1. Ayil
2. Je N'en Connais Pas la Fin
3. Blue Day for Croatoa
4. Release
5. Revolve
6. Renew
7. A Determinism of Morality

If you've been keeping up with my blog (that's sarcasm; you haven't), you would see that I have a deep and everlasting adoration for Rosetta's Wake/Lift. At the time I heard it I thought The Galilean Satellites was a tad too harsh and repetetive, and Wake/Lift was proving to be perfection to my ears with its perfect mix of ambiance, post-rock, and down tuned low end doom. To this day Wake/Lift still is that near perfect CD for me, so you could imagine my anticipation when I heard Rosetta was recording an album to be released this year.

The band was quick to answer questions about their new sound on their tumblr. The album will be a lot shorter than the others. The songs will be a lot shorter than previous songs. The tempo is going to be faster, etc etc. Upon hearing these things I was initially bummed. It's a hard thing to write consistently amazing long songs and Rosetta have always been one of the few bands anymore that seem to pull it off with ease. How would a short Rosetta song sound like? On their new album A Determinism of Morality, six of the seven tracks are under the seven minute mark, while the finale just barely falls short of eleven minutes. I can easily assure you, Rosetta could write 3 minute songs and I think they'd still manage to blow us away. Enough babbling...let's get to ADoM.

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The album starts off with a punch in the face with the muscular opener "Ayil" (pats self on back for choice of adjectives here). Immediately you recognize the pace is blatantly quicker than anything on Wake/Lift, and the crystal clear production is also something refreshingly new. Mike Armine's vocals sound angrier than all hell and more passionate than ever. Other things that are immediately noticeable is that the bass sounds much more prominent than previously, BJ's drums are way higher in the mix (a very good thing on this CD), and Matt's wall of noise guitars sound perfectly placed among the rest of the instruments.

The song's massive build up section midway through showcases the first of manytimes you may encounter goosebumps on this record. While BJ goes off on one, you lose count of the amount of guitar tracks that are added even on top of the ambient samples and soundscapes seeping through the bass. After building and building, it finally blasts into an aggressive assault from all 4 members of Rosetta. "RELEASE! REVOLVE! RENEW!" bellows from Armine's throat, even after screaming all three of those words 400 times each on Wake/Lift's closing track, "Monument". Not only is this tying in the concepts of the band, but also foreshadows three tracks coming later in the cd.

After "Ayil" leaves you barely standing after its disturbingly heavy ending, "Je N'en Connais Pas la Fin" begins and may arguably be the best song on the record, and maybe even in the bands career. Words are failing to describe the beauty of this track. An effortlessly flowing build up, a constant crescendo that just doesn't seem to stop getting more and more exciting and gorgeous with each transition. Approaching the end, the song teases, and absolutely delivers. I can't say much else other than this song is perfect. Literally perfect.

If you were wondering if there was any ambiance on A Determinism of Morality, you'll get your fix with "Blue Day for Croatoa". The song sounds like it could be the little brother of the enormous and other-worldly "Temet Nosce" from Wake/Lift. The track is very building but in a trance inducing manner, not getting too loud and saving up any massive exploding endings for remaining numbers to come. The tones continue pushing the bands reputation for being spacey and at times on this song are reminiscent to something Slowdive would do. The band is after all huge fans of The Cure. You'll hear that name drop again later on.

After you're done floating in space for seven minutes, the first of the three Rs begins with "Release". The opening melodies and bass grooves pull you back from space and suck you in to the cohesiveness of the bands song writing. After the first minute or so you'll hear something the Rosetta hasn't done before in their career; clean singing, and it's one of the most airy and beautiful parts on ADoM. Don't get too comfortable though as one of the most crushing things they've ever written lies at the conclusion of the track accompanied by most hair raising vocal performances by Mike Armine. Simply put, prepare to be doomed.

"Revolve" is next and begins with one of the prettiest post-rock-esque parts you could hear in a band like this. It's tough to say how the opening melodies make you feel. At times it seems like the most hopeless and melancholic of notes yet as it builds it seems like the most uplifting and powerful sound you've ever heard. When the melody cuts back in midway through the song, the tone blatantly reminds you of The Cure again, until bursting into the final few minutes of the song. As it flows in and out of triumphant crescendos and hinting at nearly black metal chord progressions, the song finally gives in, barraging you at the end with a bendy, low end assault.

If there was anything that was missing from Rosetta's signature sound, "Renew" is sure to bring everything great about this band into the mix. In fact, "Renew" is the perfect sum up of this bands sound in 6 minutes. From the opening ambiance, to the chill inducing build up, to the layers upon layers of guitars added each measure until finally exploding into what sounds like all the guitars remained in the mix with distortion kicked on, and notched up to 11. Gigantic ending. And speaking of huge endings, this brings us to the title track finale...

Now you may have heard the demo song of "A Determinism of Morality". I was initially bummed after finding out the band showcased a demo of the LAST SONG ON THE CD, but after not listening to it again, the album version was still fresh to me. One thing is for certain, the ending is much, much better than the demo's.

The song begins with lurking atmosphere and a groovy bass line which is soon met up with some oddly timed drums. Matt's guitars build upon the beats and everything starts coming together with effortless flow. Once the melody breaks out, you are floored for the first time in the song, but certainly not the last. The waves of ambiance midway through start one of the best closing build up/climaxes in Rosetta's catalog. Once forgetting where you are, the drums start pummeling there way back into your brainwaves, followed by more layers of guitars. It doesn't take long for the song to kick back in full force, but its only reached about half of its volume as the final two minutes are sure to melt you and crush you somehow simultaneously. Unbelievably POWERFUL ending.

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So if there were any doubts that Rosetta could write another amazing record, those doubts will be shattered upon hearing A Determinism of Morality. Sure, it's a bit shorter, but the final half of the closing song literally leaves you more satisfied that you can imagine. They've proven that they do not need to write 12 minute tracks to express their epic sound. Although I don't think the band could write a better record than Wake/Lift, ADoM is undeniably incredible, and will most definitely be sitting in my top three records of 2010.

Circa Survive | Blue Sky Noise

In a previous blog post, I broke down Circa Survive's Juturna and On Letting Go, explaining how I loved Juturna for its haunting atmosphere and nostalgic affect on me, and On Letting Go for its dreaminess and the fact that it has two of my favorite Circa Survive songs on it, until now at least.

Although I do love On Letting Go now, I didn't at first. The two songs I liked immediately ended up being my two favorites in the bands' catalog for quite awhile, and the rest took lots of forced listens for a couple weeks to really appeal to me. With that being said, the moment I heard Blue Sky Noise I was hooked. Hopefully it doesn't have a reverse effect that On Letting Go had.

Circa Survive dropped their slow, prodding, overly drenched reverb style a tad on Blue Sky Noise, allowing it to be instantly accessible to most older fans, and most especially newer fans. There are moments on the record that are obviously signature style for the band such as the instant classic "Frozen Creek" which is probably in their top 3 most popular songs already due to them performing it live for the passed two years.

What's refreshing about Blue Sky Noise are the pop oriented songs such as "I Felt Free", which may be my new favorite song from the band, "Imaginary Enemy", and "Dyed in the Wool". This is where the bands song writing shines more-so than it ever has on all three releases. Maybe this is the type of music they should have been playing the whole time.

A lot of long time Circa Survive fans may complain the band lost their atmosphere and their experimentation, but I will have to disagree while also saying that they are full of bullSHIT. Just because a band isn't overflowing their songs with guitar leads on delay does not mean they lost atmosphere. Just because the band is playing actual chords, and upped their aggression a bit doesn't mean they're not experimental. The song writing on Blue Sky Noise is their best yet, and even though it might be more of an alternative touch, it seems this is where the band shines the most. Either way, Circa Survive are now three for three.

Favorite tracks: "I Felt Free", "Fever Dreams", "Dyed in the Wool".

What I've Been Listening To...

Circa Survive | Blue Sky Noise

This is technically the best Circa Survive album. I normally would be upset with a band dropping most of their atmosphere and 'spaceyness' but Circa Survive to a good job substituting more interesting song writing with the twinkly delay stuff. It helps the album be their most diverse. Anthony Green sounds incredible throughout, as well. Juturna will probably still be my overall favorite due to sentimental reasons. A full review coming...

Alcest | Écailles de lune

Possibly album of the year. A full review is coming for this as well...

Immanu El | Moen

Immanu El are becoming one of my favorite post-rock bands. I cannot seem to stop listening to this record. It's very short, but because of that I feel I return to it more than I would if it were another 10-15 minutes long. More people need to hear this band and this CD. Its' simplicity goes a long, long way.

Periphery | Periphery

The long awaited progressive metalcore band Periphery have finally finished their debut and it's quite impressive. Although I can't seem to listen to any metalcore album for more than three spins, despite the blatant Meshuggah worship, I will say that this is a band I'd recommend to metal heads over just about 90% of other bands in the genre.

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What haven't I been listening to?

Pearl Jam.

Diamond Eyes

1. "Diamond Eyes"
2. "Royal"
3. "CMND/CTRL"
4. "You've Seen the Butcher"
5. "Beauty School"
6. "Prince"
7. "Rocket Skates"
8. "Sextape"
9. "Risk"
10. "976–EVIL"
11. "This Place Is Death"
    
    Release Date: May 18th, 2010.
    

I remember the first time I heard Deftones. My brother and his best friend figured I should hear this band. Laying across the backseat of the car late at night, with the sun roof open, revealing the stars, they put on "Digital Bath". I was in love.

Deftones are one of a few bands that got me into GOOD music in 2000 with White Pony. Before them it was just Foo Fighters and Incubus. Sure, Incubus and Foo Fighters used to be awesome, but Deftones haven't released a terrible CD yet, although many hardcore fans would disagree.

In fact, I believe that Saturday Night Wrist is a great album and a good progression for the band. Either way, I think it's safe to say that a lot of people are going to love Diamond Eyes, if they already don't, due to the frighteningly early leak of the album.

In late 2008, bassist Chi Cheng was in a horrible car accident and has ever since been in a coma. It was right around the time the band was finishing the recording process of a record entitled Eros, which is apparently weirder, atmospheric, yet still very heavy. That record has been delayed and will eventually be released. As a tribute to the bassist who's been with them from the start, the band decided to write a whole new CD with a different art style that better represents them. What came out is Diamond Eyes and is essentially a return to form album, combining sounds from Around the Fur and White Pony with a touch of what Deftones were doing in the last few albums.

Nostalgia is the easiest and best way to describe what I feel when I listen to this record. It seems as if I should be blasting this in a car with my windows down in the summer. The exact feeling I got a decade ago when White Pony was released or of that night laying across the backseat while I was introduced to the band. Songs like "Royal", "Saint", "CMND/CTRL", and "Rocket Skates" immediately remind me of the earlier CDs and it becomes apparent that these songs ARE blatant homages to their own work.

So then what is actually new sounding on this record? Well for the first time I can understand Meshuggah's influence on this band. I'm honestly surprised they didn't title "You've Seen the Butcher", "You've Heard Meshuggah" instead. It's a very welcome sound for the band, especially since they use 7-string guitars and tune rather low.

In all, I have to say that this is most likely the band's best CD since the classic White Pony, even though I am hugely fond of the previous album. The songs are rather stripped down and simplistic, consisting of 3 parts, sometimes even only 2. With most bands this would be an insult, but tight and awesome song writing is what the Deftones developed well from the start, and it especially shines on this CD.

Diamond Eyes will most likely be a top 10 album of the year as I cannot seem to get away from it. It's addicting and fantastic. I can only now just wait patiently for Eros, where I'm sure the entire fanbase of this band will once again bitch and moan.

Stand out tracks: "Royal", "Risk", "Sextape" (Maybe the most beautiful Deftones song ever written).

Year of the Black Rainbow

Coheed and Cambria have always been a band that I enjoyed. The Second Stage Turbine Blade was an album that I listened to a lot in 2002-3, which got me into the band and i've stuck by them although they have seemed to be trapped in the same sound for the passed three albums...until now. I'll admit, I've never followed the story much, and although I eat up conceptual music, I just like Coheed's music more because it's fun.

One thing that bothered me about the band's progression, or lack thereof, was the fact that although I didn't follow the album's storylines as closely as many others, I still felt the music was a terrible translation of the story and setting of the story. Pop rock songs, pop punk songs, the longer progressive ballads, and a few shout outs to Pink Floyd never really made me think of epic spaceship battles.

Finally, on the new record, Year of the Black Rainbow, the band has found some kind of fitting atmosphere. Claudio has finally purchased a delay pedal, and it sounds like the band gained a synthesizer player. All the music on this CD, besides one or two complete classic older sounding Coheed songs sound legitimately dark, nearly psi-fi-esque, and dedicated to a potential storyline with a setting in outer space.

Not only that, but the band just sounds HUGE on this CD. It might be due to the great Joe Baressi producing it, but this just sounds like a new mature, and confident Coheed and Cambria. There are at times TONS of layers going on in the songs, and I love the use of synthetic beats over the more melodic songs.

Lastly, Chris Penne's presence in this band is not a subtle one. Not only are the drums fantastic on this record, but he has seemed to have made the bassist much better as well. There are a slew of awesome drum/bass grooves throughout the songs. Penne knows just when to go nuts, or when to go more straight forward.

Overall, this is a great record for Coheed and one that definitely surprised me. I was expecting them to write yet another album that sounded exactly like the last ones, and then I would inevitably grow out of them. Luckily, it seemed like the band has progressed in the right directions for me. As for others who might be actual hardcore Coheed fans, they'll probably be upset with this disc.

What I've Been Enjoying Lately...

Gregor Samsa | 55:12
Ef | Give Me Beauty ...Or Give Me Death!
Immanu El | They'll Come, They Come
Alcest | Le Secrete
Circa Survive | On Letting Go
Callisto | Noir

Highly Anticipated Release: Circa Survive | Blue Sky Noise

Release Date: April 20th 2010. (4/20 hehehe)

Track list:
1. Strange Terrain
2. Get Out
3. Glass Arrows
4. I Felt Free
5. Imaginary Enemy
6. Through the Desert Alone
7. Frozen Creek
8. Fever Dreams
9. Spirit of The Stairwell
10. The Longest Mile
11. Compendium
12. Dyed in the Wool

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Circa Survive is a band that I hold close to my heart. Every time I play them, which is very often, I can't help but sing along to the catchiest of emotions the band portrays. Juturna is a very nostalgic CD for me for reasons I can barely explain. It's not necessarily because of things that occurred during the time it was released, but the sounds of the album itself. Anthony Green's singing just reminds me of how much it made me think of the uniqueness and innocence of his voice back in 2005. He sounds so haunting. He sounds like a newborn or a scared young child, and I don't mean literally in the sense that I could be making fun of his high pitched voice. He sounds amazing.

On Letting Go was instantly disappointing to me. Although I loved two songs immediately, both happening to be now my two favorite Circa Survive songs, it took me several listens for the rest of the CD to click. Now I have a whole new appreciation for the album and the ideas brought up in the record's themes. The musicianship on this CD, although missing the raw touch from Juturna, is exceptional. Some of the most beautifully intertwining guitar parts were composed on On Letting Go.

About a year ago Kaddisfly, one of my favorite bands of all time tried to get a major record deal. They then broke up and the members of the band started another project called Water & Bodies, which I am still not much of a fan of. I recently found out they were competing for a spot on Atlantic Records roster with Circa Survive. Although I am a fan, at the time I would have hoped Circa Survive sent Atlantic Records their shittiest of songs so that Kaddisfly could remain a band.

In the end Atlantic chose Circa Survive over Kaddisfly. And now with a new Circa Survive record coming out this April, I hope the band shows me that they were worthy of winning that spot. At the band's website you can hear the single "Get Out", which at first was a bit tough to figure out, but is now impossibly catchy after several listens. I am very excited for this record and have very high expectations. Judging from the various studio videos, I don't think this should let me down.

Bring on 4/20!