Drofnosura - I

DROFNOSURA - I
2014
Indie

For those who never get enough of sludge music and constantly seek the latest band in the genre, Drofnosura is the the new kid on the block. Hailing from Toronto, I is their first album. It's made of three long songs and was released online for a 'pay what you want' price. If the objective was to slip easily into all sludge geeks' iPods, it is probably working. I came across this album by cross-referencing different Canadian bands in the genre, and the least I can say is that Drofnosura was a pleasant surprise.

This first album is a perfect introduction to Drofnosura (which spelled backwards may sounds like a hipster joke). Moulded on the Fistula and Iron Monkey model, it displays slow patterns and an arsenal of fuzz, dirty pedal effects and feedbacks. Despite their length, the song structures are relatively simple. The +13 minutes "Vrill", for example, is divided into three parts: there's the long jam (mellow, harsh, mellow, harsh), followed by the stoner part and its variations, and then another jam based on the first riff. My favourite song is probably "The Sun, If Dying", for its dark and mysterious atmosphere exploding into something ominous.

While repetition is important for sludge music, I feel there are missed opportunities on I: some jams don't add anything to the song but length. The chords progression is often predictable, for better for worse. On the one hand it makes the riff stick in your head, but on the other hand it doesn't make you 'need' to revisit the album very often since you know in advance how it will end.

I found the album's song titles very interesting. While there are not a lot of lyrics, it would have been interesting to read or hear them. I feel like Drofnosura thought lyrics were of secondary importance by the way its screamo-type of vocals were placed far away in the mix.

Drofnosura is nonetheless a very interesting detour for the riffs, if not for the guitars sound. Distortion and overdrive are the Nutella on this album: you know in advance it will be tasty. The drummer often sounds as if he's improvising during the long jams, which makes the recording genuine and unique. In conclusion, if the next album follows the footsteps of this first offering, I would guess that II will be similarly crafted, somewhat predictable, but oh-so good to a sludge fan's ears.

Check it out: http://drofnosura.bandcamp.com/

Near Grey - The Herschel Central Peak

NEAR GREY - The Herschel Central Peak
2013
Indie

The Herschel crater is located on Mimas, a moon of Saturn. Discovered in 1980, this is the largest crater in the Solar System (139 km wide) and was named after astronomer William Herschel who discovered this moon in the late 18th Century.

This historical and astronomical theme serves as the backdrop for the follow up to Near Grey's first EP, released one year earlier. An instrumental post-metal affair, the Montreal band knows exactly how to turn atmospheres into rich textures, without watering down any qualities of a live band. Take a peak at the stunning artwork that points towards the outer limits; a perfect reflection of the musical genre.

The Herschel Central Peak breathes. Its rhythm is relatively slow, without stepping into doom or drone territories, and every note and instrument seem to be joining the party at their own pace, without stress. We can distinguish very clearly all guitars, bass, synth and pedal effects, and drums; yet they blend together very smoothly. What comes to mind when I listen to The Herschel Central Peak is the notion of restraint; there are no overdose of distortion, no hard hits on the drums, no screaming (in fact there are no vocals at all), and the musicality of the album is defined by control, rather than by extreme technique or performance. First song "Sauropod" is a case in point.

Except for a few strategic moments on the album (such as in the end of "Northfield" or in "Cannulated"), there seems to be less intensity variation compared to the previous Near Grey EP, which included the beautiful 18-min long "Néant" for example. With a refined definition of the synth and keyboard sounds, and a better, or should I say "silkier" recording, The Herschel Central Peak nonetheless sounds one step above its predecessor. It includes four songs ranging between 9 and 11 minutes each, which make it ideal to journey through and to revisit.

With lavish atmospheres and chord progression (for example on "Regina"), The Herschel Central Peak is not alien to the musical universes of Russian Circles and Isis. It definitely has its own heartbeat and should draw attention to this excellent band.

Hear for yourself here: http://neargrey.bandcamp.com/album/the-herschel-central-peak