Kwaidan
Make All The Hell of Dark Metal Bright
Bathetic Records (2013)
One of the wisest moves you can make when your band lies within the ambient music scene is to construct a certain aura for it that will attract the prospective listener before he even hears a single note from your band; the easiest way to attract attention comes from the very name of the band. Ande Foisy (of Locrian,) Mike Weis (of Zelienople) and Neil Jendon kick started this project and named it Kwaidan, either after the Japanese collection of ghost stories or the 1964 film that brought four of these stories on the big screen. One way or the other Kwaidan immediately attract your interest and set the atmosphere for the album at the same time.The first three tracks of the record act like a triptych. “The Empty Rooms of Light and Space” is by far the darkest moment of the album. “Evening Bell” first makes the introduction, with a background of ambient sounds and feedback being introduced on top of which cymbal hits are brought forth from the darkness while solitary drum hits give more tension to the music, foreseeing an imminent eruption that never comes. “Gateless Gate” soon follows, making the whole experience more intense, with an … Read more
I Am Kloot
Let It All In
Shepherd Moon (2013)
Truly happy yet honest albums are in short supply. If they’re happy they’re usually over-the-top and use cringe-worthy lyrics, but … Read more
Plow United
Marching Band
Jump Start (2013)
After a run from 1992-1998, Plow United reformed in 2011 and they return with new material in the form of … Read more
Long Distance Calling
The Flood Inside
Superball (2013)
German rockers Long Distance Calling have always occupied an interesting musical space—though they started out unabashedly as a post-metal act, … Read more
