CD Reviews

Beak | Eyrie

Someoddpilot (2012)

By MICHAEL CHRISTOPHER | April 3, 2012

3.5 Stars

One word describes this debut EP by Chicago foursome Beak: brutal. Five songs, no filler, all sorts of post-metal power not heard of since the battle flag of Neurosis was picked up by Boston natives Isis and later Cult of Luna. Through these 25 minutes of light and shade, by turns entrancing and pounding, it's clear that these cats know exactly what they're doing. The second half of opener "Angry Mother of Bones" features delicate guitar work reminiscent of Metallica's "To Live Is To Die," then it all comes hurtling back to heaviness. Listening to it is probably akin to what it feels like to be one of those crash-test dummies going through a windshield. The centerpiece of Eyrie is "Men at Arms," which initially sounds like something Tool might come up with before it gets 10 times heavier than anything Maynard and Co. would think up on their best day. At the 2:23 mark, the track gets crazy devastating through a hybrid of sludge, metal, and hardcore. Equally destructive is closer "The Weight and Time," which signals the only downside — the end comes too soon. Then again, maybe it's best to take this intensity in small doses.

Various Artists | Casual Victim Pile: Austin 2010
The notion that regional musical flavors exist independently in American cities is quickly becoming an archaic truism, seeing as how the world really is a stage these days, at least in the digital sense.
Avi Buffalo | Avi Buffalo
Look, I get it: the last thing we need right now is yet another band who can be described as “sun-baked,” “reverb-soaked,” or even just “psychedelic.” But Avi Buffalo (I know! An animal name to boot!) are worth your attention for a few reasons.
Andrew Bird | Break It Yourself
Big freaking surprise: Break It Yourself, Andrew Bird's seventh collection of intimate chamber-pop, is . . . beautiful.
Lamb Of God | Resolution
Lamb of God, like the actual lamb of God, have existed seemingly for the purpose of expiating sins — in this case, the sins of baggy-pants late-'90s groove metal.
The All-American Rejects | Kids In The Street
The All-American Rejects began life as an emo-scarred keyboard-pop band and gradually smoothed out their rough edges (or, rather, gave in to their '70s and '80s rock tendencies) on earworms such as "Gives You Hell" and "Move Along."
Father John Misty | Fear Fun
J. Tillman's new solo outfit, Father John Misty wastes no time taking chances.
The Soundtrack of Our Lives | Throw It To the Universe
While many Britpop fans spent the late 90s onward hoping with that Oasis would pull something out of the cabinet that came close to Definitely Maybe or (What's the Story) Morning Glory?, they should've been expanding their sonic range farther west to Sweden, where the Soundtrack of Our Lives have been rolling out some of the genre's finest compositions.
Review: In Search of Beethoven
Phil Grabsky's exhaustive documentary doesn't exactly dispel any stereotypes about Beethoven's being a shaggy genius prone to rages.
The Big Hurt: The decade ahead
As a new decade dawns, it's time to cast a curious eye toward the future.
Bearstronaut | Broken Handclaps
There's a distinct absence of wildlife or astronauts on Lowell electronica quartet Bearstronaut's latest release.
Getting to know Audrey Ryan
Though she's primarily Boston-based at this point, Audrey Ryan grew up on Mount Desert Island and he's clearly retained some of that rough-and-tumble independence streak.
Less

Topics: CD Reviews , Music, Arts, CD reviews

| More

Most Popular

The Current Issue

Table of Contents

Cover Archive

Masthead | Authors | Contact us

Blogs

Where To Follow Me
Talking Politics | March 24, 2013 at 11:09 AM

Mo Takes His Turn
March 21, 2013 at 12:59 PM

[Q&A] KMFDM's Sascha Konietzko on art, Columbine and having balls
On The Download | March 18, 2013 at 3:22 PM

See this film series: The Belmont World Film Series @ Studio Cinema in Belmont
Outside The Frame | March 18, 2013 at 11:00 AM

See this film: This is Spinal Tap [with post-film talk by expert from Acoustical Society of America] @ the Coolidge
March 17, 2013 at 12:00 PM

ARTICLES BY MICHAEL CHRISTOPHER

REX BROWN DELIVERS THE WORD ON PANTERA | March 20, 2013
“No holds barred” and “warts and all” are typical qualifiers when it comes to rock-and-roll memoirs, but rarely do they fulfill the promise.

PHOTOS: DEVOTCHKA AT THE HOUSE OF BLUES | March 13, 2013
DeVotchKa performs live at the House of Blues on March 9, 2013.

WHAT'S F'N NEXT? ALT-J | February 26, 2013
Bands that have taken home the United Kingdom's Mercury Prize in the past have included Suede, Pulp, Primal Scream, and Arctic Monkeys.

SHOUT OUT LOUDS | OPTICA | February 26, 2013
Stockholm's Shout Out Louds have always been a curious but consistent act.

WHAT'S F'N NEXT? CAVEMAN | February 20, 2013
Most people are probably sick to death of Brooklyn being a hipster's paradise where dinks with moustaches tatted on their fingers drive fixed-gear bikes to Williamsburg bars to pay $6.50 for a can of PBR.