Live Review: Russian Circles at The Gov, Adelaide

Russian Circles

w/ Tangled Thoughts of Leaving

The Gov, Adelaide, South Australia

Monday 5 February 2024

There’s a good crowd for a Monday night show in Adelaide, ready to hear some loud, chugging, mesmerising heavy instrumental rock, post-metal, jazz, drone, stoner – whatever else you want to call it.

With only two bands tonight it gives both a bit more time to play and we are richly rewarded. The two dynamic and intense sets are well received by a crowd there to see and hear excellent music.

The first time I saw Tangled about twelve or thirteen years ago they played most of their debut album Deaden the Fields (still one of my top 20 albums ever). It was clear these were musicians with significant skill, passion, and energy. Since then each time I’ve seen them they play a mix of old and new, but tonight they surprised by playing almost all of their most recent release Oscillating Forest, in order. Nothing else, which was fitting, given it was really one piece of music in several parts.

It was almost like starting all over again – they have grown with every release, but their compositions have leapt ahead and hit a new high. This music drives, pounds, explores. I’m still in awe of a group of musicians who can play music for 50 minutes with such an incredible clash of chaos and pounding inhuman noise. Each of them is hugely talented they have really expanded the feeling of improvisation that has always been a signature of their writing and playing. What relief you get from their moments of comfort and care are soon plucked away as you are smashed against the rocks and fallen buildings of a post-apocalyptic world. Un fucking believable.

Next up are Russian Circles, who I think have been to Australia four times previously. We don’t get many acts of this quality coming all this way this often, and we will be seeing bassist Brian Cook again soon when he tours with Botch. Sargent House just keeps sending the good stuff, and local promoters like Birds Robe Records keep supplying great support acts.

“Station” and “Harper Lewis” get the perpetual motion machine running with the trademark cracking, pounding drums of Dave Turncrantz, Cook’s chugging and thumping bass, loops and pedal synth, and Mike Sullivan’s guitar floating over the top or cutting through (his riffs at 3:15 always just put me in a trance). They might have played “Harper Lewis” live well over 400 times but there is no lack of passion and energy, and it’s as tight as a drum.

From the familiar to the newer, they give us “Conduit” from their 2022 release Gnosis, which isn’t much of a shift in direction and keeps the chugging going, before the delicate introduction that signals “Afrika” as it picks you up out of the darkness and you reach for the sky. It’s a beautiful contrast and provides one of the best examples of their dynamic sound and moods within one song – an enhanced “1777” if you like. Fuck this is good.

“Quartered” takes us back to the chugging, driving rhythm before “Betrayal” creates a wall of noise behind which bass and guitar take turns in providing riffs and melody. “Gnosis” brings the tempo down again with its engaging crescendocore. “Deficit” comes along next to represent Memorial on its own and we go back to their first album with “Youngblood”. As the night draws to an end, the intensity of “Mlàdek” runs out the set, leaving us with chugging bass in our ears and smiles on our faces.

Russian Circles and Tangled Thoughts of Leaving have these remaining dates together:

Thu Feb 8 – The Triffid, Brisbane QLD
Fri Feb 9 – Max Watts, Melbourne VIC
Sat Feb 10 – Max Watts, Melbourne VIC

Tickets on sale from birdsrobe.com & russiancircles.com

Presented by Bird’s Robe & Valhalla Touring.

Review by Gilbert Potts.

Follow him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/GlbrtPtts1

Gilbert also wrote: ALBUM REVIEW: WE LOST THE SEA – TRIUMPH & DISASTER

Photos taken by Joseph James at Russian Circles’ Wellington show on the same tour, Thursday 1 February 2024

10 Portuguese Post-Rock Bands You Should Listen To!

The Post-Rock scene is not only diverse but extremely rich worldwide. The boundaries of this genre have been pushed far and wide over the years and Portugal was not indifferent to it. The Portuguese Post-Rock scene has grown over the years and solid acts have pushed the limits. Take a listen!

10 – Okkur

Okkur (from Barcelos) is one of those bands that astounds you in a way that is different from all the others. The band takes some influences from bands like The Last Days and Líam. This music will speak to your soul and you will not be the same person after listening to this. Every instrument is like a perfect piece in a perfect puzzle that is not only wholesome, but also pure, raw and magical for every second of it!

9 – Cerca

Cerca is the project and vision of Né Alves. With strong, vibrant riffs, each song is a story of its own, always surprising you, always pulling you in. Live, they are intense and unique. Like a punch in the stomach that instead of sending you to the stars, it pulls you down to the Earth and grounds you in a way you did not think it was possible. Cerca released their album VII in September 2017 and it’s a must-listen!

8- Juseph

Juseph is a band formed in Vale de Cambra in 2009 whose discovery was quite a surprise. With a unique sound, distortion-driven guitars and wild grooves, they produce the sort of musical landscape that takes you to an alternative dimension and leaves you mesmerized with the sound. They have two releases: 2013’s Novae EP, and recent 2019 album Óreida. One of the most positive surprises that the Portuguese post-rock scene has to offer.

7 – Then They Flew

Hailing from Lisbon, Then They Flew is a band that leads you to a dreamscape in which vivid imagery comes to life with each note and every chord played. Soothing melodies and intense riffs bring just about the exact intensity for each moment of each song. Their style is inspired by many artists and you will find strong resemblances to If These Trees Could Talk. They released their album Stable as the Earth Stops Spinning in 2015.

6 – Imploding Stars

Imploding Stars can best be defined as rich melodies and emotional uplifting music that takes you to the outer reaches of space. Hailing from the city of Braga, Imploding Stars have made a journey that not only contributed for their own personal growth and definition as a band but also to the pleasure of every post-rock listener who had the grace to find their music. They count three albums in their discography and one of them was made as a soundtrack for the movie From Earth to the Universe¸ produced for Casa da Ciência de Braga.

5 – First Breath After Coma

Founded in 2012, First Breath after Coma are a unique band. With three albums in their discography, they have risen to great heights and joined the platoon of international Portuguese bands. In March 2019 they released their last album NU, after the acclaimed 2016 Drifter. NU is an experience worth listening to. Experiencing and pushing musical boundaries, First Breath After Coma are surely bound to continue to grow and present us with amazing art.

4 – Homem em Catarse

Homem em Catarse is the project of indignu’s guitarist Afonso Dorido. Counting with one EP: Homem em Catarse and two albums: Guarda-Rios and Viagem Interior, Homem em Catarse is the combination of Post-Rock looped guitars and the traditional Portuguese Fado singing. His latest album, Viagem Interior is a recollection of experience and lives from the rural areas of Portugal that were left behind and sometimes forgotten. It’s a journey to the deepest roots of what Portugal has to offer.

3 – Catacombe

Starting in 2007 in the town of Vale de Cambra, Catambe carved a journey over the years that lead them to the release of an EP: Memoirs in 2008 and two albums in 2010 and 2014. In 2013 they appeared as the surprise band in Amplifest, participating with bands such as Deafheaven, Russian Circles, Year of no Light, amongst others. They have shared the stage with other bands such as Tides from Nebula and Minsk and on the 7th of June they are going to release the album Scintilla. This album represents a journey to the origins, and as the band puts it: “Scintilla leads us back to that primordial moment when man discovers fire, so that millions of years alter a band can discover the course, or the maturity.”

2 – Before and After Science

Born in Oporto in 2009, Before and After Science have made their presence known over the past couple of years. In 2013 they released the EP Vital Signs of a Fallen World and finally in 2017, their album Relics & Cycles. Taking influences from bands like If These Trees Could Talk and Russian Circles, they stand out in the Portugal Post-Rock/Post-Metal scene with their strong riffs and intense music. A band definitely worth listening to if you’re looking for heavy and powerful music that will not leave you indifferent.

1 – indignu [lat.]

And finally, for the first place! Indignu [lat.] is one of the most prominent Portuguese acts out there. Originally from the small town of Barcelos, they released their fourth album Umbra in May 2018. The band called Umbra “a record in memory of all the souls left in the gloom of a tragedy that raped our homeland last year. A black, painful, haunted set that describes the penumbra in which a man lives immersed in the dark chaos, in the apocalypse.”. This is the kind of band whose intense and emotional way of playing will trigger deep, strong emotions that are hard to grasp and comprehend. In September, they will be playing VIVID. a post_rock festival in Norway, with what will surely be an intense and immersive show.

João Seixo

Photos: dunk!festival 2018 in Zottegem, Belgium

dunk!fest 2018

Thursday 10 – Saturday 12 May

Zottegem, Belgium

Thursday May 10

Astodan (BE)

Ranges (USA)

Album Review: Ranges – The Ascensionist

EF (SE)

Thot (BE)

Caspian (USA)

Friday May 11

Ohgod (SA)

Au Revoir (USA)

Lethvm (BE)

Grails (USA)

Rosetta (USA)

Echoed sounds collide: an interview with Rosetta

ALBUM REVIEW: ROSETTA – UTOPIOID

The Ocean (DE)

Saturday May 12

Appalaches (CA)

jeffk (DE)

Zhaoze (CN)

Tides of Man (USA)

aswekeepsearching (IN)

Worriedaboutsatan (UK)

Poster by Error! design

All photos by Joseph James

Please contact me if you are an artist featured here and I will gladly send you images I took. Feel free to share photos, but please remember to credit Will Not Fade

Live Review and Photos: Rosetta at Valhalla, Wellington

Rosetta

w/ Spook The Horses

Valhalla, Wellington

Tuesday 12 December 2017

Recently, when browsing through my emails, I opened the newsletter from German label Pelagic Records. Imagine my surprise when I saw that they’d signed Wellington act Spook The Horses! Win for local music!

Now to be honest, I’m never been a big Spook The Horses fan. I cam appreciate what they do, but the heavy roaring often put me off. But their set tonight has completely made me reconsider. They are incredible!

They had some screens free-standing on stage, with a projector shining images onto the screens. The new music sounded mellow and sparse, with pleasant singing in place of roaring. In my head I started to compare their new sound to the likes of Blueneck and softer Opeth.

The band slowly started in increase the intensity, finishing the set with some of their older material. It was an interesting evolution, from ephemeral music with nice singing, to heavy post-metal with roaring. And because the transition seemed so gradual, I not only warmed to the roaring, but really got into it. Tell you what, I was thoroughly impressed! The drums sounded especially thunderous, so props to the sound guy.

Rosetta have recently come off a month-long US tour. I recently came back from touring across a America with a band as well, so I can understand the immense scale of where they went. Philadelphia is on the east coast, a few hours drive south from New York City. Their tour was mostly in the west coast region. That’s a long way from home.

And now they’re in New Zealand, which is almost as far as they can get from home. Speaking to Mike (vocals) before the show, he told me how the response in Asia and Australia on this current tour has been unbelievable. By the sounds of things, it feels more rewarding playing in foreign countries because people make the effort to see bands that don’t have the opportunity to play those places as often.

Clearly all that touring has helped them mesh as a band, because they are one helluva unit! Seriously tight, and delivering blow after blow of intensity. Rosetta’s latest album, Utopioid, is a dynamic exploration of musical textures and timbre. Tonight they brought those textures to life, pummeling us with searing riffs and busy beats.

Mike was a brilliant front man. Funnily enough, most of the bands I’ve seen in recent months haven’t had singers, and the ones that do usually have the singers playing guitar. It felt special to see a vocalist freed up to move around without an instrument to restrict him.

One of the most vital aspects of putting on a show is energy. It’s the difference between listening to an album and home, or seeing the band play it live. Seeing guitarists throw themselves around and flick their hair about, seeing drummers beat their kit into submission, seeing singers draw us in to sing along – that’s what it’s all about. And you can see from my photos, Rosetta brought their music to life. You could feel the energy.

Admittedly, I’d been apprehensive about a Tuesday night show. I’ve been worn-out recently, and I knew a late night wouldn’t do my body any favours.

As it turns out, the opposite is true. Not only did I have a fantastic time watching two brilliant bands, but I feel revitalised. There is something to be said for exposing yourself to things that inspire you. I just want to sit down at my drum set and smash something out, to create something new and exciting.

Rosetta made a point of touring extensively after writing their most recent album. This is their first time in New Zealand. And I’m grateful that they came this far, because it has been rewarding for everyone involved.

Words and photos by Joseph James

Album Review: Diary Of My Misanthropy – Leviathan

I’m a sucker for dystopian texts. It all started at high school, when we read Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World for English. For such an old work of literature, it was remarkably accurate at predicting how the world would change. I adopted this genre wholeheartedly, seeking out similar texts like George Orwell’s 1984 and Animal Farm.

In this current era of militant nationalism and the revival of Nazism, I think that the more people are exposed to dystopian allegories, the better. They offer insight into how things will turn out if we refuse to keep our leaders accountable.

Clearly Prague post-metal band Diary Of My Misanthropy agree. Originally a solo project from Vladyslav Tsarenko, Diary Of My Misanthropy is now a full band, who have just released their dystopian-themed third album, Leviathan.

Ngake and Whātaitai the taniwha. Taken from the book The Taniwha of Wellington Harbour, by Moira Wairama. Illustration by Bruce Potter

For a digital-only release, Leviathan sure boasts some beautiful artwork. Images depict the skeleton of a Loch Ness monster-looking beast sitting upon a rocky lakeshore, looking out through the fog to an isolated cottage.

It reminds me of the local Māori myth of Ngake and Whātaitai, two taniwha (sea monsters) who – according to legend – formed the geology of Wellington harbour where I live. Whātaitai, the less adventurous of the two, tried to follow his friend and escape for the lake where he lived, only to become trapped at the mouth of the newly formed harbour, forced to helplessly watch as the land around him evolved.

The rest of the liner notes tell a story. During a dream you meet the beast, and he shows you the world, and how humanity has doomed it. On top of the story, the liner notes also prominently feature two quotes: one from the Black Mirror TV series, and another from Jacque Fresco. I am not familiar with either, so did some research. Both Black Mirror and Fresco ask us to critically examine how we use technology, and ask if we like the humanity is headed.

I’m currently reading Kurt Vonnegut’s first novel, Player Piano. Anyone familiar with Vonnegut will know that he is the master of blending sci-fi with satire, using his wicked wit as easily digestible critique. Player Piano is set in a post-World War America run by super computers and machines. Although the mechanical revolution was first seen as “progress”, the automation of industry left most citizens without work, and thus fulfillment, creating a society sitting on unrest. Without knowing too much about Black Mirror or Jacque Fresco, I can draw marked parallels between their works and Player Piano.

I recently saw a band Staghorn play in St Loius. Like Diary Of My Misanthropy, Staghorn also boasted a post-apocalyptic theme set to post-rock. Staghorn had a spoken word narrative advancing their story as they played. Thinking of this, I assumed that Diary Of My Misanthropy would also have samples featured in their songs. It is a common post-rock convention, after all. Take Lost in Kiev, Platonick Dive and Maybeshewill, for example.

Surprisingly, despite writing a narrative to go with the album, the band doesn’t include them in their songs. We do, however, hear two spoken words quotes. And to be honest, as much as I expected some more spoken word, I think the album could have worked better without any at all. Fresco’s quote in “War Is Peace” hardly stands out in the mix. And the segment on “Black Mirror” – which borrows from the TV show of the same name – is abrasive and serves to interrupt rather than enhance the listening experience. I’m not a complete prude, but the excessive swearing feels gratuitous.

The music is great. Post-metal with influences drawn from doom, industrial, and (dare I say it?) nu-metal. The trio layer their sounds with expertise to create depth and dynamics.

They traverse the spectrum well, from lush textured moments to heavy overdriven segments. Chuggy doom-laden riffs sit next to glitchy electro-beats. Pleasant guitar strumming turns into a monstrous solo as soon as evolving back into padded swells. I can’t fault it.

The mix between high and low-end balance out well. I dislike when “heavy” music focuses too much on bass and distortion.And Diary Of My Misanthropy are heavy, but strike a balance with high-pitched guitar, keys and brighter drum cymbals bringing in treble.

As a drummer, I find the drumming tasteful and interesting – articulate, smart. I like how the keys are played like an actual piano – more organic sounding that the synths that dominate most music these days. Not to say this sounds “natural” – there are plenty of effects playing havoc with tones – but the overall mix sounds crisp. It sounds like people playing instruments with the help of technology, not computers making music with human input.

As was the case in my Masters Of This Land review, I feel that my analyzing of the politics and themes behind this body of work is perhaps overbearing. I’m drawing comparisons to literature and mythology at the expense of critiquing the actual music. However, I wonder: does this signify quality in art? I’m engaging with it at a deeper level, making connections to other works and reading into possible meanings. Great art demands interaction; is evocative, which is the antithesis to passiveness.

Leviathan is excellent. I can endorse the music, artwork and themes. If you feel compelled to check it out, take time to read through the liner notes for the full experience.

Diary Of My Misanthropy links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DiaryOfMyMisanthropy

Bandcamp: https://diaryofmymisanthropy.bandcamp.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diaryofmymisanthropy

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/diary-of-my-misanthropy

Merch: http://diaryofmymisanthropy.bigcartel.com/

Joseph James