Post-Rock #3

In the past, I’ve created three iterations in my Post-Rock round-up review series. This time around, I’ve decided to incorporate a bit of post-metal into the mix, providing a broader scope of music for our readers. I’ve had a whale of a time discovering new tracks from the genre, and I hope you will do too!

Review by Jane Howkins

Photo by Order Of Owls

Order Of Owls – What Becomes

We’ve featured Order Of Owls before – now they’re back with new tune, What Becomes. It’s got a lot of the hallmarks of the metal genre, but I felt the track still had a definitive post-metal vibe, appealing to newcomers to the scene. The verses are fairly mellow when compared to the choruses, featuring a mix of clean and distorted guitar licks, before the anthemic chorus explodes in fine style. The fast beat keeps the tempo raised until the bridge, which sees the music breaking down in a cool way, before building the tension back up again.

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Present Paradox – The Crack

The Crack is much more of a post-rock song than a post-metal track, opening with a cool rhythm that is matched by the guitars, drums and bass. Present Paradox’s vocals soon kick in – they’ve actually got something of a post-punk vibe to them, due to the low baritone voice. However, it all works surprisingly well together, creating one of the most distinctive tracks on this entire list! The song changes slightly towards the end, bringing in a new sequence of guitar notes as the music rises up to a glorious crescendo of sounds, elating the listener completely.

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Giack Bazz – The Moon Is Painted

Next up we have Giack Bazz with the inventive The Moon Is Painted. It starts out with some pretty guitar notes, before the heavy riffs and rhythm section kick in, creating a cool atmosphere that will get under your skin in no time. The verses are a little mellower, seeing the bass rumble along in a satisfying way underneath the smooth vocals. Some distorted guitar riffs kick in later on – they’re quite unique sounding. but they work surprisingly well with the more melodic sound of the rest of the music, adding a distinctive change into the mix.

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Naomi Rush – Anima

Naomi Rush is an artist from Bristol who is relatively new to the British music scene. Anima is her debut single, sounding incredibly accomplished for someone so new to the music industry. Anima mixes a few different genres together in glorious style – whilst it sounds pretty poppy at first, there’s a hint of something heavier and harder, with some crunchy riffs and guitar chords appearing on the chorus. On the verses, the synths bubble around in a dream-like fashion in the background – the changing dynamics between the different sections is really cool! Naomi has a fantastic singing voice too, absolutely full of strength and power here.

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Fallen Letters – For A While

It’s been several months since we last heard from Fallen Letters, so it’s great to welcome them back with For A While. The Indian duo have created something really cool here, seeing some lovely guitar melodies swirl around in the background, underpinning the vocals in lovely style. The vocals drift through the music with a highly distinctive sound, changing into a whispered scream later on. For A While is a song that perfectly balances a sense of melody with heavy riffs, turning the metal genre completely on its head.

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Dead Slow Hoot – Take It Or Leave It

Sheffield act Dead Slow Hoot have more of a post-rock sound, displayed perfectly in their new release, Take It Or Leave It. Opening quietly with a pretty acoustic guitar arpeggio, the music slowly builds up, with a range of interesting guitar motifs added over time, as the vocals croon over the top. The song ebbs and flows in a glorious way, rising up to multiple crescendos, before dropping back down again, keeping you constantly guessing. There’s even a string section towards the end, creating a nice backdrop against the guitars.

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Aglasio – Threshold

German band Aglasio mix prog-rock and post-rock together, melding the genres perfectly together on Threshold. The main guitar lick has a rhythmic quality, combining nicely with the off-kilter drum beat. The vocals also have a pretty unique sound, going from a soulful singing through to a death growl when the heavy riffs kick in. Towards the end, the pace changes completely, speeding up as the band introduce some frantic riffage, making you want to headbang along to the tune instantly!

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NazTheMoon – Crimson

NazTheMoon are another band that mix heaviness and melody together in a cool way, displayed on their new release, Crimson. The production quality is a little raw, but it actually adds something extra special to the distorted riffs, making them sound thick and heavy underneath the rhythm section. It’s also great to hear more female vocalists performing within the genre – the vocal harmonies on the chorus work particularly well here. I can’t wait to hear what the heavy post-rockers come up with next time around!

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Alan Mair – If I Gave The World A Turn

If I Gave The World A Turn is a little different from the previous song on this list, as it’s more of a dream-pop/post-rock tune. Alan Mair mixes a few genres together on this release, including a nice synth melody in the background, playing nicely against the drums and bass. Alan’s vocals soon appear, weaving in and out of the music, displaying a lot of soul and emotion. There’s quite a lot going on here, so If I Gave The World A Turn is the sort of tune you’ll need to listen to a few times over to fully appreciate everything!

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Thistle Sifter – Coming Home

Coming Home is a track taken from Thistle Sifter’s captivating new record, Circles. Personally, it’s the track on this list that seems to fit the classic idea of the post-rock genre the most, as it’s got quite an ambient sound. The music builds up slowly as the piece progresses, using a range of interesting electronic effects that sound utterly beautiful at times. The synths ebb and flow on this instrumental number, slowly rising up before the piece breaks down at the end, making for something incredibly relaxing.

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