Dramatic delivery, tight ensemble playing and the amount of angst and fire one would expect from a doom metal band are all in ample supply on Ghost of Cassiopeia.
Tag: album review
Showing 1-21 of 120 results
Album review: ‘Apples in the Fall’ by Anna Lynch
Much of the Appalachian-style textures that characterized Lynch’s debut are dialed back on her latest EP in favor of a more sophisticated aesthetic.
Album review: ‘Zenith’ by Grayson Varn
Zenith is an examination of life’s intimate moments and intricate workings: a peeling back of the layers, a gaze into the microcosm.
Album review: ‘I Was Trying to Describe You to Someone’ by Wednesday
There isn’t a title track, but the poetry of the album’s moniker warrants reflection. The names of the album’s eight tracks almost make up a story — that kind of surreal, late-night whisper session between good friends as sleep closes in. “Underneath,” “Coyote,” “November” … is this part of the list from the narrator who was trying to describe one person to another?
Album review: ‘Andromeda’ by Anders Manga
Andromeda has a big and beautiful sound that begs to be played at high volume.
Album review: ‘Instrumental Conversations’ by Dave Desmelik
Desmelik has parlayed his years as a songwriter into sussing language from the non-verbal compositions.
Album review: ‘Brassterpiece Theatre’ by Empire Strikes Brass
‘Brassterpiece Theatre’ is a fully realized effort that demonstrates the facility of this powerful musical outfit.
Album review: ‘III’ by Bask
Taken as a whole, Bask’s ‘III’ can be thought of as heavy music for listeners who might not even like the style.
Album review: ‘True False’ by Negativland
‘True False’ deftly combines sardonic humor with its concern over weighty topics.
Album review: ‘In My Feelings’ by MOTHER HOOD
In his years with RBTS WIN he’s grown into the nuances of his voice and learned where to push, where to hold back. On his solo album, Worsham takes risks that feel not so much risky as realized.
Album review: ‘I Am Your Neighbor’ by Zoe & Cloyd
Perhaps the Asheville bluegrass duo hasn’t explicitly set out to make a politically themed album with their third album, I Am Your Neighbor. But, while it’s certainly true that this new collection of original and traditional music can be richly enjoyed simply on a musical level, there’s more going on here than fine musicianship and vocal work.
Album review: ‘Sudden Swoon’ by Young Mister
Steven Fiore created his latest album, ‘Sudden Swoon,’ in his home studio (he calls it The Study). His process of crafting the album involved recording demos for 20 songs, sharing them with his Facebook followers and inviting them to vote for their favorites.
Album review: ‘Howling Back at the Wounded Dog’ by The Rough & Tumble
It contains the fleetingness of summer, the wistfulness of romance, the magic of fireflies. But it also contains the hard-scrapple beauty of living: The scrapes and bumps accrued while working toward a goal, a summit, a golden moment.
Album review: ‘You Good?’ by DJ Besbleve
Even those not predisposed toward Besbleve’s spiritual point of view won’t be able to deny the appeal and excellence of his masterfully constructed mixtape.
Album review: ‘Collective Will’ by Moonlight Street Folk
There’s a quiet confidence in everything about this record. The musicians sound as if they’ve developed a preternatural level of unspoken communication, and they apply that to their music.
Album review: ‘Vessels of Sound, Vol. 2: Morse’ by VIA
The Asheville-based shoegaze/electronic band’s fourth collection displays ample charms.
EP review: ‘UNCA Session’ by Tub
The group self-identifies as “chaos funk,” and while that somewhat whimsical description suggests just the sort of aural train wreck that scares off some potential listeners, what the group does draws from the melodic side of improvisation.
Album review: ‘Sorry’ by Tim Williams
‘Sorry’ is a consistently engaging collection of songs that work on their own.
Album review: ‘With Every Breath You Die’ by Day & Dream
Newcomers to the group’s sound to assume that Day & Dream makes exclusively languid, laid-back music. “First in Flight” pummels forward relentlessly; it’s just that it does so in an airy, shoegazey kind of way.
Album review: ‘’Baggage’ by Sk, the Novelist
While ‘Baggage’ has relatively little connection to classic hard bop jazz of the previous century, its cover design shows that Sk has a sense of history and an interest in finding his own place within it.
Album review: ‘Refreshingly Soulful Blues’ by the Vince Junior Band
Refreshingly Soulful Blues is best described as a quiet record; its overall tone suggests that listeners in the same room as the band could carry on a conversation while the band played. Of course, doing that would be rude, and would make those in attendance miss out on some enjoyable tunes.