I’ve written so many evangelical words about Black Peaks in the past that I’m sure at some point, I’ll exhaust every possible positive adjective in the dictionary raving about them.
Instead, I’ll keep this short and simple. Statues is the album modern rock junkies worldwide have been waiting for – even if they don’t know it yet.
Long-time Black Peaks fans will already be familiar with Read more…
There are few pleasures in life like watching a trio of tour-tightened bands tear a legendary venue apart.
Press To MECO (95%), fresh off the back of dropping a straight up stunning debut album named Good Intent, are on the up – and good on them. They absolutely deserve it. Breaking into Family Ties in front of an already-rammed Borderline after a quick bunch of fist-bumps, Press To MECO wasted zero time before nailing chunky riffs and beautiful harmonies.
No warmup song needed. That is the mark of a band who Read more…
Bear Makes Ninja are more than just a badass band name.
These guys have been making waves in the post-/math-rock world for a fair few years now, and Shenanagrams is guaranteed to plant the Bear Makes Ninja flag firmly in that niche’s bedrock. If you’re of the mind to criticise Bear Makes Ninja’s musicianship, you’re a fuckwit; this album offers many a glorious, grandeur-fuelled moment that will bring big grins to the faces of math-oriented musos across Read more…
If mind-blowing instrumental math-rock is your musical delicacy of choice, meet Poly-Math – if you haven’t already. They’re currently sitting on one hell of a debut mini-album, which is called Melencolia, was reviewed here for your delectation, and contains three ultra-intense epics that will have you scratching your head in wonderment for months to come.
Here, Poly-Math bassist Joe Branton talks about Melencolia‘s presently-missing fourth track, the joys of instrumental music, and why Poly-Math are on the lookout for the world’s biggest inflatable bananas… Read more…
Poly-Math are fast becoming Names in the British math- / post-rock underground, and rightly so. 2015’s Reptile churned a fair few minds and pricked up many an ear – and now, Poly-Math’s debut mini-album Melencolia is set to take them up a level.
Look at the running times for each of Melencolia’s three tracks Read more…
Imagine Reuben jamming with Light Grenades-era Incubus, and you have Code Talker – the lead track from Gallows Humour, the latest from a band namechecked by Jamie Lenman about a year ago during Read more…
I’ve ranted and raved about these guys for years – and frankly, they fucking deserve it. Dorje are an industry unto themselves, topping album charts across the Internet with their latest Catalyst EP, racking up some 800,000 YouTube views for their signature song Aeromancy, and nailing one of Indiegogo’s top crowdfunding campaigns while handling everything in-house with zero label backing.
Respect is due here – and this year will see a second EP alongside much touring. By the time Dorje are done, their peers will be craning their necks to catch a glimpse of them.
If you just can’t cram enough mind-ruining math rock into your day, Black Peaks’ latest single Saviour is a must-listen. A massively improved version of an already epic track from early EP Closer To The Sun, and a mouth-watering taste of what to expect from Black Peaks’ upcoming album Statues, Saviour will blow you away. Play loud.
As with Dorje and Black Peaks, I’ve written many an evangelical word about Signals over the years. Breaking fresh ground with every note, this Southampton-based math-pop quartet are genuinely unique. Hard-earned technical skills, thoughtful musicianship, never-less-than-perfect production, and an instantly recognisable sound topped off with Ellie Price’s consistently passionate vocals all add up to an act capable of cutting the mustard like a legendary ninja.
When they’re not inducing jawbreaking gurns in Dorje, guitarist Rabea Massaad, drummer Ben Minal, and bassist Dave Hollingworth can be found frying facial features as Toska. Instrumental progressive metal is the name of the game here, departing from the standard Periphery-aping clone formula employed by many of their peers in favour of a genuinely new vibe. Toska’s debut EP Ode To The Author does contain hints of Karnivool, Porcupine Tree, Tesseract, and even Incubus – but more than that, it represents the birth of a meditatively immersive New Sound.
More to come on this one – but for now, just trust me. This will be frickin’ special.
Hatton Manor – aka Matt and Hannah – are in the earliest of early days right now. But they are still one of the most flat-out superior acoustic guitar-and-vocal duos I’ve ever heard. Dipping their toes into the live and festival circuits during 2015, as well as releasing their debut EP Eden, Hatton Manor are moving into a new phase full of experimentation. By turns graceful, gritty, joyful and dark, Hatton Manor know how to strap you into an emotional rollercoaster from note one. Awesome.
Thoughtful EDM might seem like an oxymoron – but Princess Slayer make it work through a creative approach that blends hedonistic playfulness with ruminative sincerity. Drummer and producer Vince Welch digs up gut-rumbling grooves, cute melodies, and carefully constructed sonic strata while vocalist Casey Lim thinks out loud through an intimate and vulnerable yet confident vocal. With many collaborations and their Living EP behind them, a Princess Slayer album is rumoured to be on the way. With any luck, 2016 will be the year it surfaces – and when it does, expect something exceptional and exceptionally cool.
As we saw yesterday via TMMP’s Top Albums Of 2015 feature, the last year has seen some absolutely amazing music released into the world. In case the 50 albums on yesterday’s list weren’t enough, here’s the cream of 2015’s shorter-form releases. TMMP’s Top EPs & Songs Of 2015 is a little less hefty, but no less inspiring.
Considering the meteoric rise of Catalyst, Dorje’s none-more-hench slab of riff-rocking audiojoy – not to mention the fact that it’s been my wakeup music since the day I downloaded it – it ultimately had to come out on top. But that fact does nothing to detract from the awesomeness of the bands, artists, songs, and EPs who’ve all been given second place since you’d need to nitpick to an insane degree if you were to try to rank them in some kind of chart-style order.
Every moment of music this list contains is top-notch. For further explanation, click the relevant links for more words and music – and follow TMMP via Twitter and my brand new Facebook page for more from the world of world-class music in 2016!
2015 has been a big year, soundtracked by a slew of spectacular albums. Picking an overall favourite was a pretty stressful task – and in the end, Jon Gomm’s gorgeous collection of live fan picks and what is, in my opinion, the definitive modern-day Joe Satriani album both had to go on top.
Deciding who would ultimately top the tree was made infinitely easier by putting them in alphabetical order by surname; if you put a gun to my head and demanded I choose between Jon Gomm and Joe Satriani in terms of quality, you’d just have to shoot me. They’re two sides of the same coin, Jon Gomm representing the acoustic world, Satriani the electric. Put together, these guys represent almost unparalleled guitaristic virtuosity.
In joint second place, you’ll find a whole host of alphabetised winners who would each be done a terrible injustice were they to be placed in a lower position. From legends with glittering careers spanning decades to stunning comeback albums and a fair few brand new names facing bright and hopeful futures, TMMP’s top albums of 2015 are all here.
Dive in – there’s a lot to get stuck into – and follow TMMP via Twitter for more from the world of world-class music in 2016!
