Dark Tranquillity - Zero Distance EP plus Bonus DT and Laethora Videos!

I'm not really sure why I forgot about this back in April, but I did. Dark Tranquillity released a new "virtual EP" (i.e. no physical product) called Zero Distance, and released another one of their mind-boggling videos courtesy of Aduro Labs, which is made up of Niklas Sundin, Peter Herneheim and Love Andersson. Sundin, if you remember, was responsible for the last 3 DT videos I posted here.

The EP is available from iTunes and Amazon and is a good, solid new load of exactly what you want from Dark Tranquillity. It's five track listing goes as follows:

1. Zero Distance
2. Out Of Gravity
3. Star Of Nothingness
4. To Where Fires Cannot Feed
5. The Bow And The Arrow

As if the one Aduro video wasn't enough, here is another by Niklas Sundin himself. This one is for The Sightless by Laethora, a band made up mostly of members of The Provenance, and with Mr Sundin thrown in on guitars and videos for good measure.

I'd recommend viewing the HD version of these full screen with the music very loud. But I think that goes without saying!

Aquilus - Classical black metal infusion for the mind

I discovered Aquilus and their latest album Griseus quite by accident on bandcamp recently, and was immediately intrigued. As far as I can tell (although I could be wrong) this is a one man project combining black and folk metal with contemporary classical music. One Horace Rosenqvist is the only listed member, and if he is really doing this alone then I can only admire his significant musical talent.

The music itself is reminiscent of many things; Agalloch, perhaps, for the black metal/folk infusion and vocal style; Opeth, for the proggier guitar riffs that punctuate the songs; Handel, Grieg, Vivaldi, and any number of modern classical musicians for the beautifully intricate, occasionally delicate, sometimes soaring classical sections that fit seamlessly between the disquieting rasp of the black metal and jangly folk guitars.

At over and hour long, with some of the songs stretching over quarter of an hour each, this is a time consuming yet thoroughly rewarding listening experience. While there are 8 songs on the album, I have so far listened to it all at once several times over so it has taken on the feeling of a single 80 minute soundscape, ever rolling, rising, falling as the styles shift seamlessly new parts appear, vanish and reappear to make sure it never feels repetitive or dull.

If you like classical and metal, and even more if you like the sound of combining the two, I’d heartily recommend giving this a listen. According to the one Facebook post that has so far been made on the band page, the second album is already in production. Watch this space, then, I suppose!

Mostly Autumn - Ghost Moon Orchestra

Coming both suddenly and after what feels like an age, Mostly Autumn have finally released their second album since Olivia Sparnenn took the vocal reins. Ghost Moon Orchestra is a shift in style for Mostly Autumn, presumably to take advantage of the abilities of their new singer.

Ostensibly this is a loose concept album about the titular Ghost Moon Orchestra, a supernatural array of spiritual musicians playing the music of the world. From the lyrics, it’s apparent that the orchestra of malevolent, the devil himself seeing competition in the race to damnation. When you hear the orchestra, they’re playing your song. And when you hear your song, your time is up.

In fact only a few tracks appear to feature the Ghost Moon Orchestra itself, including the superb album opener Unquiet Tears. Combining the best of Heartful Of Sky’s disquieting sections with a new symphonic sound really showcases Olivia’s vocals and shows her to be more than just Heather Findlay MkII.

This style is continued on and off through the album, in particular on the title track and Wild Eyes Skies. It’s a departure from their usual style, but seems to have injected some much needed energy into the release after the pleasant but ultimately forgettable Go Well Diamond Heart.

It’s said that one should take the rough with the smooth, though, and there is some rough on this album. Most particularly track 3, a Josh-fronted blues rocker entitled The Devil And The Orchestra. In fact, Bryan’s vocals seem weak and, in most cases, off key until track five. The trademark lyrical clunkers are there, too. “Some of you buggers go up to eleven” is a terrible lyric to include in an otherwise wonderfully atmospheric track, and “hungry” only has two syllables. You’ll know it when you hear it. It’s jarring.

The rest of the album from track five is back on form, though, with the previously noted Wild Eyes Skies being the pinnacle from which Top Of The World carries it through the finish line.

Overall, then, this is a good album with a healthy dose of the new symphonic style complementing some good, traditionally Mostly Autumnal tracks. Get rid of track 3 entirely and take Bryan’s parts out of tracks 1, 2 and 4 and this would be great album. As it is it’s tainted with a frustrated annoyance as each clunky, missung note and lyrical faux pas detracts from the listening experience. It’s a shame because it feels like, had it gone once more through the mangle, all these kinks could have been ironed out. Still, I shall continue to listen because the good is very good, and the bad is not so bad that it ruins the experience completely.

Except track 3. I always skip track 3.