The Rock Blogger

maudlin of the Well - “Part the Second” Review

Damien Van Vroenhoven — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 03:44:42 +0000

maudlin of the Well. Part the Second . 2009. 4.5 stars . Toby Driver and his mini-orchestra bring maudlin of the Well back from the dead with this remarkable and complex art-rock album. The collective that originally awed fans with their blend of avant-jazz and death metal now pursue a lighter approach, with violins, chimes, [...]

Drudkh - “Microcosmos” Review

Damien Van Vroenhoven — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 14:19:31 +0000

Drudkh. Microcosmos . 2009. 4.5 stars . Fierce black metal with folk-tinged melodies from the forests of Ukraine. With stronger, tighter song-writing, Drudkh’s conservative approach strikes a inspired balance between aggressive, textured guitar work and a deep organic atmosphere. Those familiar with the band know that Drudkh’s musicianship can be eclectic in all the right [...]

The Mars Volta - “Octahedron” Review

Damien Van Vroenhoven — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:55:55 +0000

The Mars Volta. Octahedron . 2009. 4 stars . In what is their most streamlined and restrained album to date, The Mars Volta have crafted surrealistic prog-balladry that weaves between weepy sentimentalism and desert-tinged psychedelia. Touching off brief moments of accessible clarity that spaced out dizzying spasms on their previous albums ("Televators", "The Widow"), TMV [...]

A Time Capsule from the Last Century: On Whatever Works

admin — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 22:40:23 +0000

A Film Review by Tyson Stewart Starring Larry David and Evan Rachel Wood. Written and Directed by Woody Allen. This is Allen’s funniest film in the last ten years. Well-acted, funny, smart, and even romantic, the year’s first worthwhile film combines the talents of two giants of comedy. The humour may be a tad out of date, [...]

Skagos - “Ást” Review

Damien Van Vroenhoven — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 20:21:48 +0000

Skagos. Ást . 2009. 5 stars . From the rainy forests of British Columbia comes Skagos, one of the most sophisticated black metal acts to come from my home and native land. This debut album is cloaked with misty atmosphere and weaves between thundering blast beats and haunting acoustic passages. The lo-fi production, sludgy textures [...]

Ekko

Damien Van Vroenhoven — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 00:37:21 +0000

Theodor Kittelsen (1857-1914): Ekko (Echo) 1888. Oil on canvas. … Here we have art As a means of detaching ourselves from insatiable will To perceive the world free from self-serving concerns And to come face to face with the echo Of our vanity addthis_url = 'http%3A%2F%2Fwww.therockblogger.com%2Fekko%2F'; addthis_title = 'Ekko'; addthis_pub = [...]

Ringing Bell

Damien Van Vroenhoven — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 01:01:40 +0000

“Ringing Bell” is an obscure anime feature from the late seventies that tells a cautionary fairy tale about the laws of nature and the futility of revenge. What initially seems like a simple children’s story soon takes on darker dimensions. The theme song in particular is surprisingly beautiful. The additional segments can be found here. [...]

Wrathful Deities

Damien Van Vroenhoven — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 02:42:29 +0000

The violent motions of the universe symbolized Represented in terrifying, psychedelic images, these deities do not stand for evil But the convulsive turmoil within man, mirroring the throes of the cosmos addthis_url = 'http%3A%2F%2Fwww.therockblogger.com%2Fwrathful-deities%2F'; addthis_title = 'Wrathful+Deities'; addthis_pub = '';

Mirror

Damien Van Vroenhoven — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 19:51:05 +0000

Tarkovsky’s Mirror set to Arvo Pärt’s Mirror in the Mirror Tarkovsky’s images have always had a poetic resonance to them. His most famous sequences are slow, lyrical, symbolic, and can sow melancholia in an instant. The effect of these moments, when coupled with Arvo Pärt, becomes all the more deeper. addthis_url [...]

Malkuth - “Sefirah Gevurah” Review

Damien Van Vroenhoven — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 00:30:22 +0000

Malkuth. Sefirah Gevurah. 2009. 4 stars. I first heard this album while I was scanning the shelves of Hospital Productions, the venerable black metal record store/label in NYC, and I was immediately struck by its raw and fluid guitar work. As sick and sinister as such an album can be, Sefirah Gevurah features claustrophobic textures that [...]