advent calender 2013 english
Two years after the very elaborate triumph march 'The Octopus', Sel Balamir and Amplifier followed up with the silence after the storm 'Echo Street'. The band's impressive wall of sound-spacerock on their fourth album grants a clearer view onto Balamir's 60esque songwriting, allowing Amplifier to wrench new facets from their anachronistic Prog: 'Echo Street' is a nostaligic, for the most part relaxed and cautious record, containing some of Amplifier's strongest songs ever with 'Where the River Goes', 'Paris in the Spring' or 'Mary Rose'. With the following 'Sunrise' EP being at least on the same level, the upcoming 'Mystoria' can be awaited eagerly. To shorten the time until it's release, Sel Balamir brings the HeavyPop Advent calender 2013 to an end with a list of his favourite records of this past year.
One thing Duane Denison definitely did not experience in 2013 was boredom. There was the (once again) reunion of noiserock-overlords The Jesus Lizard or the foundation of supergroup The Unsamble (featuring Alexander Hacke of Einstürzende Neubauten and Silver Jews' Brian Kotzur) – but first and foremost there was 'Oddfellows', the might-as-well-be comeback and possibly best work by the even superer group Tomahawk. And thanks to Denison's varied choices for his records of the year and the HeavyPop Advent calendar, there's no place for boredom here, either.
No offense to all the other playgrounds Justin Pearson takes part in – but Retox is most likely the straight up best band in a pool of never dissapointing projects the 38 year old has been a member of since 'New Erections' were, well, erected. The extra portion of kicking rock moments not only suits the grindcore-dervish remarkably well, combined with the stunning guitar-work by Michael Crain it also takes care of making songs like 'Soviet Reunion' or 'Greasy Palm' surefire genre-hits on 'YPLL'. On day 20 of the HeavyPop Advent calendar, Pearson tells us about his favourite records of this past year 2013.
Chris Breuer more or less jumped in at the deep end: after Bassist Louis Jucker left The Ocean to concentrate on his studies, it was up to the Saarland-Berliner to sustain the dynamic groove below the pressing progressive post-metal of the multinational group surrounding mastermind Robin Staps. And Breuer arrived just in time to become part of 'Pelagial', another mighty conceptional chunk by The Ocean. Right before setting out for their next tour, Chris Breuer told HeavyPop for the annual Advent calendar what records accompanied him throught this past year.
Day 18 of the HeavyPop Advent calendar brings us France's most intense band. Usually friends of rapid-fire releases (three and a half records over the course of five years) Lyon's Celeste took nearly three years to meticulously craft their Opus Magnum 'Animale(s)', and every second of work shows on their pitch-black conceptual work of art. Never before did Celeste sound more detailed, more coherent – in short: better. It was hard to imagine after the already outstanding 'Morte(s) Nee(s)', but Celeste outdid themselves again.
The first Melt-Banana album after six years – furthermore the first album as duo with synthetic Bass- and Drumtracks – could have been anticipated with mixed feelings. And singer Yasuko and genius Guitarist Agata? Release 'Fetch' one of their best albums so far, a Melt-Banana fireworks extravaganza, with the only downside being that the next album may again be away half a decade. On day 17 of the HeavyPop Advent calender the Japanese cult outfit tells us about their favourite records of 2013 – and beyond.
In the light of his band Disappears not only releasing the 'Kone'-EP that rose expectations for 2013, but consequently lifting their sound onto the next level with their following album 'Era' , Brian Case telling us about his favourite records of this past year is especially interesting. "Their best album so far" is the consensus on 'Era' elsewhere - which can only be repeated on day 13 of the Heavy Pop Advent calendar.
The Canadian Profound Lore Records is well known for its tasteful roster, but sometimes even their high quality list of releases has definite highlights - such as the third album of the Salt Lake City doom outfit SubRosa. 'More Constant Than The Gods' as of now marks the high-point in the bands œuvre: six beautiful monoliths, complex, varied and bearing a seldomly seen elemental force. Bassist Christian Creek took his time to participate in the HeavyPop Advent calendar 2013, and tell us about his favourite records of this past year.
No, sadly the long-awaited British Theatre debut album wasn't released in 2013. But to see Mike Vennart and Richard "Gambler" nearly exactly three years after their last visit in Austria (back then they did an awesome and really memorable concert in the final days of the legendary Oceansize under kinda bizarre circumstances in Afflenz) backing Biffy Clyro on stage recalls what magnificent jobs they already did with their 'EP' and 'Dyed in the Wool Ghost' last year. So to bridge the hard waiting time unto we'll (hopefully!) hear the highly anticipated first full length from the duo in 2014, here's what they two recommend this year:
On their self titled debut album California X served a sweaty party with immense groove, brilliant guitar work and many catchy hits somewhere between Torche and Dinosaur Jr.: so beside any name-dropping and fueled with a rocking punkrock spirit similar to Japandroids a headbanging highlight of the year and a huge promise to the future. And also a good reason to ask bassplayer Dan for the Heavypop advent calender what five records the band from Amherst enjoyed the most in 2013. In no particular order that would be...
