen paketti pelkkää tunnetta. Bändillä on paljon yhteneviä piirteitä ∞ (Eight):in kanssa ja bändit sopisivatkin uskomattoman hyvin samalle lavalle (ovatpahan bändit vieläpä samasta kaupungista kotoisin).

Kuuntele ja vakuutu!

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Rats Will Feast is a Finnish band that fits hardcore-punk and post-rock in the mix. The Finnish melancholy bites hard and the sad melodies bring about a huge contrast with the hc-punk riffing. Rats Will Feast' self titled album is a six song package full of emotion. The band has a lot in common with ∞ (Eight) and the two bands would fit nicely on the same stage together (and they even originate from the same town).

Listen and be convinced!