Music Reviews

[Music] Piarevaracien – Spadčyna / Heritage

/ Rudy Carrera / Leave a comment

First, a debt of thanks to our friends at Heathen Harvest. Yes, we have some differences politically, religiously and socially, but Paddy has done a sterling job in bringing some amazing music to the forefront of the underground music scene. We wish them continued success.

HH recently reviewed a new release by Belarusian folk-metal band Piarevaracien. I had never heard anything from them until today, and though I normally don’t find much interest in the metal work, folk-metal is too intriguing for me to ignore. You find old Belarusian rhythms, including bagpipe music, mixed with a very thoughtful metal compositions.

There’s quite a lot of this sort of music floating around these days, and I’d say most of it is good. This one is particularly so.

[Music] Hakobune ~ Apsidal Motion / Chihei Hatakeyama & Corey Fuller ~ Euphotic — a closer listen

/ Rudy Carrera / Leave a comment

Takahiro Yorifuju’s music is soothing and supple, but new heights are reached on the single, 42 minute Apsidal Motion. Inspired by the starlit sky of Nigata and the countryside of Japan, Apsidal Motion is a dreamy delight. Above all, it’s beautiful music, and we mustn’t take its beauty for granted. Under the stars (and absent of any kind of […]

via Hakobune ~ Apsidal Motion / Chihei Hatakeyama & Corey Fuller ~ Euphotic — a closer listen

[Review] Mydy Rabycad – Glamtronic

/ Rudy Carrera / Leave a comment

glamtronic-front

I wish to thank my friend Prsemyl, who is my contact for Indies Records in the Czech Republic, for introducing me to this band.

Mydy Rabycad are an indie band based out of Prague who remind me of some of the earlier ‘Madchester’ acts like the Happy Mondays, mixed with a style that would remind me of modern swing. Funky isn’t a word one would normally associate with Czech music, but this release changes my opinion.

For samples of their music, go here.

[Review] Roses Never Fade – Devil Dust

/ Rudy Carrera / Leave a comment

I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with the Apocalyptic Folk/Neofolk genre (or Wyrd Music, or whatever it’s called today). Most of the bands sound the same, usually rip off the old masters of the genre like Death In June, Blood Axis or Allerseelen. The music is nice, but not terribly interesting or something I’d come back to for repeated listening.

Enter Roses Never Fade. The music in their latest release, Devil Dust, published on Neuropa Records, comes as a breath of fresh air.

The first five minutes of the release feel a bit like the scene in the Andrei Tarkovsky, when the pilot flies into Solaris. Hazy, crunchy, like driving right into a cloud. Reminiscent of early Industrial soundtracks and Pink Floyd at their most esoteric. Once things become musical, things become very interesting.

Though it may not have been a conscious act, the band sound like they are channeling The Swans/World of Skin/M. Gira, and mixing it with more progressive folk like the legendary Comus. That was what immediately came to mind. Sure, there are also a few vocal styling which remind me of Douglas Peace in his youth, but the material flows nicely, and by about the 7th minute, I feel like I’m hearing elements of The Byrds in their psychedelic country phase.

A unique release. Go here to find more information about the band and Neuropa Records.

[Article] Neal Morse, A One Man Arian Rock Band

/ Rudy Carrera

I’ll be the first to say that I happen to like Progressive Rock in all its many forms, from avant-prog to Christian symphonic, and everything in-between. I am also a fan of Neil Morse, who is the subject in question in this article written by Brendan P. Foht over at First Things.

What I don’t care for much is Morse’s Catholic bashing. The ground he attacks from is shaky at best, heretical at worst. Though I’m not Roman Catholic (I’m Eastern Orthodox), some of the lyrical content is amusingly bad when Morse strays into overly deep theological matters, and it never dawns on him that Sola Scriptura is itself unbiblical, rendering the whole of Protestant criticism moot.

Still, he is a fine musician, and it seems that First Things, a Christian-based magazine more focused on the arts, philosophy, culture and politics, seems to have a a thing for Mr. Morse and one of his side bands, Transatlantic. It’s nice to see prog make its way up to academia, and I’m thrilled to see it written about rather well, though I think that Foht’s tagging prog rock a ‘disreputable’ genre to be a bit of overkill. Glam, however…