Archelirion
Arche
User

Reviews 95
Approval 100%

Soundoffs 108
News Articles 2
Band Edits + Tags 334
Album Edits 409

Album Ratings 251
Objectivity 60%

Last Active 10-08-21 11:02 pm
Joined 05-22-12

Review Comments 6,594

 Lists
05.22.22 10 years of fading in and out like a kn ♦10.08.21 Remember when Sput had last.fm integrat
11.11.20 pls rec me cosy jangly lady indie rock 09.06.20 10 more songs not to listen to while ri ♦
10.06.19 Arche's great 2019 bm catch up ♦09.12.19 2019 ambient for comfy sleeps and peace
12.23.18 Arche's 2018 ♦12.23.17 Arche's 50 from '17 ♦
10.29.17 Diddle Arche 6: math10.21.17 Diddle Arche 5: rec anything 2 (electri
10.14.17 Diddle Arche 4: Asia10.11.17 Diddle Arche 3: Musicals/OSTs/films
10.09.17 Diddle Arche Round 2: Finland10.08.17 (a comp) Diddle your boi Arche's earpie
10.07.17 NYP grabs / transferring ratings to RYM09.12.17 So I met CalculatingInfinity, and he me ♦
07.03.17 Arche's best bits - Jan to Jun05.01.17 Arche's April
More »

(a comp) Diddle your boi Arche's earpiece

So I decided to jump on the bandwagon and do one of these, cos it seems like a good way of listening to music and I trust you folks with providing neat stuff. As you can see by my ratings I'm generally easy to please so I've tried to make the rounds as open as possible - if I've not rated, you can probably assume I've not heard (though I'll tell you if it's an oversight on my part).
1Jimmy Eat World
Bleed American

There will be a prize for the winner, amounting to the value of 4 Quality Street tubs of chocolate - only not chocolate, albums. Unless you guys want the chocolate. Obviously you can choose the albums :]

By the start of the second round there will be 18 peeps left, but I'll probably cap things at 24-25 or something, I dunno. I might not even get 18, in which case I'll have to snip things down a bit.

First round: REC ANYTHING. The first 4 or 5 rounds will be songs, but we'll see. Good luck :}
2Mortuary Drape
Secret Sudaria

(shit slaps by the way)

ONE MORE THING: If you can make it so that I can find albums either on Spotify, Deezer, Bandcamp, Youtube or Soundcloud then that would be darling as I've not got on seafaring licenses yet iykwim
3Post War Glamour Girls
Swan Songs

Gull Rips A Worm to Rags

LandDiving

I kept expecting this track to explode into one big bombastic final chorus, particularly given how ‘developmental’ the opening two minutes felt. When it turned into a slow-burning, goth/post-punk-influenced solo I was, actually, pleasantly surprised; in doing so they preserved the dark, Nick Cave-like atmosphere they worked so hard to generate. Didn’t get me overly excited, but overall very cool to listen to. 3.7/5.0
4This Gift Is A Curse
All Hail The Swinelord

Hanging Feet

cryptologous

Not gonna lie, when that doomy riff started around the 1:50 mark I burst out into one of those cackles you only produce when the atmospheres hits you just right. Definitely more of a doomy vibe overall than I anticipated – lost a smidge of interest in the middle but that ending when the searing crescendos started more than made up for it. Wasn’t a closing track which surprised me given its extended fadeout. 3.8/5.0
5Yapoos
Dial Y wo Mawase

Red Tank

UniqueUniverse

Given my previous exposure to Jun Togawa’s work I was expecting to love this, and it didn’t disappoint. The small lag-time that Japanese synth/post-punk stuff seemed to experience means that even in 1991, this has a definite 80s vibe – the track never really had that BIG feel to it but it didn’t need to with THAT synth line. Togawa’s vox are distinctive but fit the off-kilter vibe. Really good choice fella. 4.1/5.0
6Murmuure
Murmuure

Reincarnate

Ovrot

Was expecting more of a lo-fi black metal thing than I ultimately got, which was a kind of black metal/post-punk/28-Days-Later-theme mélange. I will say though – the recording on this is exquisite. Right from the beginning the stereo effect grabs your attention, and there’s more than enough going on with the drums and external noise that the central theme does not get boring, even over 5 minutes. 4.0/5.0
7Supercar
HIGHVISION

Storywriter

Frippertronics

I admit, previous experience with Supercar was very hit and miss – this is the same band that made Everybody On News, possibly one of the most irritating songs ever made in my opinion. As it happens, this was much better. Fairly one note, but the slightly dreamy quality, mixed with that kinda Britpop vibe means it didn’t really have to be anything else. Not mind-blowing, but definitely one to keep in mind. 3.6/5.0
8Hanne Kolsto
Stillness and Panic

One Plus One Makes One Out Of Two

Sinternet

Dude, you just GET my fondness for this kinda Scandinavian muffled-synth thing. The opening verse didn’t grab me all that well, but once that chorus kicked in it was a whole different thing entirely. Beautiful layering, and I really loved that slightly bittersweet vibe despite those bright, sparkling synths. Could’ve done with maybe being a smidge longer, but very, very pleasant. 3.8/5.0
9Kim Cascone
CathodeFlower

CathodeFlower

Jacquibim

I went into this track with absolutely zero expectations, beyond it might be something electronic. When that slow, background hum started to envelop the incredibly sparse beginning – barely more than a few metallic chinks – I had that sensation of where the air gets drawn out of your lungs in anticipation. About 4 minutes in, I turned the lights off – it felt like I was in a submarine, descending into the abyss, which is cool as I’m terrified of drowning. Atmospherically effective, although I suspect more effective still when listened to in the context of the album. 3.6/5.0.
10Circa Survive
On Letting Go

The Difference Between Medicine and Poison Is in the Dose

Rowan5215

Before I put this on, my thoughts were ‘I’m either going to love this, or it’s going to be really bad’ – such is the nature of proggy post-hardcore. And to be honest, when it started, I was thinking ‘yeah this is bad.’ But then, like dear Claudio many years back, I grew accustomed, and so I gave this another listen to form a fair appraisal – and it’s good stuff. A little plain – I’d have preferred some more structural idiosyncrasies – but good stuff. It’s a shame the constraints of the competition don’t really give me a huge amount of time in the short-term for this, but it is what it is. 3.5/5.0
11Perfume
Triangle

Edge-Triangle-Mix

Aberf

Given you’ve borne witness to my Perfume-driven reactions in the past, 8-and-a-half minutes of Perfume was… ballsy. And you know what? I didn’t stop dancing from start to finish. I didn’t like that bit where it cuts out around the 5:45 mark but it regroups itself mercifully quickly – that saw beat bounces along with such vigour that this could become a posi favourite in the future. I even liked the auto-tune. You have done bloody well my dear. 4.2/5.0

--WINNER-- :]]]]]
12Anonymous
Inside the Shadow

Who's Been Foolin'

Astral Abortis

Another one with very few preconceptions beforehand, but classic/psych rock was a pleasant surprise nonetheless. Most of the track was reasonably standard 70s rock fare – delightful bass tone, mid-high register vox – but that solo was really decidedly lovely, that switch between the wah and clean being used very effectively. Great fun, and not too long. 3.8/5.0.
13Moloken
All is Left to See

Seventh Circle

Sniff

Unlike ‘Who’s Been Foolin’’, I went into this one with perhaps dangerously high expectations – they weren’t quite met, but I will stress that they were VERY high (like, 4.5+ high). The bass on this track is really quite lovely, sticking through those high-reg guitar lines, and the progressive elements were an unexpected treat come the middle of the track. The vox were a little Cult of Luna – which of course is a good thing. Nice work. 4.1/5.0.
14Enslaved
Axioma Ethica Odini

Lightening

JohnnyOnTheSpot

I knew these guys were black metal, but until I heard this track I wasn’t entirely sure what. As it turns out, polished, almost classic rock-influenced black metal was what I got. I would have maybe preferred a slightly less – erm – well-sung clean section (what a criticism eh?) but I suppose it worked with the progressive elements brought in. Solid. 3.4/5.0.

--ELIMINATED-- :'[
15The Chameleons
Script of the Bridge

Monkeyland

Ryus

Oh dude, this was good. Vocally it reminded me a little of Marc Almond which is never a bad thing, but the atmosphere those nice, jangly guitars and ever-stoic post-punk drumbeat created was… I dunno, eerie? Bleak? A little greyscale? Can see this becoming a future favourite, which isn’t bad for a group I’d never heard of before now. Thanks man. 4.2/5.0.
16Tetsuo
濫觴 (Ranshuo)

濫觴 (Ranshuo)

adr

If Abe’s 8-minute rec was ballsy, offering a single-track 16-minute EP could’ve been disastrous. As soon as those guitars came in though, I knew I couldn’t hate this; kinda noisy, kinda sludgy, heavy as sin and gained a real sense of urgency as its first half went on. The mid-break I wasn’t so fond of but structurally I’ll allow was probably needed to break it up, as the rest of it was just filth. The panic in the vox was my favourite part however – would probably make a decent accompaniment to its film namesake. 4.0/5.0.
17Oxbow
Thin Black Duke

Cold & Well-Lit Place

frivolous

This certainly held more appeal musically than it did vocally, although the vocals weren’t actually bad by any stretch – kinda like the fella from Elbow with a bit more life injected in him. The backing however was splendid – strings, discordant crescendos and just enough blues grit in there to cement some attitude. Something about the production irked me a bit – would maybe have preferred a tad more clarity between instruments on occasion – but overall was good fun. 3.6/5.0.
18The Drums
Portamento

If He Likes It Let Him Do It

Drifter

Pretty interesting, slightly off-colour atmosphere. Thankfully the hook was good as that was pretty much half the song, but I definitely preferred this musically to vocally – feel bad saying it, but that bridge was not for me. If the vox were a lower register and they’d gone with a little more, I dunno, ‘theatre’, then I’d have probably liked this more, but it wasn’t bad. Typing this I’ve got that hook in my head. Probably going to be there a while. 3.1/5.0.

--ELIMINATED-- :'[
19Blind Lion
Winter

Thaw

Joeman82

Alright, I definitely need to get on this band (especially as I heard about half the title track beforehand by mistake. My bad). Really cool, energetic emo/post-hardcore that had me boinging round the living room while listening to it, especially during its first half – maybe a little overly twiddly on occasion and I kinda wish the second half was more like the first, but it was still really great. I just like boinging. 3.8/5.0.
20Rune
The End Of Nothing

Wilt

CaimanJesus

Certainly unboingable but really, really interesting – given I was expecting heavy-as-muck post-metal/sludge stuff the black metal influences were an intriguing surprise, as were the early 00s metalcore tinges. Kinda wish it went on a little longer if I’m honest, as 4:50 went past all too quickly. One for the future I think. 3.9/5.0.
21Andy Stott
Faith in Strangers

Violence

Chortles

Was sneakily hoping for at least one techno rec so I was looking forward to listening to Mr. Stott. I LOVED the dark atmosphere this produced – definitely produced that shallow breathing effect I was talking about earlier. Wasn’t expecting vocals but they made me think of sirens luring ships onto rocks or something like that – and as much as the backing in the last minute or so was delightfully unsettling, I almost wish that the vocal solo was where ‘Violence’ ended. Really liked this one. 4.1/5.0.
22Windir
Likferd

Martyrium

50IL

Stunning riffy, meloblack stuff that I’m frankly beating myself up for not hearing beforehand. Even the bizarre spacey, kinda power metal synths in the mid-section made me want to grab my wolfskin cloak (which I don’t have in case you’re watching me RSPCA) and stand in the Norwegian mountains. Perhaps would have preferred a smidge more gut in that low-end but otherwise a sterling track. 4.2/5.0.
23Crown
Natron

Serpents

Flugmorph

The clean vocals remind me a little bit of Baryon, which is always nice. The industrial influences worked better, however, when applied to those school-potato-thick riffs and sweet, ireful roars – they bulked out those parts even more than already, whereas in the clean sections it left them feeling a smidge bland. Was a good track though, reminded me of newer Hacride. (As an aside, I listened to the next track on the album and you would’ve got a higher score for that – that track was like elephants marching). 3.6/5.0
24Nux Vomica
Nux Vomica

Reeling

(actually Grafir - Hraunbúi)

hansoloshotfirst

Given I was expecting raw, winding Icelandic black metal, imagine my surprise when I got, at least initially, a kind of BM-tinged deathrock instead, with Icelandic Til Lindemann on vocals. Thankfully, the momentum and gothic atmosphere is something which I’m only too eager to accept – when the focus shifted more towards a straight, riffy blackened style, thankfully, Grafir did a sterling job of that too. Definitely checking this EP out. 4.0/5.0.
25Haruka Nakamura
Twilight

光

tacos N stuff

From BM to something heart-twingingly pretty. The choral section at the start was lovely enough, but when the acoustic guitar came in around the 90 second mark I kinda fell for it. I can’t tell if its prevailing theme was melancholy or optimism, so it can be both… right? Started to end just as I thought it was getting a bit long, so only just missing that sweet spot there, but overall very nice.
Also, I’m almost certain this was used as a sample in Tomppabeat’s ‘Darling’, and I love that little track. So there we go, I’d kinda heard it already. 3.8/5.0.
26Cobalt
Slow Forever

Hunt the Buffalo

bgillesp

That blues-rock intro was certainly unexpected, but actually pretty damn cool so I can’t complain. Maybe one of my favourite vocal performances from this round, so nice work on that – I love the kinda deranged style this guy’s got so much (reminds me a little of Charlie Fell). Musically this was solid too, though maybe I wish it was a tad dirtier – still, if the rest of the album is like this I’m a happy boy. 4.0/5.0.
Post-script: turns out, it is Charlie Fell. Explains a lot.
27Rebel Wizard
Triumph of Gloom

Eat the Warlock

BlackwaterPork

Fast, scuzzy and with a band name like Rebel Wizard, I wasn't ever not going to like this. A kind of blackened heavy metal thrash thing, the static vox burnt through the thick, machine-gun riffing like wildfire. Short and sweet - perhaps ended a little too abruptly, but really, a lot of fun. 3.8/5.0.
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