Aerial
Black rain from the bombing
Nomethod
I never cared for the term "post-rock," and I can't believe such an unimaginative phrase is used as a designation for so much great stuff. But okay, that's the banner under which Swedish rockers Aerial will find themselves placed, as they play long, rousing, atmospheric, guitar-based songs with minimal vocals. They're damn good, too, and there's a whirlwind of aural activity blowing through each of the four tunes on this CD. Think Sonic Youth meets Motorpsycho, or something like that. "A limbless stare" has a punk sort of fury to it (lyrics really aren't important, and you can't decipher most of them anyway, as they're mixed low), and the creatively titled "Yet recalls nothing save that it once had a message to convey" is 13 minutes of blazing, densely textured guitar angst. One major complaint: you can barely hear the bass on most of this record; what's up with that, guys? It seriously diminishes the power of the first two tracks, particularly. This music screams for a more balanced rhythm section. But I dig the epic scope of Aerial's sound, and they seem like the kind of band that are only gonna grow more and more exciting over time.
- Kevin Renick
