Fine Lame - Vivre comme on éclarerait (2025)

Fine Lame is a French band playing a kind of "poetic rock". On their new album Vivre comme on éclaterait the music can be described as post-rock (guitars, drums and keys), with bits of post-punk and noise-rock, and the vocals are spoken/declamatory (and in French). It's different and well done, and should appeal to people into Oiseaux Tempêtes and Hubert Félix Thiéfaine. I really recommend it!

 

The Bandcamp page. 

 

Night Verses - Every Sound Has A Color In The Valley Of Night: Part One (2023)

Every Sound Has A Color In The Valley Of Night: Part One is another fine peiece of progressive metal from Californian band Night Verses, with technical playing but songs mostly focused on building atmospheres, with a post-metal/post-rock flavour. Good stuff.

the BC page.

 

Teeth of the Sea - Hive (2023)

As usual, Teeth of the Sea manage to surprise the listener with its new album Hive (inspired by a Frank Herbert story). This time their synth driven progressive rock with trumpet (yes, trumpet. Think Miles Davis or The Mars Volta, not mariachi...) goes again into Pink Floydian and krautrock territory, but also totally synth-wave moments, and even a NINesque track. Awesome stuff. Heavily recommended!

The BC page.

 

USA Nails - Character Stop (2020)

Character Stop is the fifth album from UK post-punk/noise rock band USA Nails. Softer than Unsane but maybe noisier than Idles. With good vocals and an uninterrupted festival of high quality sharp riffs this album is excellent from beginning to end. I also recommend their back catalogue, USA Nails deserve more recognition.

The BC page.

 

Teeth of the Sea - Wraith (2019)

This fifth album fromTeeth of the Sea is maybe not as good as the previous one (reviewed HERE) was, still Wraith is an excellent album.
Curious about how psych/post/kraut rock with synths and trumpet sounds like? Go for it! (and you won't regret!)

The BC page

Christian Kjellvander - Wild Hxmans (2018)

This one's quite different from what I usually review on Blasting Days, but so far it's the album that made the strongest impression on me this year. Really. Christian Kjellvander (from Sweden) already impressed me a lot, that was with his first album "Songs from a Two-Room Chapel" back in 2002, but then I was disapointed by his second album (although it's good, but after the tour de force of the first I had big expectations), and I lost track of him. Until I listened to his new album "Wild Hxmans", and whoah! it's maybe even better than "Songs from a Two-Room Chapel", excellent folk-americana with a great voice and vibrant atmospheres. But with "Wild Hxmans" it feels like the music is given another dimension with some brilliant parts that are exploring new directions that could maybe be described as embracing some post-rock/free-rock elements. The music gets heavier, trippier, stronger. (from my exploration on Bandcamp of what he released between his second and latest album those elements are starting to appear on the previous album "A Village : Natural Lights".)
Wild Hxmans is an awesome album and I can't recommend it too much.

The Bandcamp page

Night Verses - From the Gallery of Sleep (2018)

This one sounds cleaner and clearer than most of what I review here, but I enjoy this album and you could do as well. Night Verses is a band from LA and they released this year a great first album called From the Gallery of Sleep. Their music is instrumental post-rock / progressive metal, a bit technical but more about the atmosphere and songwriting. The guitar play reminds me a bit of Omar Rodriguez Lopez (At the Drive-In, The Mars Volta). Well written and well executed music, a really good album.

The Bandcamp page.

B.Abuse - Memories of Better Days are Gone (2018)

Memories of Better Days are Gone, released by rising label Wooaargh is the third album of German trio b.abuse. And it's an excellent one (they went further away from post-hardcore clichés and get more personnal, successfully), some surprising and nicely crafted "progressive crust" (or post-crust) that could remind Neurosis, Amebix or The Ex (spoken words ans sax included). Every songs brings surprises and different elements, while maintaining a cohesive atmosphere throughout the album. Recommended stuff !

The BC page.

Oiseaux-tempête - Ütopyia? (2015)

Oiseaux-tempête is a french instrumental quartet playing what we can call free-rock (with a bit of jazz and a bit of kraut). They released this year an excellent album called Ütopyia (their second one). The instuments are drums, guitar, bass and clarinet bass (which is a great addition to the music and help setting them apart from other post-rock bands), but also mellotron, piano, alto sax. There's also some spoken words (Jos from The Ex on one track) and samples, always bringing something to the songs. Their music can be melodic or more aggressive, hypnotic, quiet or nervous. The album is full of diversity and inventivity and it's always in the direction of building an atmosphere, a feel, no superficial demonstration of technique or crazy stuff for the sake of being crazy. It's really well crafted, interesting, and deeply moving.

highly recommended!

(this album really would deserves a longer and better review, but I'm too tired tonight... sorry... but just listen to it, really you should listen to it).

Their website.

Gas chamber - Hemorrhaging light (2014)

Curious to hear how could sound some "progressive noise powerviolence"? Then just listen to Gas chamber (from Buffalo, US). Their latest album Hemorhaging light (released in 2014) is rooted in powerviolence but stays far away from the standardised form you find in nearly all PV / Hardcore / punk /metal albums. You'll find some short songs with a structure close to usual powerviolence, and those songs are really aggressive and good. And then you'll have songs with the powerviolence / hardcore elements but with parts bringing melodies (with the guitars or with female vocals in one song) or what sounds a bit like "free noise rock / post-rock" (with a bit of electronic noises here and there). And that makes the album a very exiting listen, full of surprises, far from another samey hardcore album. This album is unique, excellent and very exiting and enjoyable to listen to. Highly recommended!

The Bandcamp page. 

The Body & Vampillia - Xorohabin (2015)

The Body are always experimenting and are never afraid of radical contrast (like their use of choir vocals in their grim indus / drone sludge) so their new collaboration with Vampillia, or anything they would do, shouldn't be such a surprise.  Still, among the different bands or people they have done music with, Vampillia is the most surprising, the farthest from their own musical universe. Vampillia comes from Japan (Osaka) and plays some versatile kind of post-rock with neo-clasical elements (with piano, chords, etc.) it's not possible to describe what they do because it's always changing anyway but most of the time their music is not really dark. So how does sound their collaboration record called Xorahabin? As expected it's interesting, we find elements from both bands but it's not just a juxtaposition of the music of the two bands. It succeeds to sound as a whole. So what do we have? noise, or even harsh noise, heavy beats, desperate screams and a bit of more melodic choir vocals, melodies with chords or strings, a bit of piano, a dark & ominous atmosphere that is quite cinematic. Four songs in a bit less than half an hour. If you like The Body you'll probably like this one, if you like Vampillia you'll like it if you also like rawer & darker stuff and you should give it a try anyway. It's a really good record, not just original & interesting but also "enjoyable" in it's special way. Not a realease you listen one time and say "ok, it's interesting" but dont listen to it twice, not I 've already listened to it quite a lot and each time I find something more in it. Recommended stuff.

Megaton leviathan - Past 21 beyond the arctic cell (2014)

With a name like Megaton leviathan you'd expect some brutally heavy music. But no, that's not what they do, but it's excellent anyway. Their music is more in the vein of bands like Earth, Arbouretum or maybe even The silver mount Zion orchestra. The tempo is slow, the mood is quiet, layers of droning guitars, subtle arrangements, clean solemn / ritualistic  male and female vocals, acoustic guitar parts, cello parts. What is more especific in their sound compared to the bands previously cited is their somewhat psychedelic melodies (trippy in a tone more spacey / mystical than flower power, and with a oriental like flavour in one of the songs especially) and especially the nice guitar solos (or soli).  their album released in 2014, Past 21 beyond the arctic cell, is really crafted with taste and makes an enjoyable sonic journey.

Their BC page

Merkabah - Moloch (2014)

Merkabah is a polish quintet (guitar, bass, drums, electronics and saxophone), Moloch is their third album. What they play is a nervous crossing between free jazz, noise rock and progressive rock (King crimson being an admitted and obvious influence, in the melodies, the rhythms, etc,.). the rhythmic section is heavy and also complex at times (just what is needed, they stay simple when it's more about supporting the saxhophone melodies, or just being heavy / noisy. the melodic parts is most of the time done, very well, by the saxophone, the guitar parts being more rhythmic / jazzy. the electronic elements is ery subtle and discreet, contributing to the global sound and atmosphere. the songwriting is great and the songs are really attention grabbing and hypnotic. the album is a grower, the more you listen to it the better it sounds.

highly recommended!

the BC page.

Yob - Clearing the path to ascend ( 2014)

There's some beautifull humble majesty in Yob. their new album (out on Neurot-recordings and that's not by chance) Clearing the path to ascend rise to impressive depths and reach. Yob's doom raw mystical vibe is unique. the four songs are as heavy as any doom but it's post rock / psychedelic / progressive elements makes it more diverse than doom usually is. Mike Scheidt wide vocal range from melodic high pitch singing to near death metal growls also brings a lot to the identity of the band. Clearing the path to ascend sounds all encompassing and quietly powerfull, it reach your mind as much as it reach your guts and does it in a very special way, providing a great listening experience.

it's Neurot recordings page.

Head records : the interview

Head records is a label based in Montpellier (south of France) It  releases different kind of underground music, it can be hardcore, stoner, math rock, noise rock, or something else, but whatever the style it's interesting music of good quality (you might have heard about Verdun, Mudweiser, Morse, Pneu, Microfilm, or Cafe flesh for exemple which are among the bands associated with Head records) .
living also in Montpellier I had the occasion to interview Abel, Head records founder, about his label.

Check Head records website

and Bandcamp

and if french is not unknown to you, read the interview below :

-Abel, pour commencer est ce que tu peut revenir sur ce qui t'a motivé et décidé à lancer Head records?

 Abel : à la base j'étais chanteur dans un groupe hardcore / noise qui s'appelait Spinning Heads, ce qui m'a amené à auto-produire des disques, d’où le nom du label Head records puisque sa vocation première était alors de sortir les disques du groupe. Avant la sortie du premier disque en 2006 (le premier 45 tours de Spinning Heads) Il y a eu en 2003 la création d'une association pour organiser des concerts. Au départ Head Records faisait plutôt du management de groupe, aider à trouver des labels, etc., puis a fait label directement. le déclic a été de sortir le disque du groupe Goodbye Diana, ce qui a montré que Head records pouvait fonctionner comme label. 

-Quelles sont tes activités en dehors de Head records? 

Je produits des disques pour des labels de jazz basés à Montpellier, et depuis juin 2013 je fais aussi la programmation du Black sheep. 

-quel était le projet artistique de Head Records au départ, est-ce que ça a évolué? 

Non pas de ligne artistique bien arrêtée au départ, je fais mes choix selon mes goûts personnels tout simplement, aujourd'hui c'est globalement noise, stoner, hardcore, math rock, mais ce qui compte pour me décider à le faire c'est que j'aime la musique du groupe, quel que soit son style. 

 -comment se passe le processus qui va jusqu'à la signature d'un groupe? 

Comme je disais, mon choix se fait selon l'affinité musicale. Parfois c'est le groupe qui m'a contacté au départ, parfois c'est moi. Je reçois plusieurs liens de groupe par jour, qui viennent de presque partout dans le monde, certains sont pour les concerts que j'organise. Pour donner un exemple, sortir le disque de Mudweiser m'a fait recevoir beaucoup de musique de groupes de stoner. 

 -Il a bien marché donc ce disque de Mudweiser? (vous trouverez ICI la chronique Blasting days du disque en question, avec l'interview que j'ai faite avec Jay le bassiste du groupe) 

Oui leur disque a pas mal marché, avec Pneu et Microfilm c'est le groupe du label qui marche le mieux. 

 -tu peux nous présenter maintenant les sorties les plus récentes du label? 

Alors les dernières sorties sont : 

 -Morse : (voir la chronique et l'interview dans Blasting Days). 

les autres gars du groupe m'ont forcé à sortir le disque (lol) ! 

 -Les yeux de la tête : Trio instrumental basse, batterie et saxophone. C’est le deuxième disque que je sorts pour eux, le premier étant co-produit avec un label jazz (Rude Awakening) pour lequel je bosse par ailleurs. 

 -Jean Jean : Duo instrumental math rock, Je les suis depuis leur début et leur ai proposé, il y a quelques mois, de sortir un disque, ce qui est désormais fait. 

En tout cette année 5 sorties donc (ces trois là plus Mudweiser et Town in a Mess, trio rock noise hardcore avec un ancien Spinning Heads). 

-et les prochaines sorties ça sera quoi? 

Le CD de Stuntman (métal core de Montpellier) en 2014 avec Solar flare records et Lost Pilgrims records sur d’autres formats : respectivement vinyle et K7. Mais aussi un split entre Les Yeux De La Tête et un groupe batterie et saxophone de Rome : Mombu. Un autre split vinyle entre deux groupes stoner de Montpellier : ÖfÖ Am et Lahius (voir ici la chronique et l'interview concernant le dernier album d'ÖfÖ Am, The beast within). On travaille aussi sur un prochain album de Pneu, j’espère le sortir en 2014. 

-de façon plus générale, comment tu vois l'avenir du label? 

J’ai prévu d'acheter un camion pour aider les groupes à partir en tournée, d'abord ceux du label, puis d'autres groupes de la région éventuellement. Sinon poursuivre l'activité "normale" chercher à avoir des chroniques pour les disques, les faire connaître via les réseaux sociaux, organiser la distribution (disquaires et streaming / download) et développer la vente par correspondance des groupes et labels que je distribue. J’aimerais créer de l’emploi mais pour le moment ce n’est pas facile de générer suffisamment de rentrée d’argent régulière pour y penser sérieusement. 

-c'est quoi ton avis sur le téléchargement? 

Au début le téléchargement illégal m'embêtait, mais j'ai compris que maintenant les gens voulait être sur d'aimer avant d'acheter et pour ça il faut qu'ils aient l'opportunité d'écouter avant d'acheter…

Correction house - Last city zero (2013)

Correction house is Mike IX Williams (Eyehategod), Scott Kelly (Neurosis), Bruce Lamont (Yakuza) and Sanford Parker (Minsk), so their first album Last city zero raised many questioning and expectations. Does it live up to it? I'd say yes, it's a really good and interesting album. With a lot of diversity but managing to stay cohesive thanks to the overall atmosphere it develops through the record. So what do we have? Mostly industrial beats and bleak acoustic folk but also saxophone (Bruce Lamont), spoken words (Mike IX Williams) and noisy post-rock guitars. It can evoke at times Neurosis, Scott Kelly acoustic solo works, The swans or Einsturzende neubauten. Its global sound is related to industrial, post-punk / post-rock, or neofolk  but in a way that is personal and innovative. While you listen to it it's always evolving and surprising while staying in the same moods and colours. Well, it escapes easy description so you'll have to try it, it's really worth it anyway.

Correction house on Neurot records

Hielo en Varsovia-st (2012)

Hielo en Varsovia is a band from Madrid and I suppose their self titled record is their first release, apart from that I don't know much about them, exept that I really like thir music.
how does it sounds like? you have elements of post rock, new wave / post-punk, shoegaze and noise rock, something a bit like a mix of Godspeed you black emperor!, The Cure and Sonic youth. they develops a very strong dreamy and melancholic and dark atmosphere with shoegazing and noisy guitars and far distant vocals. but in comparison to other bands with a similar approach they also, occasionaly, get more into punk beats or nearly "free" noisy parts. I think it's a very stong debut from Hielo en Varsovia and if you're into this kind of stuff or just curious I really recommend it.

you can listen to it and download it for free on their Bandcamp

Ash borer-Bloodlands (2013)

first thing, this record deserves that you forgive its ugly cover art. but I'm sure if you know already Ash borer it won't prevent you from listening to it.
if you don't know it already maybe you can start by reading the review I did for their previous record (HERE).
Ash borer means classy sophisticated black metal and more generally quality music. it's not by chance that their last album was released by Profound lore and this new 12' called Bloodlands by Gilead media, two among the best labels of the moment for underground metal. Bloodlands is just two songs but more than thirty minutes of good music. Black metal with post-rock atmosphere and "progressive" song structures, which means the songs are growing to attain epic climaxes, passing through a variety of elements from dark shoegazing to dissonant riffing or blast beats.

you can listen to one of the songs in the Ash borer Gilead media Bandcamp page

The black heart rebellion - Har nevo (2013)

The black heart rebellion are from Ghent (Belgium) and just released their second record called Har nevo. Har nevo is what happens when a post-hardcore band reinvent itself by venturing into dark folk americana territory, creating the kind of atmosphere and feel that you can find in records by The Bad seeds or 16 Horsepower.  but they did it without losing their own personnality,  and the result is very strong and full of emotions. they songs have very good vocals and combines some epic moments with some others more atmospheric and bordering psychedelia. they really succeeded in bringing something new to their sound and managed to push their music on a higher level. Har nevo is one of the records I listened the most in 2013 up to now. I really recommend it.

you can stream it on Bandcamp

here's their website

Dead end Alaska / Ostrov - Family and friends vol II (2012)

this is the second volume of Family and friends by the american band Dead end Alaska. last time it was a split with Deadend sons (read my review HERE, with an interview of Josh from Dead end Alaska, with a few words about this second volume).
this time it is a split (two times two songs) with Ostrov. and it's another cool one.
Dead end Alaska is intense and catchy as well hardcore with some great screamo like vocals.
Ostrov (from Hattiesburg) is really good sludge  with some psychdedelic / post-rock melodic touches.

you can stream / download it for free from Bandcamp


Dead end Alaska are currently doing a northwest US tour, here's the dates :