Artist: Lukey Cope | Album: Interpretation | Genre: Progressive rock, Progressive metal | Bandcamp
Lukey Cope’s debut album is an instrumental affair full of fast, flashy guitar licks. Amid all the showing off, he also displays a keen ear for melody and composition. Piano is prominently deployed, and that instrument’s percussive, biting tone pairs well against some of the thicker auditory qualities at play here. Despite being an instrumental record with a semi-atmospheric vibe, the bloat is pretty minimal here.
Score: 79/100
Band: Deddom | Album: When you find out the amount of your pension and start thinking what to do with it | Genre: Avant-garde metal | Bandcamp
This is an absolutely insane release. This 42-minute behemoth covers territory as diverse as black metal, free jazz, ambient, and more. It’s angry, full of harsh sounds and uneasy rhythms. There is a lot of inventive, oddball material here, and I like just how stark many of the contrasts are. That said, it is longer than it needs to be, and if you’re not in the mood for something harsh and challenging, you’re gonna have a bad time.
Score: 73/100
Band: Deep Limbic System | Album: Katharsi | Genre: Progressive rock | Bandcamp
The latest album from Deep Limbic System is a dark and moody release that strongly evokes bands like Riverside and late ‘90s Porcupine Tree. A sense of melancholy runs throughout, and the playing is top notch. Many of the longer cuts take interesting twists. There are effective contrasts of acoustic and heavy moments, and ample inclusions of space rock and jazzy licks keep things interesting.
Score: 78/100
Band: TFNRSH | Album: Book of Circles | Genre: Post-rock | Bandcamp
This German act plays a somewhat proggy variety of instrumental space rock. The focus is on build-up, repetition, and texture. The guitar tones are frequently heavy and distorted, but there are gentler passages present, as well. This band is somewhere in between Elder and Explosions in the Sky. If you’re into that kinda-heavy-but-meditative vibe, this’ll probably be something you’ll like. For me, personally, it’s enjoyable background music and probably great live, but it’s fairly similar to a lot of other post-rock.
Score: 71/100
Band: Tidejord | Album: Væsen | Genre: Progressive rock | Bandcamp
The latest release from this Danish quintet is a lurching, melodic collection of four songs. Doom and alternative metal flavors are prominent, and the songwriting is dynamic and fluid. Each track on this EP is meant to represent a different creature, and accordingly, each cut has a unique feel to it.
Score: 80/100
Band: Zement | Album: Passagen | Genre: Krautrock | Bandcamp
On their latest album, Zement deals in hypnotic, repetitive grooves that draw not just from early krautrock acts like Neu!, but also bubbly proto-electronica and even dashes of funk. Soundscapes are mostly minimal and pared back, which puts the strength of the compositions and the loops themselves on display. This is mostly successful, but there are a few points where things can feel somewhat dragged-out or overlong.
Score: 73/100
The Elite Extremophile 