Month: May 2024

Artist: Airbag
Title: The Century Of The Self
Format: LP, CD, Digital
Label: Karisma Records
Distribution: Plastic Head Distribution
Genre: Progressive Rock
Release Date: 14/06/2024

Prepare to embark on an auditory journey like no other as Norwegian prog-rock maestros Airbag unleash their highly anticipated sixth studio album, The Century Of The Self. Showcasing their trademark fusion of mellow introspection and dynamic energy, from the mesmerizing depths of Dysphoria to the haunting crescendo of Tyrants And Kings, each track captivates with irresistible vocal hooks and virtuosic lead guitar work that has become synonymous with the Airbag sound.

As the album unfolds, listeners are taken on a voyage through introspection and intensity, from the introspective balladry of Awakening to the foreboding depths of the single Erase. Evoking echoes of their acclaimed work on the album Disconnected, Erasebuilds from a hypnotic bassline into a powerhouse of heavy refrains, setting the stage for the epic conclusion of Tear It Down. Clocking in at a staggering 14 minutes, this opus traverse serene moments of reflection to the heaviest musical landscapes Airbag has ever ventured.

Yet, The Century Of The Self is more than just a sonic odyssey—it’s a reflection of our modern zeitgeist. Delving into themes of cancel culture and the rewriting of personal histories, the album offers a poignant commentary on a world steeped in fear and condemnation.

Recorded at Subsonic Society, Airbag Studio, and Riis Studio, and expertly produced, mixed, and mastered by Vegard Kleftås Sleipnes, The Century Of The Self stands as a testament to Airbag’s enduring creativity and artistic vision.

Line-up: Asle Tostrup – vocals, keyboards and programming, Henrik Bergan Fossum – drums, Bjørn Riis – guitars, bass, keyboards and backing vocals

Featuring: Kristian Hultgren – bass on Dysphoria & Tear It Down, Ole Michael Bjørndal – guitar on Dysphoria, Tyrants And Kings & Tear It Down, Simen Valldal Johannessen – keyboards on Tear It Down

Tracklist
1. Dysphoria
2. Tyrants and Kings
3. Awakening
4. Erase
5. Tear it Down

Links
Official: https://airbagsound.com
Facebook: https://facebook.com/airbagsound
YouTube: www.youtube.com/airbagsound
Instagram: https://instagram.com/airbagsound
Label: https://karismarecords.no

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Artist: Halma
Title: Driving By Numbers
Format: LP, CD, Digital
Label: Kapitän Platte
Distribution: D/AT: Cargo Records, Benelux: Sonic Rendezvous FR: Differ-Ant, CH: Irascible, IT: Goodfellas, USA: A Thousand Arms
Genre: Instrumental Rock
Release Date: 24/05/2024

Driving By Numbers is already the eighth album by the Hamburg band HALMA.

The four musicians Fiona McKenzie (drums), Andreas Voss (baritone guitar), Gundi Voigt (bass) and Thorsten Carstens (guitar) get straight down to business on the first track of this instrumental longplayer: The sound structure grinds and flies – it’s impossible to immediately find your way through this surging abundance of the audible and the conceivable: You have to start again, begin again, in order to grasp the complex construction and artistic wit of this music.

Sounds and rhythm play hare and hedgehog with each other: catapult starts, accelerations, delays, fades in and out. The variety makes it clear that the band’s focus lies in the unknown: What can be heard works like the breadcrumbs in Hansel and Gretel’s forest – the associatively assembled improvisations lead through ups and downs and ravines and valleys to the goal after all: and back to the beginning – like the pins with which insects are fixed in the display case – escaped from time…

Tracklist
01. Phlegraean Fields      
02. By The Way                    
03. Slow Song                      
04. Driving By Number

Links
Official: www.halma-music.com
Bandcamp: https://halma.bandcamp.com
Facebook: https://facebook.com/halma.music
Label: https://kapitaen-platte.de

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