ALBUM REVIEW: Ortega - "Sacred States"

By: Charlie Butler

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 05/10/2016
Label: Consouling Sounds |
Tartarus Records |
Narshardaa Records

Ortega are not the first band to fuse post metal, doom and spaced-out sludge but they succeed by doing it bigger, better and heavier than most.  Sacred States” sees Ortega take their sound to the next level, delivering on the promise of previous releases and stretching out towards bold new horizons.

“Sacred States” CD//CS//DD//LP track listing:

1. Strong Eye (11:25)
2. Maelstrom (09:31)
3. Descending Ladders (05:24)
4. Crows (18:48)
5. Void (11:18)

The Review:

Ortega’s new LP “Sacred States” has been a long time coming. Anticipation has been high for the Groningen post metal quartet’s first full-length since their excellent 2012 EPs “The Serpent Stirs” and “A Flame Never Rises On Its Own”. They are not the first band to fuse post metal, doom and spaced-out sludge but they succeed by doing it bigger, better and heavier than most.

Opener “Strong Eye” begins with some insistent chugging before launching into fearsome, lumbering riffage reminiscent of a more immediate Neurosis. “Maelstrom” continues in a similar vein with melodic guitar parts echoing “Panopticon”-era Isis, while “Void” sees the band add some of Yob’s psychedelic crunch to the mix.

“Descending Ladders” marks the mid-point of the record with a swirling cauldron of noise and gut-churning heaviness. In contrast to the other epic compositions here, the track focuses on hypnotic repetition and minimal riffs to create a dark cloud of menace. This sets the scene for the 19 minute behemoth “Crows”. The track is Ortega’sfinest hour and showcases their considerable song writing skill.

Often bands stretch tracks into double figure duration by stringing together unconnected ideas and relying on predictable quiet/loud dynamics. “Crows” is a fine example of a monstrous track that justifies its length, a sprawling journey into the unknown where each section flows naturally into the next. In amongst the crushing riffs and ominous clean guitar lines, Ortegaalso expand their post-rock side with a captivating and atmospheric passage in the middle of the song.

“Sacred States” sees Ortegatake their sound to the next level, delivering on the promise of previous releases and stretching out towards bold new horizons. Hopefully the wait for their next opus won’t be so long. 

“Sacred States” is available on CD here, vinyl here, cassette here and digitally here

Band info: facebook || bandcamp

FFO: Neurosis, Isis, Cult of Luna, Minsk

ALBUM REVIEW: Mouth of the Architect - "Path of Eight"

By: Charlie Butler

Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 07/10/2016
Label: Translation Loss

“Path Of Eight” is a fine demonstration of a band evolving their sound without losing sight of what made them great in the first place. Mouth of the Architect have come into their own with this record and hopefully it will gain them some much deserved attention.

“Path of Eight” CD//DD//LP track listing:

01. Ritual Bell
02. Fever Dream
03. The Priestess
04. Sever the Soul
05. Drown the Old
06. Stretching Out
07. Fallen Star
08. Path of Eight

The Review:

It’s been a while since I checked in with Mouth of the Architect, my last contact being their 2008 grand opus “Quietly”. Their new LP “Path of Eight” demonstrates that the Ohio post-metallers have undergone quite a metamorphosis in the intervening years.

The shimmering haze of “Ritual Bell” opens the album in subtly hypnotic style. Faraway vocals draw you in, alternating with restrained bursts of distortion to provide a quietly ominous start to proceedings. From here, the album begins to slowly unfold with the heavy psychedelia of “Fever Dream” and “The Priestess”. The bands post-metal roots are still evident on these tracks but the prominence of keyboards and cleaner vocals bring a more distinct character to their sound.

Things take a heavier turn with “Sever The Soul”. An intense combination of intricate guitar lines and outbursts of gnarly riffage, it brings to mind “Red”-era Baroness and sees “Path of Eight” shift up a gear. The second half of the album sees Mouth of the Architect ramp up the distortion while maintaining their new exploratory tendencies to great effect. “Drown The Old” wrings maximum results from the classic quiet/loud dynamic, tender melodic verses giving way to skull-crushing choruses, culminating in a punishing riff onslaught. The double header of “Stretching Out” and “Fallen Star” sees them hone their cosmic post-metal attack to perfection before signing off with the glorious title track. A four-minute distillation of this awesome album, it sees the band really cut loose and unleash some unhinged fretboard mangling.

“Path Of Eight” is a fine demonstration of a band evolving their sound without losing sight of what made them great in the first place. Mouth of the Architect have come into their own with this record and hopefully it will gain them some much deserved attention. 

“Path of Eight” is available here

Band info: facebook || bandcamp

FFO: ISIS, Cult of Luna, Neurosis, Minsk