Ahti Arumetsa | www.corezine.net

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Hors Sujet – J’ai cru, l’espace d’un instant, y effleurer un éclat de ciel qui s’y dessinait

23.07.10 | by Ahti Arumetsa | No Comments

Band: Hors Sujet
Album: J’ai cru, l’espace d’un instant, y effleurer un éclat de ciel qui s’y dessinait
Year: 2010
Label: Unsigned
Myspace

Best Song: Track 3
Score: 8/10

“I thought, just for a moment to touch a piece of sky that loomed” – is what the translation of Hors Sujet EP would be. As rough as the translation is, it still can be a good guideline, which in instrumental music is often needed. In this case, the hard thing I had to learn was to listen without any background information. Consisting of three untitled tracks (23 minutes in length), this release still remains a mystery to me. So, as harsh as it may sound, I am forced to listen without any preconception.

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Reviews
Collapse Under The Empire – Find A Place To Be Safe

21.03.10 | by Ahti Arumetsa | No Comments

Band: Collapse Under The Empire
Album: Find A Place To Be Safe
Year: 2010
Label: Cargo Records
Myspace

Best Song: Captured Moments
Score: 8/10
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A friend of mine once said that if a listener happens to stumble upon a red line in the songs, the album is nothing less than a success. It deserves to be mentioned for a simple reason. Find A Place To Be Safe leaves that red line with subtle hints and pieces, for the listener to gather. The album is easy to follow, but a certain exciting theme of a mystery still remains, mostly because completely instrumental content. Find A Place To Be Safe is a bit more straight forward album than what we are used to in the fringe area of post-rock, inspired by Orwell’s thought of dictatorship and authoritarian state.

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Reviews
Ioseb – The Ghost of 33

21.03.10 | by Ahti Arumetsa | No Comments

Band: Ioseb
Album: The Ghost of 33
Year: 2010
Label: Unsigned
Myspace

Best Song: The Sea Et Al; 2nd Movement
Score: 8.5/10
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Ioseb comes from the melancholic shores of Scandinavia, and the most beautiful part of this late summer tale is that the band is defined by the same shore. Their debut release The Ghost of 33 is dreamy from the roots of its essence and requires a deep self-questioning and analysis from the listener, but we the children of 20th century, the appreciators of art, should be up for the challenge, right?

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Reviews
Sleep Bellum Sonno – Judge Us By How We Lived Our Lives, Not By How We Made Our Living

15.02.10 | by Ahti Arumetsa | No Comments

Band: Sleep Bellum Sonno
Album: Judge Us By How We Lived Our Lives, Not By How We Made Our Living
Year: 2009
Label: Unsigned
Myspace
Best Song: I’m Not Afraid Of Storms For I’m Learning To Sail My Ship. (Sailor)
Score: 7/10
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Sleep Bellum Sonno tries to hold you with deep, cutting emotions. The material of their sophomore attempt “Judge Us By How We Lived Our Lives Not By How We Made Our Living” is dense, mostly because of the rawness of the matter and the out-of-control feel the album has. Much of this may come from the live-recording of the album. I am not sure what to think of the music yet, as I’m going for the fourth listen, I’m filled with expectations and I’m curious to hear what I have missed so far. One thing is certain, Sleep Bellum Sonno is one of those groups who have managed to create an image of a well-defined band. I wish more bands could put so much effort into the concept of their musical activity.

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Reviews
Story Of The Year – The Constant

15.02.10 | by Ahti Arumetsa | No Comments

Band: Story Of The Year
Album: The Constant
Year: 2010
Label: Epitaph
Myspace

Best Song: The Children Sing
Score: 6/10
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We all know who Story of the Year (soty) is and that they got their big breakthrough in 2003 with their debut album “Page Avenue”. I was one of the kids back then who became a big fan and I could not ever get enough of “Page Avenue”. That was 2003 and 7 years later they are back with another album, this time called “The Constant” and it is released through Epitaph. You who followed this band through the years understand me when I say that this band has somewhat gone down hill, that they have become just another “rock” band. In between the release of “Page Avenue” and “Constant” they put out two other albums called “In The Wake of Determination”, which is by far the weakest album of them all, and “The Black Swan”. Let’s face it – not much can beat “Page Avenue”. So when I started to listen to “The Constant” I didn’t have much hope for it to knock me out like “Page Avenue” did.

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Reviews
Pg.Lost – In Never Out

10.12.09 | by Ahti Arumetsa | No Comments

Band: Pg.Lost
Album: In Never Out
Year: 2009
Label: Black star Foundation
Myspace

Best Song: Crystalline
Score: 9/10
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In Never Out clearly rides on the wave of infinity. The strangest thing about the infinity is the end. Pg.Lost solves the mystery in a bit modern way; by simply keeping it covered with tension, melancholy, robotic rhythms, melodic patterns, which may seem endless. But the album itself is not endless; it actually ends in a very natural way. Roughly said, it moves trough with such persistence and craftiness that the listener can be sure there was not a single note that slipped their minds. Leaving the ending not tragically but inevitable.

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Reviews
Say hello to my kids – Say hello to my kids EP

09.11.09 | by Ahti Arumetsa | No Comments

Band: Say hello to my kids
Album: Say hello to my kids EP
Year: 2009
Label: Unsigned
Myspace

Best Song: Say hello to my kids
Score: 8/10
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Its the end of 2009 and bands (especially new ones) are more flexible and specific. Rock is not simply rock and it’s not that rare when bands are embracing more modern ways of writing, performing – meet “Say Hello To My Kids”. A fresh quartet from Belgium with a seductive and saporous sound scape anchored by a voice which departures from traditional use of vocals (one of the benefits of post-rock) and is used as a storyteller.

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