Inspire Influence
Planet Destroyer
Independent (2012)
Planet Destroyer, the debut EP from Toronto-based post-rock band Inspire Influence, is unhinged in execution, rising and falling like an endless wave of hopeless determination. Creating an atmosphere of desolation from the initial static of introductory track “Repairing,” the 5-song EP reads like a cohesive tale of intergalactic exploration through repetition, slow build-ups, and eventual climatic bursts of distorted frustration. Each song crawls along at its own steady pace, never rushing to conclusions, but always falling into place. Throughout is an underlying, desperate feeling of alienation, yet songs like the album’s single “Seeker” are strangely uplifting and energetic. While “Kepler 22” is simple and quiet, employing static, feedback, and muffled speeches of charismatic proportions, others like the aforementioned “Repairing” rely on rumbling drums and soaring guitars to bombard and construct tense landscapes. Laced with warm piano notes and cold, calculated electronic drums, Planet Destroyer seems to be stuck in a conflict of human comfort and mechanical indifference. For the most part, Planet Destroyer is quiet and dark, crafting an ambient tapestry so lonely it’s almost suffocating. The title track trudges along sluggishly, pulling itself into a crescendo of eerily repetitive guitar strumming before diving yet again into a beautifully composed … Read more
Devin Townsend Project
Epicloud
HevyDevy (2012)
You may never suspect it, but listening to the catalogue of Canadian musician Devin Townsend will cause you to run … Read more
Nathan Ellis
Self Titled
No Sleep (2012)
Mr. Ellis has already accomplished a great deal in his musical “career” (I say it this way because somehow I … Read more
Plastic Cross
Grayscale Rainbows
Don Giovanni (2012)
Hub City Hardcore may not be on par with Greek mythology in terms of their incestuous relations, but with the … Read more
The Keystone Kids
Things Get Shaky
Deep Elm (2012)
Half of The Keystone Kids is half of Slingshot Dakota, while the other half is Ryan O'Donnell of Yo Man … Read more
