Mouth of the Architect
Dawning
Translation Loss (2013)
Mouth of the Architect isn't a name heard nearly as often as it should. They have an impressive discography under their belt--releases like their split with Kenoma and their monumental studio album The Ties That Blind show that these guys really do mean business. If nothing else, the Ohioan quintet possess an unaccountably voluminous zest and energy that their shoegazing peers so often lack--and their newest album, Dawning, is a perfect case in point.Firstly, Dawning feels much more melodic than previous Mouth of the Architect releases. The compositions seem to have a more clearly defined sense of direction than on some of their previous studio efforts. Instead of wandering off into the distance as tracks on Time & Withering or Quietly were wont to do, all of the songs on Dawning have a well-defined aim and momentum, which makes them both more enjoyable and more powerful to listen to. Songs like "Sharpen Your Axes" and "The Other Son" are only reinforced by their comparative compactness, using the sense of focus to highlight their strongest elements in sharp relief.While the album keeps a thick layer of dark sludge about it, its tone is noticeably brighter; the pieces seem much more driven … Read more
Black Sabbath
13
Vertigo (2013)
Black Sabbath is well, it. They are the genesis of it all. History is divided as B.C. and A.D., to … Read more
Power Trip
Manifest Decimation
Southern Lord (2013)
Of all the sub-genres which seem to stay persistently strong over time, alongside youth crew, crossover thrash is one with … Read more
Frankie & The Heartstrings
The Days Run Away
Wichita Recordings (2013)
Some musicians view making music as a vocation, something that they will entirely devote their lives to, to the extent … Read more
