Foxtails
Emo Cat Records
Showing posts with label album. Show all posts
Showing posts with label album. Show all posts
Friday, 18 October 2019
Foxtails - querida hija
Alright so I'm pretty late to this, but that is only because I was dead for a month and a half, but am back now (or at least at this very minute). Connecticut's greatest three-piece is back with a new LP, following up 2017's incredible full-length III and 2018's equally-amazing split with Algae Bloom. This new LP is 7 tracks demonstrating the band's incredible mesh of emo/screamo with math rock and jazz influences. It shows a growing maturity and technical prowess, with the band at the tightest they've ever been. I cannot recommend this enough, as it is so good it temporarily brought me back to life. You can stream or purchase the full album below from Emo Cat Records on vinyl/CD/cassette. They're also heading out for an East Coast tour with Let's Get Invisible next month, check out the dates below.
Friday, 27 April 2018
Cassus - Separation Anxiety REVIEW
Cassus stand as one of the most dynamic and diverse screamo bands in the genre, with a litany of vocal stylings, a blend of melody and chaos, and the ability to craft unique songs that aren't afraid to defy genre archetypes. This makes for an incredible album listening experience. They are back with their 2nd full-length, Separation Anxiety, the much-anticipated follow-up to 2015's seminal This Is Dead Art; This Is Dead Time But We May Still Live Yet. You can check out my previous post on this band/album here. You can read a brief bio of them below before getting into the review, and LISTEN TO THIS ALBUM.
"Cassus - from Norwich, UK - released their first LP "This Is Dead Art; This Is Dead Time; But We May Still Live Yet" in November 2015 (following two self-released split EPs in 2012 and 2013) with the record labels React With Protest (Germany), Framecode Records (Malaysia), Samegrey Records (Ukraine), Structures//Agony (US), and Don't Care Records (UK) to critical acclaim from blogs such as Circling The Drain and Sophie's Floorboard. The record also holds a 4.57/5 average rating on Discogs. The band have toured extensively around Europe and played festivals: Cry Me A River in 2016 and 2017, Fiducia Fest in 2015 and 2017, and Fluff Fest in 2017 (headlining CMAR 2017, Fiducia 2017 and the tent stage of Fluff 2017)."
"Their second LP "Separation Anxiety" releases April 27, 2018 on the labels Dog Knights Production, IFB Records, and React With Protest. The band are planning further tours in 2018 which will include appearances at Miss The Stars festival in May and Cry Me A River in June."
The opener "Getting Older Younger" hits the ground running with a sonic assault of high energy, and starts the album off with a definite highlight. "Automate Me" opens with some shouted vocals and sharp rhythmic work before devolving into total chaos in the latter half. Next up is "Curriculum", which hits hard at some break-neck speeds. It enters into a chant-like interlude in the center of the song, which is accented by the gong of a distorted bass.
"Ceaseless Tumult" begins with a wash of cymbals and gentle arpeggios, before rocketing into blast beat dissonance. The band brings a sense of melody back later in the track with a stop-and-start bridge. "Being Sick on a Merry-Go-Round" lays a bass riff down as its backbone, whilst the vocals are primarily sung and the track slowly builds momentum.
"Be a Man" features one of my favourite moments on the record, where about one-third in the vocals spit very intensely, and the band holds down a menacing rhythm, all the while a somber guitar arpeggio is heard in the background. The track closes out with some of the harshest vocals on the record, paired with one of the quietest instrumental bits. Lyrically, it's a biting critique of "masculinity" told through its stereotypical rules. A definite personal highlight.
"Boundless Torpor" launches back into their signature gut-punch, but inevitably takes the road less travelled by breaking into some angelic vocals in its rolling outro. "Have You Considered a Balanced Diet?" is rhythmically throttling, making for one of the most chaotic tracks in the listing, but a superb song nonetheless. "Tired of Being Tired of Being Tired" has a title that harkens back to their debut LP. This song features some heavy riffage, and guttural vocals. This one never ceases for a breather like its counterpart does.
Separation Anxiety closes with what could be considered the greatest track on here. It acts as the perfect culmination of all the ideas previously explored. It goes down so many avenues, with every vocal styling on display here, and its off-kilter, dissonant rhythms, rolling drum patterns, and heavy build-ups dominating the first half. The scene cuts to black before the spotlight hits some solitary, serene guitar work and echoing, sung vocals. "Reduced Possibility; Endangered Determinism" is the perfect end to this perfect album. It's a rare occurrence to hear a band push the envelope on a genre already mastercrafted by so many incredible acts, but Cassus take the plunge into the unique and experimental, making them a definite talking point for screamo fans. They've done their incredible debut justice with this follow-up, which will definitely be leaving wakes in its path throughout the remainder of 2018.
Separation Anxiety is out today (April 27th). You can buy a copy on their Bandcamp (or iTunes) today, with two tracks available for streaming here. The vinyl (with incredible artwork and a beautiful pressing) can be ordered from Dog Knights Productions below, as well as IFB Records and React with Protest soon. You can stream the album in full below. Enjoy!
BIO
"Cassus - from Norwich, UK - released their first LP "This Is Dead Art; This Is Dead Time; But We May Still Live Yet" in November 2015 (following two self-released split EPs in 2012 and 2013) with the record labels React With Protest (Germany), Framecode Records (Malaysia), Samegrey Records (Ukraine), Structures//Agony (US), and Don't Care Records (UK) to critical acclaim from blogs such as Circling The Drain and Sophie's Floorboard. The record also holds a 4.57/5 average rating on Discogs. The band have toured extensively around Europe and played festivals: Cry Me A River in 2016 and 2017, Fiducia Fest in 2015 and 2017, and Fluff Fest in 2017 (headlining CMAR 2017, Fiducia 2017 and the tent stage of Fluff 2017)."
"Their second LP "Separation Anxiety" releases April 27, 2018 on the labels Dog Knights Production, IFB Records, and React With Protest. The band are planning further tours in 2018 which will include appearances at Miss The Stars festival in May and Cry Me A River in June."
REVIEW
The opener "Getting Older Younger" hits the ground running with a sonic assault of high energy, and starts the album off with a definite highlight. "Automate Me" opens with some shouted vocals and sharp rhythmic work before devolving into total chaos in the latter half. Next up is "Curriculum", which hits hard at some break-neck speeds. It enters into a chant-like interlude in the center of the song, which is accented by the gong of a distorted bass.
"Ceaseless Tumult" begins with a wash of cymbals and gentle arpeggios, before rocketing into blast beat dissonance. The band brings a sense of melody back later in the track with a stop-and-start bridge. "Being Sick on a Merry-Go-Round" lays a bass riff down as its backbone, whilst the vocals are primarily sung and the track slowly builds momentum.
"Be a Man" features one of my favourite moments on the record, where about one-third in the vocals spit very intensely, and the band holds down a menacing rhythm, all the while a somber guitar arpeggio is heard in the background. The track closes out with some of the harshest vocals on the record, paired with one of the quietest instrumental bits. Lyrically, it's a biting critique of "masculinity" told through its stereotypical rules. A definite personal highlight.
"Boundless Torpor" launches back into their signature gut-punch, but inevitably takes the road less travelled by breaking into some angelic vocals in its rolling outro. "Have You Considered a Balanced Diet?" is rhythmically throttling, making for one of the most chaotic tracks in the listing, but a superb song nonetheless. "Tired of Being Tired of Being Tired" has a title that harkens back to their debut LP. This song features some heavy riffage, and guttural vocals. This one never ceases for a breather like its counterpart does.
Separation Anxiety closes with what could be considered the greatest track on here. It acts as the perfect culmination of all the ideas previously explored. It goes down so many avenues, with every vocal styling on display here, and its off-kilter, dissonant rhythms, rolling drum patterns, and heavy build-ups dominating the first half. The scene cuts to black before the spotlight hits some solitary, serene guitar work and echoing, sung vocals. "Reduced Possibility; Endangered Determinism" is the perfect end to this perfect album. It's a rare occurrence to hear a band push the envelope on a genre already mastercrafted by so many incredible acts, but Cassus take the plunge into the unique and experimental, making them a definite talking point for screamo fans. They've done their incredible debut justice with this follow-up, which will definitely be leaving wakes in its path throughout the remainder of 2018.
Separation Anxiety is out today (April 27th). You can buy a copy on their Bandcamp (or iTunes) today, with two tracks available for streaming here. The vinyl (with incredible artwork and a beautiful pressing) can be ordered from Dog Knights Productions below, as well as IFB Records and React with Protest soon. You can stream the album in full below. Enjoy!
CASSUS
DOG KNIGHTS PRODUCTIONS
IFB RECORDS
REACT WITH PROTEST
Friday, 22 December 2017
Best Of 2017
As is now tradition, here's my list of the 50 "best" albums of 2017 to close out the year. As always, don't take this as an objectively ranked list, these are just my personal favourites. Feel free to share some of your favourites with me, I'd love to know what you guys have been listening to for the past 12 months. Thanks for a great year and your persistence in never letting this blog die. I hope you have a good end of year, and I'll see you in 2018.
Honourable Mentions:
Frail Hands - S/T
No Omega - Culture
People Like You - Verse
Cloakroom - Time Well
Massa Nera - Los Pensamientos De Una Cara Palida
50
The Magnetic Fields - 50 Song Memoir
49
Rainer Maria - S/T
45
Ty Segall - Ty Segall
32
Career Suicide - Machine Response
31
Laura Marling - Semper Femina
1
Mount Eerie - A Crow Looked At Me
Honourable Mentions:
Frail Hands - S/T
No Omega - Culture
People Like You - Verse
Cloakroom - Time Well
Massa Nera - Los Pensamientos De Una Cara Palida
50
The Magnetic Fields - 50 Song Memoir
49
Rainer Maria - S/T
48
Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Luciferian Towers
47
Shizune - Cheat Death, Live Dead!
46
Sect - No Cure For Death
45
Ty Segall - Ty Segall
44
All Pigs Must Die - Hostage Animal
43
Courtney Barnett & Kurt Vile - Lotta Sea Lice
42
Cigarettes After Sex - Cigarettes After Sex
41
The World is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die - Always Foreign
40
Queens Of The Stone Age - Villians
39
METZ - Strange Peace
38
Chelsea Wolfe - Hiss Spun
37
The xx - I See You
36
Tigers Jaw - Spin
35
Incendiary - Thousand Mile Stare
34
Björk - Utopia
33
Japandroids - Near To The Wild Heart of Life
32
Career Suicide - Machine Response
31
Laura Marling - Semper Femina
30
Full of Hell - Trumpeting Ecstasy
29
Waxahatchee - Out In The Storm
28
The War On Drugs - A Deeper Understanding
27
St. Vincent - MASSEDUCTION
26
Jay-Z - 4:44
25
Remo Drive - Greatest Hits
24
Priests - Nothing Feels Natural
23
Drake - More Life
22
Perfume Genius - No Shape
21
Alvvays - Antisocialites
20
Power Trip - Nightmare Logic
19
Sorority Noise - You're Not As _____ As You Think
18
Julien Baker - Turn Out The Lights
17
Sun Kil Moon - Common as Light and Love Are Red Valleys of Blood
16
the Mountain Goats - Goths
15
The Menzingers - After The Party
14
Fleet Foxes - Crack-Up
13
Tyler, The Creator - Flower Boy
12
Code Orange - Forever
11
Single Mothers - Our Pleasure
10
Vince Staples - Big Fish Theory
9
Brockhampton - Saturation
8
Brockhampton - Saturation III
7
Brockhampton - Saturation II
6
The National - Sleep Well Beast
5
Brand New - Science Fiction
4
Converge - The Dusk In Us
3
Kendrick Lamar - DAMN.
2
Father John Misty - Pure Comedy
1
Mount Eerie - A Crow Looked At Me
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