Rock

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    Liv Kristine – Vervain (2014)

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    The charismatic Liv Kristine is having a very hectic 2014 with the release of her latest album “Vervain” and her touring/recording duties with her female super group The Sirens. In this installment of her solo career, she delivers ten very catchy and engaging tracks that will surely satisfy her legions of fans and nicely continue her well defined musical trajectory.

    Opening with the catchy “My Wilderness”, we have a nice combination of her beautiful vocals and strong guitar work to deliver a heavy-but-catchy track. As one of the best tracks in this release, “Love Decay” channels H.I.M and Theater of Tragedy in a very effective song featuring Michelle Darkness of End of Green. The chorus section in this track is truly memorable, and the sparse keyboards reminded us of Theater of Tragedy in their “Aegis” era.

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    Autumn’s Dawn – Gone (2014)

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    Arriving on Eisenwald Tonschmiede, today we have Australian duo Autumn’s Dawn and their debut full-length release “Gone”. Being no strangers to the scene, Sorrow and Anguish are musicians that play in at least 4 bands each, the most famous of them being Tim Yartas of Germ and Austere fame. Anyways, the band presents nine melancholic tracks of pure brilliance that eerily remind us a whole lot of Tim’s previous band Grey Waters.

    Opening this release we have the very emotive “The Ashes of a Life”, a track that has a very Rock-ish structure and melancholic clean vocals from Tim Yartas. The very ethereal atmosphere is always present and it is allowed to shine (even more) in some instrumental passages. Don’t you think this release only features clean vocals, we get a treat of Tim’s harsh singing through this release, starting with the epic “Until My Heart Corrodes with Rust”.

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    Savn – Savn (2014)

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    Featuring Carmen Elise Espenæs (Midnattsol) and the ex-The Sins of Thy Beloved duo Stig Johansen and Anders Thue, Savn is a new comer band to the Gothic Metal/Rock scene that delivers a very imposing debut self-titled released. With a sound based on ‘older’ Gothic Metal/Rock from the late 90’s and early 2000’s, the band has a very familiar vibe to Theatre of Tragedy, Tristania, and The Sins of Thy Beloved. Packed with guest appearances, this is one release you don’t want to miss in 2014.

    The album instantly opens with a stunner: “Musical Silence”. In this song we have a very upbeat vibe with a certain Folkish atmosphere to it that quickly changes as the very prominent keyboards make their way. This is the first impression one gets of Savn, and it is a majestic one, reminding us of TSOTB and Theatre of Tragedy in their Liv Kristine days. The music is quite upbeat but with a certain melancholic edge, something that retains the darkness of TSOTB but with a certainly different context, like we can see on “Hang On”.

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    Mystons – Black Matter (2014)

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    Enigmatic Finish Dark Rockers Mystons return this 2014 with another onslaught of catchy tunes in their latest release “Black Matter”. Featuring ten tracks of their unique mixture of Gothic/Stoner Rock with Sludge elements, we have been praising this band since the beginning and we continue to do so, thanks to their excellent evolution. If you like a new twist on the overplayed Gothic Rock genre, you will love Mystons.

    The band’s catchiness and heaviness is immediately felt with their opener “Coal Soul Woman”. As the main staple sound of the band, M Myston’s vocals are deep and engaging, the kind of vocals that get a hold of you and never let go. The Doomy and Sludgy riffing on songs like “People of the Dark” and “Let the Darkness Rest in Peace” is perfectly balanced with the bands craving for catchy vocal melodies and the overall melancholic vibe of the music.

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    Reacta – Refraction (2014)

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    Bordering on the limits of what we review here at Infernal Masquerade, today we have Alternative/Prog Rock outfit Reacta from Mexico. In their 2014 release “Refraction”, the band delivers 10 dreamy tracks of expertly crafted music that will grab the attention from fans of 30 Seconds to Mars all the way to God Speed Your Black Emperor.

    Hailing from the city of Aguascalientes, Reacta kicks off the release with the perky “Lost”, a very mainstream track that has a super catchy vibe. This track instantly brings memories of bands likes Kings of Leon and similar outfits that have charismatic lead vocals and an eye for detailed guitar melodies. The Post-Rock/Atmospheric “Back Home” is another catchy piece with lush guitars and memorable vocals that sometimes have a certain ring to heavy weights U2.

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    The Vintage Caravan – Voyage (2014)

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    With Psychedelic/Retro/Progressive Rock popping out of every corner, The Vintage Caravan comes to shine with their electrifying release “Voyage”. Riding on the success of acts like Kadavar, Graveyard, Witchcraft, The Blues Pills, Nuclear Blast unleashes upon the world another release filled with fuzzy retro amps and trippy melodic passages. Hailing from Iceland, this young band has a certain edge that propels to the spotlight and you will surely get intoxicated by it.

    The band catchy mixture of Progressive and Psychedelic Rock is immediately felt on the opener “Craving”. The signature vocals of Óskar Logi Ágústsson have that certain Axl Rose (in his good times) ring to them and fit the music quite perfectly. Showcasing different abilities in the crafty songs, we have magical shredding on “Let Me Be”, mellow vocal melodies on “Do You Remember”, as well as intricate bass guitar lines on “Expand Your Mind”.

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    Within Temptation – Hydra (2014)

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    After a very promising and fresh sounding EP titled “Paradise (What About Us?)”, Within Temptation finally unleashes their latest full-length “Hydra”. In this release the band continues their push for mainstream recognition and glory with some extremely unexpected collaborations and a handful of songs that still remind us of the older roots of the band’s beginnings.

    The album opens with the final version of “Let Us Burn”, a track that is still as good and efficient as on their previous EP but with nice finishing touches. The band manages to sound like their old self with heavy guitars and lush orchestrations. The first guest appearance is marked by the vocals of Howard Jones on “Dangerous”. This track is quite heavy and enjoyable since both vocalists do a great job and the music is quite well developed.

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    Hail Spirit Noir – Oi Magoi (2014)

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    Featuring 60% of the members of Transcending Bizarre?, Hail Spirit Noir delivers their sophomore release with “Oi Magoi”. Featuring a very intriguing and elegant mixture of Psychedelic Rock, Progressive Black Metal, and some magical Avant-garde elements, this release blooms for over 45 minutes of truly unique sonic landscapes.

    The release blasts opens with the psychedelically charged “Blood Guru”, a track that is quite well layered and allows all the band’s influences to immediately shine through. The elegant finish to this song oozes melodic brilliance and posture. It is quite interesting to hear elements from bands like Jess and the Ancient Ones and Jex Thoth thrown into tracks like “Demon for a Day” and “Satan is Time”, allowing Hail Spirit Noir to be one of the few bands that mixes Psychedelic Rock elements to create Avant-garde Black Metal.

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    Duck Explosion – Zebra Pilot (2013)

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    Hailing from France, today we have a very catchy Alternative Rock band under the very odd name Duck Explosion. On their debut EP titled “Zebra Pilot”, the band presents us four tracks of very carefully crafted and catchy Rock that will get you hyped immediately thanks to the band’s charismatic vocals and engaging song-writing.

    While not our typical cup of tea, the band really had us going since the opening track: “No Way Out”. Featuring intricate guitars and very accessible vocals, the band focuses more on creating very direct 70’s inspired rock than any other gimmicks. The level of catchiness is elevated on the pulsating “In The Inside”, a song that has a very dominant bass guitar line and excellent percussions.

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    Selim Lemouchi & His Enemies - Earth Air Spirit Water Fire (2013)

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    With a very exciting 2013 in terms of music, Ván Records unleashes “Earth Air Spirit Water Fire” just in the nick of time to make it to countless top 10 of the year lists. Selim Lemouchi & His Enemies delivers five tracks of magical (and sometimes very unsettling) Psychedelic Rock in this unique release. Being less heavy, and more mystical than any of The Devil’s Blood releases, Selim manages to create a very unique atmosphere that nicely flows from start to end.

    Opening with the 10-minute “Chiaroscuro”, we get quite a mood setting introduction with some deranged ramblings in some audio-clips followed by a very hypnotic build-up. The vocal arrangements on this track are top-notch and create a very eerie vibe. Farida Lemouchi lends her talents to this very ritualistic and creepy song, marking a very atmospheric and unsettling opening to this release. The psychedelic brilliance continues with the emotive “Next Stop, Universe B.”, where we hear Selim’s signature guitar work in a very retro environment.

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