You can support Terra Relicta by donating! Please, do so, and thank you!
Band: Our Ceasing Voice
Album title: Free Like Tonight
Release date: 25 August
Label: Self-Released
Tracklist:
01. The Arsonists
02. Gone
03. Free Like Tonight
04. New York In The Rain
05. Annabelle
06. Monochrome
07. Times Of Regret
08. Genovese Syndrome
09. Delusion Of Love
10. Everything We'll Ever Be
11. Countings
One of the most unfairly overlooked bands inside the post-rock genre must be the Austrian masters Our Ceasing Voice, a band which positively shocked with their first two albums, When The Headline Hit Home (2011) and the colossal That Day Last November (2013). Especially the last album offered such an irresistible, emotional and melancholic, yet very strong and deeply atmospheric blend of post-rock, metal and ambiental soundscapes - a highly recommended album! After the release of the album, That Day Last November, the things around the band became pretty uncertain, it was unclear if the band will continue or not after some members left the band, but guitarist Sebastian Obermeir and drummer Markus Rappold didn't give up and found the new vocalist Dominik Dörfer. So, with a new line-up, now as a trio, Our Ceasing Voice continue their melancholic path and serves with another portion of deeply immersive rock music on the new album Free Like Tonight.
Free Like Tonight offers 11 songs showing a rather change in Our Ceasing Voice' sound. If the bands sound was before in its basis mainly oriented towards post-rock, this new offering brings rather more direct sound, it's still deeply emotional, melancholic and atmospheric, there's no doubt about that, but the songs got kind of a more "in your face" proportion, it's more so to say unconventional indie-rock oriented. Free Like Tonight brings forth again some highly atmospheric soundscapes, songs are captivating, poetic and dark, with more distinctive deep and raspy vocals, the sound of Our Ceasing Voice gets a new dimension. Free Like Tonight might be the bands boldest album to date and while retaining the melancholic vibe the whole thing is a bit more vibrant, it has additional spark and it's catchy as hell, but absolutely not in a cheesy way. Free Like Tonight is an album for the late hours of long summer nights, just before the crackling embers of the bonfire go quiet.
From the strong opener "The Arsonists" on we are trapped in an introversial world full of smooth mesmerizing melodies and ambiental soundscapes. "Gone", the first revealed single out off the album might be even considered as the most vibrant, yet very dark and sparkling song this band ever released, and songs like "New York In The Rain", "Times Of Regret" or "Genovese Syndrome" as some of the most nostalgic they ever created. While the vocals, which I like very much, might be sometimes even too much distinctive and put in the front, the listener must take a notice of a beautiful guitar job that ranges between some strong heavy riffing, acoustic lines, rare but soul melting leads and gentle parts, and really professional drumming that sometimes borders to some jazz-noir things. Musically speaking this album is perfect, but if I compare it to their previous one, That Day Last November, I miss a little something, a certain cinematic feel with slowly building up ambiances.
Ok, everything is still great and like I said before Our Ceasing Voice on this album are a bit more direct, straight, but still they are not giving a punch into your face, but just offering their own kind of melancholic rock in a different way than before. There's kind of a pathos present in every single song that simply grabs you from head to toe and takes you into this sonic world saturated with sadness. The music of Our Ceasing Voice is rightly depressive, just listen to the gently evolving dark, yet very powerful atmospheric masterpiece "Annabelle" or to the touching "Everything We'll Ever Be", and you'll hear how very addictive this sound can be. The band also nicely inserts some electronics and piano touches that even more deepen the atmosphere, for example in the beautiful "Monochrome", a song which best connects these Austrians with their past efforts. Free Like Tonight is a dynamic ambient rock record, offering a lot, it's music for lovers of rock music with refined sense for sonic melancholy. This is music for moments when every kiss goodbye seems too brief, and when farewells still bear the hope of sweet reunion. They're songs for the end of times that celebrate the feeling of freedom without acknowledging the end as such.
Review written by: T.V.
Rating: 8,5/10
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
