Demo Single Review: A Light Within - Terraform (Post Rock, 2022)

I think the new A Light Within demo single is going to surprise people who followed the band this far. The new material the band is currently working on will be released piece by piece as singles marked as "demos".

A Light Within open a new chapter with a demo single release.

Don't let this fool you. The quality is top notch there is nothing sounding bad or not outworked in this.

As I listened to the first installment called "Terraform" things overwhelmed me. A Light Within were well known to me for sticking to subtle and fine-tuned Post Rock sounds. 

This new material comes around with brighter sound. It slightly blasts the ears with full sound tonality from the very start. I like the way the drums are presented this time. They are coming more to the point and sound thicker than before without destroying the structures.

But don't worry, the new noise isn't all just about change. It's also keeping tradition. It still has these vibe that incites your imagination. Sometimes it's a bit ghostly, other times it's a bit spacy. Other moments I had to think of space travel and maybe this is how things sound when you explore outer space.

Make sure to close your eyes once in a while and let your mind drift away. A Light Within have created sounds that help you to go to places unknown. 

The vocals come further to the front and take more space and volume than ever before. Same goes for the melodies. They prefer to travel through the whole track duration. At the same time things morph and change so in the end there's change. 

All in all it has become a more direct and content filled soundscape. Make sure to take a listen.

As a alternative you can also listen to "Terraform" on Spotify and maybe recommend it to your friends.

Follow the band's journey on socials such as Instagram or Twitter so you won't miss the next single releases.

Single-Preview: The Lazlo Device - You stumble, I Fall (Post Rock, 2018)

This beautiful piece of Post Rock packs all the facettes such music is able to show into one compact track.

The cover of the new The Lazlo Device single "You stumble, I Fall". (c) by The Lazlo Device, used with kind permission

This new track of London-based post-rockers The Lazlo Device is going to be released this very friday 27th April 2018. It's the title tracks of the upcoming album of the same name. Heavy Metal Underdogs had a pre-listen to the new single and here's what came around:

Out of a misty intro the song beginns. "You stumble, I Fall" starts out as a harmonic, clear track. Everything is set in a balanced mood with straight vocals, drums and guitars. But as time goes by the song changes. The cymbals announce the change with their constant ringing. More rougher guitars slowly begin to fade in adding a more ghosty and moving note to the tune. Finally the rough notes start to take over bringing in a more harsh sound with distorted experimental sounds. The end comes shortly - a mixture of the more melodic and the rough parts melting together and bringing the single to an end.

I can share a little snippet of what's to come with all of you.

'You Stumble, I Fall' is set to drop on 27th April, with two more singles to follow before the release of the album later in the year.

You Stumble, I Fall album tracklisting:

1. These Eyes

2. Change

3. Sleep Till Summer

4. Beetle

5. Known To You

6. Blanket

7. Alderon

8. Mt Songo

9. I Don't Know

10. Fleeting Seconds

11. Fix Your Sights

12. You Stumble, I Fall

Keep a eye on the band through Twitter, Facebook or their Homepage. That's also the places where you'll surely will be notified of where to purchase the track once it's released. 

CD Review: Arcade Messiah - III (Instrumental Metal, 2016)

Massive guitars - these words were left behind in my mind after listening to the newest effort of Arcade Messiah. John Bassett impressively shows how to present guitar wizardry in modern sounds to the audience these days.

The album cover for Arcade Messiah's "III", (c) by Arcade Messiah, used with kind permission

Summary
 
The longplayer simply entitled "III" is packed to the brim with beautiful and massive guitar sounds. If you adore such sounds the first three tracks, especially "Citadel" and "Revolver" will make you alone more than happy. You don't need to read further - go straight forward to Bandcamp and buy the record for a few bucks. You can't go wrong here.

For all others it should be mentioned that the album builds up the tonality to a absolute peak in the first three tracks. Afterwards the tension falls down a bit to give air for some more breathing to the atmosphere. Those two numbers that follow go with less massive sound and examine the fragileness of guitar sounds with softer music.

What else has changed since the last record? "III" is compared to the previous album a output that comes in a much thicker presentation. Everything has been outworked to sound heavy from the start. Most of all the drums speak out clearly to me. They are much more brutal and present than on "II". Even the bass shines more through on this album. In addition some vocals can be heard. They fit well and don't ruin the listening experience. 

It's the fun that winds down in your ears while listening to the album that makes it stand out from other releases. John Bassett plays a lot with themes and motives on this one and it's simply a calming and positive feeling those notes leave behind.

Purchase-Link and Album Player

Please appreciate those efforts with a purchase. These time no physical format can be offered since John Bassett moved his home while creating these tunes and decided to go a safe route finacially. But the digital plattform Bandcamp happily offers losless formats so you will have the same quality with the files than having a pressed CD.  Enjoy a preview in the player below.

Contact Data

The story of Arcade Messiah goes on! Make sure to follow the project through their homepage or use Facebook to do so.

A Light Within evolve beyond any frontier on new demos

A Light Within have been among my favorites for a long time. Both of their EPs "Preface" as well as "Body Matter" offer the listener a outstanding musical experience. They evole the genre of post rock in a way I've seldomely ever heard any other band did before. When you listen to their music it will take you to new insights and feelings and leave you behind wondering to what you've just been listening. Small wonder I've put a pin badge of their band logo on my jeans summer jacket.

The pin badge of A Light Within on my summer jacket

Currently the band is back recording brand new material. They kindly offer a early possibility to listen to what they're working on in a demo stadium already. The two new cuts entitled "Surrounded by Astronauts" as well as "An Educated Gentleman" show that A Light Within have evolved even further and beyond any frontier this time. Besides the music the two short videos have stunning visuals with them that I've not seen anywhere else yet.

Don't miss out this two snippets and head on over to Bandcamp or Facebook and join them there so you'll be notified on what they're going to do next.

A Light Within changes vocals with every lyric line

When you go through the various media forms in which music can be presented one thing has fascinated me for a long time now. It's the various effects that the choice of format can bring to the listener / viewer.

I can remember back in the very beginning there was little more than music on tapes I could listen to so my experience was limited to the audio content. It was great and I still enjoy listening to music and completly focussing on it these days.

The next step came when vinyl albums crossed my way. They made a different effect with their huge cover sleeves that were impressive. Iron Maiden's "Life After Death" was the best example. It contained a extra photo booklet that captured the monsterous stage set of the World Slavery Tour in impressive pictures. The vinyl needed special handling due to it's size and special care when dust had fallen on it.

Then there was a cut to digital media. CDs rushed in making handling easier and access to music faster. Sometimes it came in nice digipack formats that also could on rare occations feature a extra insert that could be unfolded by opening it. Few also came in a tin box.

Finally these days mp3s and streaming music through the internet have become a vital part of listening music. But what besides all the mentioned variations had the most impact on me was when videos came in. These days those clips are mostly put on Youtube and I think watching a video can take a lot of control of the listener. To me it's a massive difference if it comes with visuals or as audio alone. To me it is as if the music is far more touchable this way. It brings me closer to the artists performance.

Such a great example to prove this came along my way when post rock / post metal outfit A Light Within uploaded a vocal performace video for the track "No Charge" of their newest output "Body Matter".

I was already impressed by the vocals when I heard the audio but this video points out the intensity of the vocal performance so much more. It shows how much dedication the band put's into each and every aspect of the songs. This time it's the vocalist that change the mood and tonality with nearly every single lyric line. I've never before given such a idea that variations can have such a dramatic change to a song.


Make sure to see the band live their next date is set for

Wednesday, 9. March 2016 21:00h (CST)
miniBar
3810 Broadway St, Kansas City 64111

Theirs a unique show flyer that the band has put out for this event.

The flyer for the next show of  A Light Within, (c) by A Light Within, used with kind permission

Finally keep track on their music by following A Light Within through Facebook or go to Bandcamp to pick up their excellent EPs.

CD Review: Arcade Messiah - II

Short Introduction

Arcade Messiah is a one-man instrumental metal music project from KingBathmat frontman John Bassett. It combines a mix of Metal/Post Rock/Stoner/Doom/Prog elements all together on one disc. The first album was released exactly one year ago and received a lot of positive feedback from fans all over the world.

John Bassett spoke to Prog Megazine about the resonace he received. He was surprised about the positive reactions so he decided to create a sequel. He further said that it's meant to be a sort of continuation of the first record but with the hope of being a better, bigger and more dramatic piece of music. The intention was to grow the music without losing the vibe and atmosphere of the original album. The next chapter in the history of Arcade Messiah is set for release on 22nd November 2015 via Bandcamp and then everywhere else on Nov 27 through Stereohead Records.

(c) by Arcade Messiah, used with kind permission

Summary / Player / Purchase-Link

Please bring some time to listen to the album properly. It comes with many layers of melody and variation in them that are ofter overwhelming on the first listen. But if you give them more spins you'll discover so many fine points that you'll wonder what you may've overheard the time before. 

The album is well worth some money. Currently the pre-order price is set at 0,99 GBP on Bandcamp until the release on 22nd of November 2015. Afterwards you'll be able to set the amount free of choice. Please give some bucks so independent and progressive music can continue to push on forward and offer all of us even more of these great musical journeys. It will take you out of your everyday life for a good amount on time and I remember having enjoyed every single minute of it.

If you decide to pick up a physical copy packed in a six panel digipack you'll be rewarded with a ninth track on the disc that add's a playing time of 19 additional minutes to your playing time. That track is something very special, all of you guys out there digging the long-tracks of progressive music will love this. It's like a never-ending epic.

The record will be released on 22nd November via Bandcamp. Currently a album preview is available for streaming as well as two full tracks. I've included the full songs at the Album-Overview section of the review. Here is the album-roundup to get a quick idea of the record:

Album-Overview (Track-by-track review)

Moon Signal: after a slow intro section the album starts with a high complexity. This is a well outworked piece of guitar work. It really needs a lot of time to get through all of the sections and comes in very rough. Don't let this hinder you. It's a rather heavy start to the album but the further tracks go in a bit easier.

Red Widow: More groove based progmetal. It's a breaker and positive "push-it-forward-track". Complex yet very fitting drums and guitar shred on this one. Rough sections follow cleaner parts and surprisingly some total soft-toned notes see the light towards the last third of the song. They lead over to a very dirstorted part with crushing guitars all over. The end comes fast and abrupt.

Black Dice Maze: The song starts out as a beautifull ballad with clean and pure guitars. The drums fit very well to this starting a soft rhythm. Drastically it all changes and a lot of roughness comes rushing in. This goes over to a typical prometal riff and finally unfolds into some more rough crushing and edgy guitar sound giving it all a more complex and hard sound structure. The next move goes back to the progmetal style and comes around clearer and in a more compact style. The end comes in very climatic and dramatic before the whole soundsphere collapses and goes back to some soft notes but not in the same style as at the beginning.

Gallows Way: A clear and calling sound speaks out of the guitar. Is there someone out there? This creates a very spheric and haunting atmosphere. I often wonder why some of the roughest records include hard tracks but at the same time there are these soft pearls in there as well. Those give you freezing chills. This is one of those shining diamonds. It doesn't last long but maybe you'll remember it as long in your mind as I did... The slightly distorted ending builds a crossing to the next track.

(c) by John Bassett, used wth kind permission

Fourth Quarter: A fine mixture of rougher and silker soundscapes can be found in this one. Held in a typical progressive style it's slightly hard but with a very warm and melodic tonality to it. Beautiful melodies can be found a lot in here.
It's like walking through a garderen that offers so many flowers to see. A intensive journey through what instrumental progressive music can offer in all of it's variations, diversity and complexity.

Via Occulta: A short intermission. Clear guitar notes flying around. The drums catch them up and form a little jam-alike atmosphere.

Read the Sky: A highly complex track. It get's back to the rough style. Held in a midtempo the track evolves around the main riff and comes with a lot of distortion. Inside of the storm you'll find a eye of melody that shine through. The darkest and hardest track of the album in my ears.

Start Missing Everyone: Spacy sounds start this one.But once that is gone sheer power takes over. A compact closing point. A good ending point for all people taking the download edition.

The Four Horsemen (CD-only-track): A catchy start to the epic with soft yet ever-changing guitar sounds and rhythm patterns. It evolves even further to a powerfull guitar bloom but not so heavily distorted as "Read the sky". It comes to a first peak towards nearly the half of the track and goes over to a somewhat ghostly spheric intermission just to come back with fresh power before going back in the softer mode and back to power again. The chilling and dreamingly sphere is present on the vast majority of the next track section before heavyness comes rushing back in. The drumming is most complex on this song. Lot's of variations and drum fills. The end set's a last mark on heavyness leaving me in the hope that we'll hear more of this great musician in the future.

CD Review: Vision Lunar - Luna Subortus

Band Introduction

The band was founded by Alexandre Julien (who has also played in Soufferance, Citadel Swamp,Éphémère and Vision Éternel, to name a few). From 2006 to 2007 Vision Lunar released seven demos. After going through a hiatus and ultimately breaking up in early 2009, a complete discography CD was issued, entitled “Phase One (2006-2009)”. This was given away to close friends and collaborators eventually released as a free download, massing over four hundred downloads since October of 2010.

A re-issue of that release was put out on a limited run of CDs starting August 29th 2015 by Abridged Pause Recordings. This second pressing features upgraded artwork, proper chronological track listing and a new song that was discovered in 2014, not found on the original issue.

Alexandre Julien started working on new Vision Lunar material back in February of 2015. After some re-thinking he finally re-animated the band and has just recently put out a brand-new EP entitled "Luna Subortus".

(c) by Vision Lunar, used with kind permission

Summary

So normally when I think of Black Metal I mostly think of very brutal music. It brings the raw power and energy of metal out the most direct and sounds uncompromising like only few. This band called "Vision Lunar" has surprised me a lot. It is Black Metal for sure but with a very atmospheric and haunting attitude in it. It shows that this musical style is not necessary limited or even bound to it's pure darker tone but can also bring in a lot of melody and vibe to it.

Album-Stream
 

Track-by-track Review

Listening to the new EP on Bandcamp I was very pleased to be introduced with a melodic first track called "Desperation". It takes you into a own mood which makes you calm. It perfectly fits to the change of nature which is going on these days with the summer leaving and the silence and darker sounds of autumn coming it. It also prepares you to listen closely.

The second track "Spiritus Luna" see's us going into a heavy metallic guitar storm, proofing the riff abilities of Vision Lunar. Here comes the moment that you realize the heavyweight of the EP. Still it all remains a instrumental song. I think band's doing instrumental stuff need to bring a lot to the table to keep the listener at the Stereo system but this riff monster definitely manages to do so.

Finally the third song "In Hues of Blood Orange" leads you away from the heavy style and brings you back to the melodic site of the record. You're leaving with your mind filled with new impressions. Plus I think you'll long for more once you've taken a ear on this. A very promising release and one which made me think on a different and new way when it comes for mixing musical styles that may sound impossible on a first try.

Final Words and Purchase Link

What makes this release so special is that it follows a sort of release circuit. In earlier times of the band from 2006 to 2007 Vision Lunar released seven demos, always on the day of a  full moon. The September 28th 2015 release date was chosen deliberately as it was the night of a full moon and also a lunar eclipse.

The full moon captured in Lingen, Photopgraphy taken from me in 2014

"Luna Subortus"  (meaning "revived moon" in Latin) is offered digitally. A cassette version is also in the works. Just head over to the Bandcamp page of the record company to purchase the EP.
There's also a physical version available on CD that comes in a clear DVD case for all readers living in Europe. Just head over to the website of Winterwolf Records (based in Germany) or visit their shop at Ebay to get a copy.

CD Review: A Light Within - Body Matter

Note:  If you have a own band or project that you think might fit in well here for a review or as a presentation / introduction please drop me a line or two in a E-Mail. Please see my profile for my E-Mail adress. I appreciate new suggestions very much so don't hesitate to contact me. I'm also interested in band news / updates / tourdates so keep the stuff coming. Thanks!

If you're having troubles writing in English please send me a E-Mail in your preferred language or use the free Google Translator to transfer your message to English. I also use that tool, it's of course not perfect but I think it will mostly likely work out for our purposes.


Short Introduction

A Light Within are a Post Rock/ Post Metal/ ShoeGaze band located at Kansas City, MO. Their first release has been the "Preface" EP which came out in 2013 and featured three tracks. The band created a sound full of atmosphere and emotions along with a lyrical concept which talked about a person whose life fades away. The songs were labeled with track names and side numbers like in a book.

Having released the record the band played continually shows in the area of their hometown and did send a sign every here and there about what happened on their Facebook page. That's also the place where the band began to speak about their second EP. People who followed them could get insights into the recording process by checking out the Youtube videos. A Light Within posted scenes from the studio along with song snippets.

The first single the band released of that record was entitled "Between Shores". A little later a proper video showing a decent visual exposure of the music was released on Youtube.

This coming Saturday May the 15th 2015 will see the band playing a CD celebration show at the recordbar. You'll be able to buy a hand numbered limited edition with extra special packaging of the "Body Matter" EP so don't miss out this very special show. The flyer below should hold all the information you need.

(c) by A Light Within, used with kind permission

If you can't make it to the show you don't need to be sad, there's still a chance to get your hands on one of the "normal" CDs but those are limited, too. Just head over to Bandcamp to otder your copy.

The digital version of "Body Matter" will be released via Static Tension Recordings on July 7th 2015.

Summary / Purchase Link / Player

The EP is a absolute blast! Having heard the single "Between Shores" I had some hopes but never expected this in my wildest dreams. Every song is different and it forms together a great diversity.

Most of all the band has gone through a form of progress which is hard to find anywhere else. While the band happily kept all the trademarks intact they also managed to make progress on each and every point possible. This means that each and every bandmember has tried out new ways on "Body Matter". For instance the vocals show now a much more diverse range of emotions and expressions. The bass guitar pushes the songs more forward and even the drums vary more than on "Preface". All in all it feels as if the new songs move more forwards in a more harder and pushing direction.

(c) by A Light Within, used with kind permission

If you're into hard but also very atmospheric music with a darker haunting vibe you should give this record and band a listen. As for me it's one of the best records in 2015 so far. It's music taking one far beyond and I totally love it for being that way. It's outstanding and takes the listener to another world in a positive way.

A hand numbered limited edition with extra special packaging of the "Body Matter" EP can be bought at the CD celebration show I mentioned above (Saturday 15th May 2015).

Purchase Links

Update 2015/07/28: Finally the digital version of Body Matter can be purchased at the Bandcamp page of A Light Within for only five dollar. The standard CD for 7 dollar is still available,too. Meanwhile the tin-box version is sold out.

If you prefer to use the itunes store for buying music digitally then here is the proper link to purchase the new A Light Within EP. 

Update 2015/05/18: The band has revealed the extra special edition of the EP as a tin-boxed CD that comes with a booklet and is handnumbered. Only 24 of those were made. You can get one of those from the Bandcamp page for the price of 10 Dollar plus shipping and handling.

The "standard" version of the CD is limited to 75 copies and can be bought at the Bandcamp page of A Light Within for 7 Dollar plus shipping and handling.

The digital release is set for 7th July 2015. Make sure to see the band's Bandcamp page around that time. I'm pretty sure you'll be able to pick it up there. I'll also update this review with more info once I have it.

Album Stream

Since the release is still some days away there isn't a proper EP stream available yet. If a public stream should be set up I'll add it here. Please bookmark this page and check back or keep a eye on the Bandcamp page of A Light Within. In the meantime I've added the video for the full album version of "Between Shores" right here. The song gives a good idea of the style and sound of "Body Matter".

Update 2015/07/08: Finally here is the full stream of the EP for you to enjoy.

Update 2015/07/01: The full stream of the brand new EP premiered at Heavy Blog is Heavy. Don't wait any longer - click and discover a great piece of music in these warm summer days of 2015.

Update 2015/05/15: The album stream release date is currently set for July 7 through Static Tension Recordings (information taken from the Facebook page of the band).

Update 2015/05/22: a new track from the EP has premiered over at the Decibel Magazine. It's called "World through the window". Check it out along with some words from the band about the meaning of the lyrics.


Track-by-track review

1. Torn Page #21
This intro slowly takes you away from the world you know. It feels as if you can hear the sound of the sea breaking it's waves on the coast. Mixed in distorted guitars tell you that something new is to arrive near you....

2. Page #22 _No Charge
A soft opening touches in before a constant rhythm begins to play. You'll notice the strong bass guitar elements and much more variations in the drums on this one. The midtempo rhythm comes quite as a sort of surprise on the first listening. Excellent vocals along with fine guitars with the punching rhythm make this a remarkable track. Nearly every little section comes with a different vocal part, some are more decent some are more stretched but they all fit very well in here. The song builds up more and more before it returns to the structure of the beginning at the middle of the track just to begin building up again. A hard scream towards the end then some more of the song before a hard cut marks the end.

(c) by A Light Within, used with kind permission

3. Page #51 _Between Shores
This one builds up slowly, crawling towards you. The drums play a cool pattern fill and the full song theme and haunting melody unfolds towards the listener. The vocals take a darker and harder tone than on No Charge. The distorted guitars contribute to this heavier attitude. The second part of Between Shores cleans out the melody to give the drums and spoken vocals more room. It brings in some sort of silent and clearing effect to the listener. The small melody softly played to it gives it a calming effect. A dark and hard voice lifts up the track to a more moving piece of music again. The drums give it a harder punch towards the end which is a bit suprising before a clean yet abrupt ending comes in.

4. Page #29 _World Through the Window
Epic, long dark and hard guitar riffs blowing out on the beginning. Clean and direct vocals push in to straighter song. Much variations and direct drumming in here which were not too often audible on A Light Within songs before. A beautiful melody comes in towards the middle of World Through the Window before some crushing guitars step in with the clean vocals. Some hard pushing riffs to the end give this one a very heavy and groove-oriented feeling.

(c) by A Light Within, used with kind permission

5. Page #13 _To Have; To Hold
The shortest number on Body Matter gives you some time to breathe and relax with it's soft and feeling lost melody and soft vocals. A dreaming moment in the vast ocean of time we are all living in...

6. Page #47-48 _Glaso
A slow and very silent fade in at the beginning before a hard rhythm kicks in. Some more silent notes before the track changes to a pushing beat going back and forth while bringing in various vocal elements. The edgy guitars give it a special note like some sort of screams mixed in. The second half is filled with a even more punching beat giving the track a more direct note. Maybe the most direct song of the band so far. Some hard riffs at the end form a good outro and leave one behind with a smiling face.

A Light Within made it once again. A band I hope many people will listen to. They would surely miss out a lot otherwise...

A Light Within present visual exposure of their music in new video

The Post Rock/ Post Metal/ ShoeGaze band A Light Within has finally found someone who they can team up with to have a decent exposure for their music. They teamed up with AngelLBeloved whose other stuff can also be showcased on their first Youtube channel and also on her second Youtube channel.

The band commented the video on Facebook with the words: "(...) As you watch this video for our album version single "Between Shores", we hope you can relate to some of the same metaphorical ideas that we have.(...)".

I think it wasn't that easy since their music comes with many layers and fine structures that makes them remarkeable. It also requires the listener to give the tracks several spins to take hold of the full stuff that is kept inside each and every track of the band.

The song is part of the new EP of the band called "Body Matter". Stay in touch with the band through Facebook to get to know the exact details on the release date, track list etc.

The band will play two shows in the upcoming time:

Middle of the Map Fest
The Riot Room in Kansas City
19:00 (CDT)

04/25/2015

recordBar in Kansas City
22:00 (CDT)
05/16/2015