One of my favorite things about running this blog is the fact that every now and then I receive emails from independent filmmakers, musicians etc asking me whether I would like to review their work. A lot of this film and music is the kind of stuff I probably wouldn't otherwise get the chance to experience, and more often than not it is pretty impressive.
The latest is this EP from relatively young Philadelphia-based band CAPA formed by multi instrumentalist Brandon Scott Baun. CAPA is described as combining elements of black metal, post-rock, ambient and shoegaze.
SHALLOW TOWERS is the second part in a conceptual trilogy which began in 2011 with THE ROAD IS A GREY TAPE and will continue into 2013 with an as yet unnamed project. The trilogy focuses on topics such as nihilism, greed and the relationship between society and the natural world.
While the EP only has two tracks, they add up to a respectable running time of 24 minutes. The first track begins with a nice dreamy melody to disarm you while after 2 minutes the guitar and drums come crashing in to tear your ears off. The remainder of the song is a pleasant cacophony of multi-layered black metal riffs, aggressive drumming and harsh vocals which downshifts at the end to blend effortlessly into the second track. The second track is lighter on the black metal and showcases more of the post-rock and shoegaze side of the music while keeping the same nihilistic atmosphere as the previous track.
The lyrics are suitably bleak and very visual, bringing to mind images of ashen wastelands and post-apocalyptic landscapes.
SHALLOW TOWERS is a solid conceptual piece with multiple layers and effortlessly shifts between the different styles of death metal, post-metal, shoegaze and ambience. It is also a piece which grows upon multiple listenings as each time there is more to discover and appreciate. Check out the first track and if you like what you hear, hit up the following download link.
01. Shallow Towers I
02. Shallow Towers II
02. Shallow Towers II
No comments:
Post a Comment