So ever since seeing this local instrumental rock band open for The Reign of Kindo (Jason Richardson) on Sunday, and picking up the Flash Drive they had available with all 3 of the releases they have that are on their bandcamp page which are embedded below (the 2nd one, Tiny, Little Light which is free to download by the way).
I have been checking these studio recordings the last few days, and have in some ways been blown away.
The use of dynamics and intricate instrumentation and production is very clear.
Their music is bright, energetic, epic, and even somewhat diverse. Sometimes slow, sometimes moody, other times technical. The contrast and interplay of the guitars and drums really works well. And the piano, which I suppose may be 1 of the biggest things that makes them stand out from many of the instrumental rock bands out there.
There's at least 1 or 2 bands I'm still not remembering who they reminded me of, with their use of piano with post-rock/jazz etc. But I guess just to make a couple of comparisons.
1 being the early Tangled Thoughts of Leaving aka the Tiny Fragments EP especially. The subtle at times, yet goose-bump worth piano melodies that create such wonderful mood and atmosphere is present.
The other I want to say some of the earlier God is an Astronaut, I recall having some similar kinds of moments to the music from Umi.
But also someone like Pat Metheny of course (or more recently, The Super Pilots/Mike Linden), largely per the happy and bright tone, and even jazzy element.
I need to work my way through their stuff more to fully grasp how great this band is, but at a minimum, I think they are the both the best new band from Minnesota I've discovered since at least Words for Penga in 2015? and also maybe more so, the best instrumental/post band I a may attach myself to since Nordic Giants back in 2014.
I wonder if they could catch on the way I wondered about Brice Plays Drums or Lehto and Wright. Their music is both THAT GOOD and also it seems THAT ACCESSIBLE.
But, I also feel/felt the same way about the great Minnesota local band NOMIA. But...no dice really. If they remain a local treasure in MN, I can't really complain. But their music does seem appealing enough many may be sleeping on it.
oh, 1 other band who I wonder if they know or could play a show with: Put Down the Muffin. Instrumental proggy jazz from Minnesota would seem a group whose audience could enjoy.
https://www.facebook.com/UmiMinnesota/
World of Color [EP]
rel August 27, 2017
1. Droplet 04:30
2. In The Fog 05:58
3. World of Color 03:08
4. Ruin 06:00
5. Voyage 05:49
Tiny, Little Light [EP]
rel May 16, 2016
1. Warmth 01:57
2. After Warmth (ft. Jakub Żytecki) 05:02
3. Violet (ft. Plini) 06:47
4. Sunshine 09:55
Umi
rel August 24, 2015
1. Umi 06:32
2. Broken Ice 03:01
3. Oshun 04:15
4. Ika-Roa 02:16
5. Colorless (feat. Jared Waln) 04:46
6. Glass Fish (feat. Dustin Korth of By The Thousands) 06:05
7. Big Wave 03:04
8. Leaf Boat 04:30
9. Flow 03:35
10. Islet 02:16
11. Torrential 05:58
Showing posts with label Nomia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nomia. Show all posts
Thursday, August 31, 2017
Thursday, May 14, 2015
Words for Penga - Prose (2014-2015)
http://www.wordsforpenga.com/
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Words for Penga are a relatively new progressive metal band from my home state of Minnesota. I guess they formed in Ely, MN, but have moved to the Twin Cities relatively recently.
Long story short: I happened to meet their guitarist Ben Balitch, of all places, walking my Fiancee's dog in her neighborhood. He and the woman he was with (girlfrend/fiancee/wife? unsure) were walking their dog, etc. And he made a comment on my The Reign of Kindo hoodie, etc, etc.
Anyway, so timing was pretty good as this debut album of his band Words for Penga literally was released like a week or so after I met him. And I have been slowly checking it out and probably more surprisingly, really digging a lot of it (my Minnesota biased could be included, but I really don't think it would matter where they are from actually).
Musically, Words for Penga and this debut album Prose I would describe as progressive metal of a sort. But not like Dream Theater or even that much like Between the Buried and Me who Ben mentioned they either get compared-to or lumped-in with.
I would maybe compare them to East of the Wall (something like The Apologist) and some others. Their lead singer reminds me somewhat of Daron from System of a Down when he's singing clean, although I suppose you could say he has a bit of the Grunge/Post-Grunge style in his voice, but at the same time, I am beginning to appreciate his vocals the more I hear them. And the screams also do work well, and I suppose that is one reason I thought of East of the Wall.
They use saxophone in spots, which while it seems to be becoming more common, still is rare and very much something I enjoy in Metal in the right arrangement. The beginning of the record even on "The Mouth of the Nile" has some among some other moments (I want to say the closing track "Drown" as well "This Was Icarus Drowning"..which might be a reference/reprise per a Concept?).
But I will certainly be taking this in more this year, and maybe add more here or another entry in terms of details (or a Video).
I am enjoying this enough though to maybe regard this as 2015's Brice Plays Drums or RisingSide in that it's another local band doing progressive stuff that I am surprised how good and how much I am enjoying them. And for that matter, where they will go, as this is just their debut record.
I'd love to also see them live, perhaps with another band like The Royal Veil, Nomia, Maeth among other favorites. I wonder if the members and their fans know any of those bands.
1 The Mouth of the Nile 8:11
2 I Cover All 5:55
3 This Was Icarus Drowning 4:41
4 It Was Dark and Then It Isn't 6:26
5 Skinny Bells 9:44
6 Drown 7:15
Words for Penga are a relatively new progressive metal band from my home state of Minnesota. I guess they formed in Ely, MN, but have moved to the Twin Cities relatively recently.
Long story short: I happened to meet their guitarist Ben Balitch, of all places, walking my Fiancee's dog in her neighborhood. He and the woman he was with (girlfrend/fiancee/wife? unsure) were walking their dog, etc. And he made a comment on my The Reign of Kindo hoodie, etc, etc.
Anyway, so timing was pretty good as this debut album of his band Words for Penga literally was released like a week or so after I met him. And I have been slowly checking it out and probably more surprisingly, really digging a lot of it (my Minnesota biased could be included, but I really don't think it would matter where they are from actually).
Musically, Words for Penga and this debut album Prose I would describe as progressive metal of a sort. But not like Dream Theater or even that much like Between the Buried and Me who Ben mentioned they either get compared-to or lumped-in with.
I would maybe compare them to East of the Wall (something like The Apologist) and some others. Their lead singer reminds me somewhat of Daron from System of a Down when he's singing clean, although I suppose you could say he has a bit of the Grunge/Post-Grunge style in his voice, but at the same time, I am beginning to appreciate his vocals the more I hear them. And the screams also do work well, and I suppose that is one reason I thought of East of the Wall.
They use saxophone in spots, which while it seems to be becoming more common, still is rare and very much something I enjoy in Metal in the right arrangement. The beginning of the record even on "The Mouth of the Nile" has some among some other moments (I want to say the closing track "Drown" as well "This Was Icarus Drowning"..which might be a reference/reprise per a Concept?).
But I will certainly be taking this in more this year, and maybe add more here or another entry in terms of details (or a Video).
I am enjoying this enough though to maybe regard this as 2015's Brice Plays Drums or RisingSide in that it's another local band doing progressive stuff that I am surprised how good and how much I am enjoying them. And for that matter, where they will go, as this is just their debut record.
I'd love to also see them live, perhaps with another band like The Royal Veil, Nomia, Maeth among other favorites. I wonder if the members and their fans know any of those bands.
1 The Mouth of the Nile 8:11
2 I Cover All 5:55
3 This Was Icarus Drowning 4:41
4 It Was Dark and Then It Isn't 6:26
5 Skinny Bells 9:44
6 Drown 7:15
Sunday, April 6, 2014
Nomia - Iron and Rust (2014)
This sort of came out of nowhere for me, as I have them *liked* on Facebook, and have been a fan of Nomia since 2006 I recall. Mainly knowing them fro their familiarity with the great Minnesota band Between Two Skies.
And I remember it was Halloween of 2008 they submitted per their Myspace page, a 3 track Demo/EP that was really good. Very riffy and dynamic, like a lot of Post-Rock I suppose. But it stood out a lot, so much so, I really was excited to hear more fro them.
And I know they've played plenty of gigs (many of which I knew about but couldn't make), and I recall a year or 2 ago I found something else from them online, but I think it may have been some older stuff (I'd have to look in my HD)
But this debut record of theirs is being released on July 15th, and 2 of the tracks are up already and available for download with a Preorder.
The people who dig heavy Post Rock will likely want to check this record out this Summer.
1 Palisades
2 Ad Infinitum
3 Kingmaker
4 The Precipice
5 Fire is Born
6 A Windswept Tree
7 Iron and Rust
Minneapolis' NOMIA have been destroying the eardrums of audiences throughout the Midwest for the past 8 years with a vibrant blend of ambient guitars backed with an alternately restrained and crushing rhythm section. On their debut full length, Iron and Rust, NOMIA seamlessly merge achingly beautiful melodies reminiscent of post-rock giants Mogwai with the epic intensity of instrumental metal outfits such as Russian Circles. The result is an aesthetic all its own, straddling numerous genres while defying precise categorization. NOMIA’s ambitious debut, recorded and produced by Adam Tucker, manages to be simultaneously beautiful, powerful, and massively loud.
And I remember it was Halloween of 2008 they submitted per their Myspace page, a 3 track Demo/EP that was really good. Very riffy and dynamic, like a lot of Post-Rock I suppose. But it stood out a lot, so much so, I really was excited to hear more fro them.
And I know they've played plenty of gigs (many of which I knew about but couldn't make), and I recall a year or 2 ago I found something else from them online, but I think it may have been some older stuff (I'd have to look in my HD)
But this debut record of theirs is being released on July 15th, and 2 of the tracks are up already and available for download with a Preorder.
The people who dig heavy Post Rock will likely want to check this record out this Summer.
1 Palisades
2 Ad Infinitum
3 Kingmaker
4 The Precipice
5 Fire is Born
6 A Windswept Tree
7 Iron and Rust
Minneapolis' NOMIA have been destroying the eardrums of audiences throughout the Midwest for the past 8 years with a vibrant blend of ambient guitars backed with an alternately restrained and crushing rhythm section. On their debut full length, Iron and Rust, NOMIA seamlessly merge achingly beautiful melodies reminiscent of post-rock giants Mogwai with the epic intensity of instrumental metal outfits such as Russian Circles. The result is an aesthetic all its own, straddling numerous genres while defying precise categorization. NOMIA’s ambitious debut, recorded and produced by Adam Tucker, manages to be simultaneously beautiful, powerful, and massively loud.
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