Posts Tagged ‘The Obelisk’

Album of the day: Russian Circles – Empros

Posted on Tuesday, October 25th, 2011

Lovingly pinched from The Obelisk: For their fourth album, Empros (first directly for Sargent House), the instrumental three-piece Russian Circles returned to producer Brandon Curtis of The Secret Machines, who also helmed 2009’s Geneva.

The reasons why are fairly obvious: What the Chicago outfit was able to accomplish with Geneva was their most formidable blend yet of ambience and post-metallic heft, and for the sheer sounds Curtis was able to capture from guitarist Mike Sullivan, bassist Brian Cook (also ex-Botch / These Arms are Snakes) and drummer Dave Turncrantz, their wanting to recreate at least that element of the Geneva experience is well justified.

That said, Empros and Geneva are different enough albums that, even without vocals as the latest is – except for the psychedelic lullaby closer ‘Praise be Man’ – it becomes clear Russian Circles approached the construction of these songs with something altogether heavier in mind. It’s not so much that their tones have changed, though right from opener ’309′, there’s a lot riding on the sometimes Godfleshy and mechanized feel of Cook’s bass, but the way the material is put together. Where some of Geneva’s ambience was allowed to wander, the six tracks of Empros are less so, so that even when the heaviness breaks into a stretch of indie-infused airy atmospherics, loops and long-ringing tones, there’s a pointedness and direction to them.

Likewise, when Russian Circles do launch into one of the crunching parts through which they’ve helped innovate post-metal instrumentalism, they sound heavier than they ever have. Four albums in, they also know how to make that work to their advantage.

Continue reading: The Obelisk » Blog Archive » Russian Circles, Empros: ORD to AMS
Courtesy of JJ Koczan / The Obelisk

Tags: Album of the day, Brandon Curtis, Brian Cook, Dave Turncrantz, Empros, Mike Sullivan, post rock, Russian Circles, Sargent House, The Obelisk
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Album of the day: Nordic Nomadic – Worldwide Skyline

Posted on Friday, October 21st, 2011

Lovingly pinched from The Obelisk: Stepping somewhat outside his role as the frontman and guitarist for Toronto psychedelic pasture-izers Quest for Fire, Chad Ross is the sole figure behind the unsurprisingly more minimal Nordic Nomadic. He released a self-titled album under the moniker after starting the project in 2007 and ...read more

Album of the day: The House of Capricorn – Sign of the Cloven Hoof

Posted on Wednesday, October 19th, 2011

Lovingly pinched from The Obelisk: With one of the most beautiful cities in one of the world’s most beautiful regions as their backdrop, Auckland, New Zealand’s The House of Capricorn make their full-length debut with Sign of the Cloven Hoof (Swamps of One Tree Hill), and though it seems with ...read more

Album of the day: Black Cobra – Invernal

Posted on Thursday, September 29th, 2011

Lovingly pinched from The Obelisk: They are among the upper echelon of today’s heavy live acts, but that has turned out to be the undoing of each successive full-length from near-nomadic Los Angeles duo Black Cobra: The inability to stand up to the high standard set by the live show. ...read more

Album of the day: Spirits of the Dead – The Great God Pan

Posted on Thursday, September 22nd, 2011

Lovingly pinched from The Obelisk: The well-received Norwegian four-piece Spirits of the Dead released their self-titled debut in 2010 to what was – if the extensive collection of press quotes is anything to go by – considerable fanfare. The follow-up to said debut arrives in the form of The Great ...read more

Album of the day: Mars Red Sky – Mars Red Sky

Posted on Wednesday, September 14th, 2011

Lovingly pinched from The Obelisk: Making their home in the rich dirt of France’s Bordeaux region, the trio Mars Red Sky specialize in gorgeously-toned and natural-sounding fuzz that comes on huge and overwhelming, but is rife also with engaging melody and psychedelic flourish. Guitarist Julien Pras (also Calc) is like ...read more

Album of the day: Blut – Grief and Incurable Pain

Posted on Wednesday, August 3rd, 2011

Lovingly pinched from The Obelisk: Apart from a sample at the beginning of the first of its two tracks that’s soon swallowed whole by a distortion tsunami and some screams peppered throughout both tracks, there is no discernible speech anywhere within the just under 70 minutes of Blut’s second full-length ...read more

The Obelisk : In Conversation With YOB’s Mike Scheidt

Posted on Thursday, July 21st, 2011

JJ Koczan of The Obelisk recently conducted an interview with Mike Scheidt of YOB, and it features questions focusing on the band’s second album for Profound Lore, called Atma, which will be released on Aug. 16,  and much more. The Obelisk: At this point, do you have something that’s a definitive ...read more

Album of the day: Backwoods Payback – Momantha

Posted on Saturday, July 16th, 2011

Lovingly pinched from The Obelisk: It was kind of a surprise when Small Stone signed West Chester, Pennsylvania, riff mongers Backwoods Payback. Not that the band is undeserving. In the live arena, they stand up to anyone you want to put them against (including, regularly, formidable labelmates Lo-Pan), but their ...read more

Album of the day: Yob – Atma

Posted on Tuesday, July 12th, 2011

Lovingly pinched from The Obelisk: YOB’s 2009 return, The Great Cessation, was fueled by a seething anger so visceral it practically stabbed its way out of the speakers. The Eugene, Oregon, trio’s first release for Profound Lore following a breakup after 2005’s landmark The Unreal Never Lived and the ensuing ...read more