24 de septiembre de 2013

Robert Fripp Announces The Return Of King Crimson


Via an update of his online diary prog rock legend Robert Fripp has announced that King Crimson is in "Go!" mode. The band had been on hiatus since they cancelled part of their 40th anniversary tour in 2009.
Fripp's entry for September 6th confirms the new band is back as a seven-piece with three drummers, Bill Rieflin (ex-Ministry, R.E.M.) being one of them, while the previous entry hinted at Tony Levin on bass.

Mastodon To Head For The Studio In November


Mastodon have announced through their Facebook page that there won't be any more touring in 2013 and that they'll use the time they have left to dive deep into the writing and recording of the new album with aims of finishing before 2014.
The band had previously referred to some of the songs they've been working on as "radioheadish" and "spooky".




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19 de septiembre de 2013

The Fall Of Troy Announce Reunion Shows For December


The Fall Of Troy are getting back together for a few shows this December. The band had separated in 2010 with Thomas Erak going on to form a new band called Just Like Vinyl which is already working on their third record. 
The dates were announced via Facebook and they will consist of three shows at Red 7 in Austin, TX on December 27th, 28th, and 29th where they will play "The Fall of Troy", "Doppelgänger" and "Manipulator" in their entirety.

New Pearl Jam Single Turns Down The Volume


Pearl Jam have released the second single off their upcoming album "Lightning Bolt". The song explores new grounds for the seattleite band, a tender love song that sounds exactly like "a rock band in their forties" which is not a bad thing at all, specially for a band that has always shown a high level of maturity in their work.
"Lightning Bolt" will be released on October 15th, meanwhile you can watch the video for "Sirens" below, or check their first single here.


6 de septiembre de 2013

Protest The Hero Debut New Song And Reveal Artwork For Volition


Canadian band Protest The Hero are back with a new single from their upcoming album "Volition". The follow up to 2011's "Scurrilous" will be released on October 29th. The artwork was painted by Jeff Jordan, who is primarily known for his work with The Mars Volta and also painted the cover for Leprous' Coal. The new song, titled "Clarity", can be streamed here.

1 de septiembre de 2013

[Review] Karnivool - Asymmetry


Karnivool is a prog rock/metal quintet from Perth that has often been compared to Tool by a number of reasons, musical or not; their dark sound, sometimes cryptic lyrics, polyrythms and odd time signatures have drawn comparisons between both. Curiously enough they share the last three letters out of their names and a tendency to take 4 or 5 years between releases.
But how deep do these similarities go? Well, Karnivool has made certain that they draw a line between both bands with their new record, Asymmetry.

The band has incorporated a few elements from hardcore and post rock, the songs are mostly fast, equally melodic and agressive, the guitar arrangements often sound loose and more like part of the background sound of the band than something that is meant to draw attention, leaving that role to vocals and drums. Both guitars and bass mix and melt into a wall of sound that surrounds the listener. The production contributes to this feeling, even when there's not a lot of layers to pick apart, the guitars are often hard to tell from each other in the noisiest parts, and drums feel like they are mixed too loud, with cymbals that sound too distorted and trebly.

Overall the album pays homage to it's name. Asymmetry can be easily divided in two halves, the first being compact and comprised of mostly upbeat songs, with The Refusal peaking in agressivity. The second, much more melodic and laid back, has some songs separated by long ambient and instrumental interludes. This, in my opinion, is not inherently good or bad. While it feels like the album lacks focus or a clear background idea it also keeps things from getting stale; for an album that clocks at about 67 minutes having most of it composed of songs like those in the first half would tire the listener too fast. The lyrics deal mostly with existencialism (though not exclusively), with lines like "Try to understand/ There is no great plan/ We will cross the line/ With an open mind" and "I want us to face the shape we're in/ A world of confusion awaits our sons and kin/ Let's reset it all".

There's no doubt this album is a grower, while initially it feels like it goes nowhere, once you memorize some of the songs and review the flow of the album in your head, the rest starts to sink in slowly and then it becomes a much more rewarding experience. Show patience and you'll see the results soon enough.

7.5/10