Corelia - Nostalgia (2011)

It's somewhat rare for things as cool as this to come out; things, if you're like me, in the line of any Sikth release, Floating World, Nightmares of the Ocean, "Froggin' Bullfrogs," , Dementia/Dyslexia, Scurrilous, etc. Things where every single one of its parts comes together in absolutely awesome ways; but before I draw this out too much, I'll stop here. Give this a listen if you love quick and absolutely nasty riffs and smooooth guitar tones ala Haunted Shores, wonderfully varied vocals from a guy whose voice really does go "up like an angel and down like a wounded ox," and some surprisingly compelling drums (think Bulb's programmed drums in his demos, but better).

Note: Take this to your graaa aaa aaa AAA AAAAAVEEEEEE

@V0

Exemption - Public Cemetary Party (2010)

I'll admit right away to being less-than-sober as I write this blurb, so I'll also apologize in this sentence if any of the following turns me to ramble:

I made the mistake of discovering this band the very day I met an absolutely vivacious (now ex-)girl(friend), as well as spinning Public Cemetary Party on the drive to-and-from the last lunch I had with her, and as such, this album, to me, will forever be associated with a shortlived and probably prematurely exhausted flame. Without delving into my personal life any further, I feel like drawing a comparison between this album and the aformentioned girl is valid in this case: Think of the most blisteringly hot Summer you can, whether that image comes from true experience or pure imagination, and try to imbue the feelings you felt during that time, minus anything negative, into a Saturday morning cartoon show that plays with the themes of childhood, growing adulthood and consequent responsibility, and love and loss. If I haven't lost you yet, hopefully you've got some general feeling brewing in your head that you, depending on how old you are, probably lost some time ago--something that that timeless innocence prevalent only on playgrounds can ever truly touch. That, right there, is what both Public Cemetary Party and my reminiscings of my one-that-got-away bring me back to: some space lost in a love letter that a third-grader never finished writing.

If you ever read this, Chelsea, this isn't for you--it's for anyone who still thinks that music can be one of many keys to unlocking our happiest moments. But bye anyway, kiddo.

@V0

Last Chance to Reason - Level 2 (2011)

Get it while it's hot, folks. The first real gem of 2011.

I tend to post these blurbs in a hurry, and for no real reason. I feel rushed, though I'm only answering to myself and keeping to an extremely loose "schedule" that only I, myself, have made, and that's never been indelibly engrained into or on to anything, anywhere, ever. Once I start writing one of these things, my brain kickstarts an invisible timer, and if I haven't vaguely gotten what I want to say about a specific band or album into a word document by the time that timer hits its double-zeros... well, I suppose that's when that "very specific danger" that the OCD-laden hold themselves as submissives to appears in my itinerary, threatening to ruin my sunny day.

That's not happening this time.

No, I really want to say a lot of things about this album, but even if I don't, I want to leave you with a sense of what I feel it is. Level 2 isn't just a slab of metal--it's something that each of us experiences, time and time again, during our most translucent moments: a very resolute... something. I can't quite put my finger on it, but it's undoubtedly some not-quite-lucid-or-tangible sense of power. As an example: I tend to grin like an asshole whenever I feel absolutely confident, no matter who's around me; and I grin that very same grin whenever I spin this album. The way it opens, the way it climaxes, and the way it ends are all just so analagous to the human condition in its most triumphant crises. If you're wondering what that means, spin this one on an extra-hardy cardio workout or during your very own cop-chase--you may, then, have an idea.

The perfect digital marriage of Between the Buried and Me and Cynic.

@V0

Homesick for Space - Discography (2001-2010)

So I'm back (at least for a little while), and rather than start off on a baller-ass note, I thought I'd take this opportunity to post something a bit (i.e., much) more melancholic and definitely meant for cooler months: Homesick for Space. Don't ignore their name, as even upon that stepping stone to the band's career, they touched on the single, inbetween emotion that would permeate their entire catalog: a longing (homesickness) for some space that can't quite be grasped. This stuff is horribly, awfully and terribly congruous to how I feel on my least-sober days following a not-quite-mutual breakup, and I've got an inkling that that might be a close heir to the headspace these guys were in as they wrote and recorded these three albums.

Note: Not for birthdays, congratulatory celebrations, or getting into that really cute and bubbly girl's pants.

2001 - Homesick for Space @V0

2003 - Unison @V0

2010 - All We Are Now (or, 2007's ...Please Continue renamed and physically issued) @V0

Periphery - Periphery (2010)

4/22 - I just got the deluxe double-disc edition of this album in my mailbox and in my hurry to upload both of its versions (mostly for close friends, for now) I've neglected to write a proper blurb for it. Rest assured patrons: I'll remedy my negligence as soon as finals week is over.

Note: Got the idea to "invert" the cover art because the instrumental disc has the inverted colors on it. Unfortunately, this was after I uploaded the album. If you want in on my INGENIOUSNESS, this link may help you.

(Removed. Sorry guys.)

Benea Reach - Discography (2007-2008)

Warning: This blurb is ninety percent Alleviat. It's also my most review-like. Don't worry, I'm clamoring for air as well.

A friend on Last.FM avidly recommended Benea Reach to me right around the time Alleviat came out. I gave both that album and Monument Bioneothan a spin, and afterwards very nearly forget about the band entirely. Since then, I've had them at the edge of my tongue, sub-consciously knowing that something special could, if dug deep enough, be found in their music. Now, having my memory jogged only this week, I've once again set out to hear what all the fuss was, and still is, about.

. . . and here I am, making a point of writing this while I listen, being utterly annihilated. Never in my life have I ever heard anything as completely sonically crushing as the entirety of Alleviat. I'm so taciturn that I can't even begin to imagine what I was thinking when I first heard it, or how this band slipped right through my mind without an ounce of protest. Benea work their magic by lulling you to repose and keeping you there with near-despondent brutality woven with haunting leisure; and though each song may seem thick at first, they quickly form a more whole identity with every subsequent listen.

Though both albums are cuts from the same species, Monument Bineothan is, however, a slightly different beast. It was before Benea perfected their atmosphere and Ilkka, their frontman, discovered what a god as a vocalist would sound like, though he was well on his way; the riffs weren't as full-sounding and uproariously uplifting as they are on the newer Alleviat, nor as catchy.--But to assert Monument's not being a major stepping stone in this band's career, or one of 2007's gems, would be a mistake--their acute originality can be seen in either era.

For fans of Meshuggah, Swallow the Sun, or anything that sounds like it was specifically recorded to bring about the apocalypse.

Note: My setups are usually somewhat EQ'd, but no one could or would deny Alleviat's absolutely immaculate production. The sound of it alone can get you pumped like no "FUCKING DEATHCORE" ultimate workout playlist could ever dream of doing. I'm out of breath just listening.

2007 - Monument Bineothan @V0: Part 1 & Part 2
2008 - Alleviat @V0: Part 1 & Part 2