MUSIC&RIOTS Magazine 10

REVIEWS

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7 SHAKEWELLBEFORE Woland

This Is Core Records (2015)

Shakewellbefore new LP can be described in one word. Solid. Despite the repetitiveness of their musical structure and composition. It’s hard to argue that the positive aspects of this album outweigh the negatives. If one is a fan of the genre or new into it, this album is a solid demonstration of how good Metalcore is and what it has to give. It also opens people’s horizons on music from countries like Italy, for example, the country where they are from. It’s definitely a band to look out for.

IBRAHIMA BRITO

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8 THE SOFT MOON Deeper

Captured Tracks (2015)

The Soft Moon never sounded so good and so consistent within their universe. Creating chaos and uncertainty, there are so many good themes...

“Black”, a monumental disaster in the desert, a perfect music for Breaking Bad’s OST and then immediately “Far”, which manages the feat of sounding Pop within the Luis Vasquez’s discontent... and so we are led in his black spiral to the end of the record. Wonderful cruel world depicted in Deeper.

RUI CORREIA

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6 STEREO AGE Half Of Us

This Is Core Records (2015)

Stereo Age are a pop-punk band from Italy and Half Of Us is their statement about life. After a two year absence, they’re back with their own tribute to friendship, the importance of being able to being true to themselves and of course those little aspects that turns our life into something that we all need to be blesses for. Sounding similar to bands like Neck Deep or Real Friends, we must admit that Half Of Us is not bad at all, it’s an average album of a band with a huge potential to work on!

FAUSTO CASAIS

STEVEN WILSON Hand. Cannot. Erase.

Kscope (2015)

10 OUT NOW

S

teven Wilson is undoubtedly one of the most relevant figures in our current music scene. He’s had the most important role in bridging the gap between old and new progressive generations, keeping the old ‘70s adventurous spirit alive, but never losing sight of the future at the same time. Every single one of his works is a resounding reaffirmation of this fact, and whenever he releases something, you stop and listen.

On his fourth album, Hand. Cannot. Erase., a concept record inspired by the three-year disappearance of Joyce Carol Vincent, Wilson presents a diverse travel of sorts, having gone through epic, classic-prog reminiscent numbers such as the Rush-inspired “3 Years Older”, advancing through moments of quasi-pop on semi-acoustic and electronic blissful tunes such as “H.C.E” and “Perfect Life”, before making a complete left turn in the second half, where the listener is taken through darker motions in the form of “Routine”, “Home Invasion” and “Regret#9”, on which Guthrie Govan delivered another rampant display of his exquisite guitar wizardry.

The highlight of the record, however, comes at the near conclusion of this voyage, with Wilson presenting in the 13-minute “Ancestral” one of the most chilling, deep, intense and technically intricate songs he’s ever recorded until this day. Unbelievably great.

It’s really hard to come across records like these nowadays. Hand.

Cannot. Erase. isn’t just an album. It’s a rich, detailed and stunningly engaging experience, and above all a gift from Wilson to the world. Make no mistake, this will surely be regarded as one of the greatest progressive music albums of our generation and also highly revered for years to come.

FOR FANS OF:

Porcupine Tree, Genesis, Pink Floyd, Rush

ESSENTIAL TRACKS:

3 Years Old, Perfect Lie, Regret#9

musicandriotsmagazine.com

LUIS ALVES

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