BIRD EATER
Utah
(Exigent)

JESU
Lifeline
(Hydra Head)

EVILE
Enter the Grave
(Earache)

STINKING LIZAVETA
Scream of the Iron Iconoclast
(At a Loss)

WOLVES IN THE
THRONE ROOM
Two Hunters
(Southern Lord)

RED FANG
S/T 

(Wantage)

PURE SOUNDART
Emo is Dead

(Lockjaw)

MORE REVIEWS

While more sub-genres splinter into even smaller nano-genres, one trend coming out of post-rock/instrumental/intelligent metal, or whatever you wanna call it, is the one where the music remains pensive, layered and deep (at least in intention) yet by large retains its metalicity (we know that word does not exist) throughout, leaving this way much of the gentility, fragility and slowness to bands that have more patience.

Irepress (pronounced EAR-press), out of Boston MA, haven’t been together for long but their first offering Samus Octology promises big time. To begin with, it’s sensible, just like girls say they like their guys to be, but doesn't mean this record is filled with weeping songs that find their inner femininity via forced loud/soft switches and lush ethereal sounds. The record opens up with the sounds of copious rain, not a first by any stretch of the imagination, but quickly reveals itself via clean guitars and time-marking drums.  It hasn’t been two and a half minutes before things get heavy; as both extremes of the strings get their share of the spotlight the record only gets heavier from there at times side-stepping prog-rock territory, this material is so heavy on the ADD spasms, it changes ideas as often as possible, while still maintaining the song’s backbone.  This way Samus Octology keeps up the momentum and makes good use of the lack of vocalization.

There is a method to Irepress’ madness though, in an innumerable number of times do the guitars overdo the fast and open riffing of the thinner strings, a trick very often used in shoegaze and later in a number of post-rock bands. The result is impressive, a sort of cascading sound that though one-dimensional gives the music an ebullient point. Still, the band infuses some welcomed patterns; how about those chugga-chugga guitars that are the perfect meathead addition to a somewhat smart affair. “Fiddler, Yee Ryding” is specially good because of it, how come no one thought about sprinkling their smart rock with a bit of dumbass hardcore attitude? Surprisingly enough it works.  Towards the end, things get more colorful, and it was about time. Closing track “Nonografistole Adendum (Trampled to Death by Love)” makes good use of foreign percussion, giving the track a sort of Latin feel, while the guitars for the first time wail extensively instead of going heavy or falling down. Then, weaving soloing is introduced. If a track like this is any indication, then Irepress are a promise to keep in sight. The rest of the stuff is good and more importantly very efficient, but it doesn’t stand too tall above the rest of post-rockers.

Official Site

Read the Irepress interview