Led Zeppelin, III

UK, 1970

Led Zeppelin don't need an introduction. This is their third album and my personal favourite.

Playlist:

1 - Immigrant Song
2 - Friends
3 - Celebration Day
4 - Since I've Been Loving You
5 - Out On The Tiles
6 - Gallows Pole
7 - Tangerine
8 - That's The Way
9 - Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
10 - Hats Off To (Roy) Harper

Link.

Soft Machine, The Soft Machine

UK, 1968.

Soft Machine was an English rock band from Canterbury. They were one of the central bands in the so-called "Canterbury scene", and helped pioneer the progressive rock genre.

Playlist:

1 - Hope For Happiness
2 - Joy Of A Toy
3 - Hope For Happiness (Reprise)
4 - Why Am I So Short?
5 - So Boot If At All
6 - A Certain Kind
7 - Save Yourself
8 - Priscilla
9 - Lullabye Letter
10 - We Did It Again
11 - Plus Belle Qu'une Poubelle
12 - Why Are We Sleeping?
13 - Box 25/4 Lid

Link.

Té, まして、心と五感が一致するなら全て最上の『音楽』に変ずる。

Japan, 2005.

Japanese instrumental post-rock quartet, formed in Tokyo, in 2004.

Playlist:

1. 人間は自由なものとして生まれ、至る所で『鎖』に繋がれてゆく。
2. 他に寄せる信頼の大部分は、己の内に抱く自信から『生』まれる。
3. 夢とは現実という平凡なものに付ける美しさに似た『嘘』の俗称。
4. いつも好転する未来を望み、しかし時節の変化は『恐』れている。
5. 弱いというものは哀れな事だ、敢えて行うにしろ『忍』ぶにしろ。
6. 具眼の士に検閲されることは、最も正しい『価値』の決定である。
7. 詩はただ、病める魂の所有者と孤独者との寂しい『慰』めである。
8. 人は他人の不幸には充分耐えられるだけの強さを『持』っている。
9. 理は公平な判断を望み、怒りは判断が公平に見える事を『望』む。
10. 意味の在る巡り会いを求めず、出会いに『意味』を見つけて行く。
11. 歌を謡って眠らせてやりたい。誰かの傍に坐り『謡』っていたい。
12. 「無論做什麼都好」，用輕聲細語説出名為『自由』という『脅迫』

Link.

Akira Yamaoka, Silent Hill 4: The Room Soundtrack

Japan, 2004

Continuing the SH series saga of posts started purposedly in reverse; one of the heaviest-sounding, more depressive and gloomy music ever created to rightfully accompany a videogame. Akira Yamaoka unites the cast of two voices – to break the all-instrumental tradition of Silent Hill and Silent Hill 2 – of already resident Mary Elizabeth McGlyyn and deep resounding Joe Romersa.

Playlist:

1. Tender Sugar
2. Waverer
3. Fortunate Sleep
4. Melancholy Requiem
5. Confinement
6. Drops Of Shame
7. The Suicidal Clock Chime
8. Silent Circus
9. Traversing The Portals Of Reality
10. Into The Depths Of Self-Discovery
11. Cradle Of Forest
12. Resting Comfortably
13. Nightmarish Waltz
14. Pulsating Ambience
15. Your Rain
16. The Last Mariachi
17. Wounded Warsong
18. Underground Dawn – Never Come
19. Fever Chill
20. Remodeling
21. Room Of Angel
22. Waiting For You [Live at Heaven's Night]


Link.

Magyar Posse, We Will Carry You Over The Mountains

Finland, 2002.

The first album by post-rock band, Magyar Posse.

Playlist:

1. Sleepwalker
2. Witchcraft
3. Single Sparks Are Spectral Fires
4. Pacific Ocean/Death in the Desert
5. Untitled
6. Enemy Within
7. The Endless Cycle of Violence
8. Lufthan

Link.

Magyar Posse, Random Avenger

Finland, 2006.

Magyar Posse are post-rock/math-rock, but their sound doesn't resemble directly any other post-rock group. This album is refreshing, cinematic and incredibly beautiful.

Playlist:

1. Whirlpool of Terror and Tension
2. Sudden Death
3. Black Procession
4. European Lover/Random Avenger
5. Intercontinental Hustle
6. One by One
7. Popzag

Link.

Exxasens, Polaris

Spain, 2008

Post/space rock from Mars.

Playlist:

1 - Polaris
2 - Mira Mama
3 - Your Dreams are My Dreams
4 - Spiders on the Moon
5 - Blue Space
6 - Milk Stars
7 - Faster Than Speed of Light
8 - Gamma Channel
9 - Storms
10 - Melancolie
11 - Exxasens

Link.

Fifths of Seven, Spry From Bitter Anise Folds

U.S., 2005.

Fifths of Seven is an instrumental string/piano/accordion-based trio out of Montreal, Canada, composed of Spencer Krug (Wolf Parade, Sunset Rubdown, Swan Lake, and Frog Eyes), Beckie Foon (A Silver Mt. Zion, Set Fire to Flames, and Esmerine), and Rachel Levine (Cakelk).

Playlist:

1. Rosa Centifolia
2. Sweet Grace for Devious
3. Out from Behind the Rigid Bellows
4. Waiting
5. Coeur, Arteries and Veins
6. Echoes from a Wandered Path
7. For You Alone in the Smoldering City
8. Bless Our Wandering Dreamers

Link.

Les Fragments de la Nuit, Musique du Crépuscule

France, 2008.

Les Fragments de la Nuit is a french quintet composed of three violins, a cello and a piano. They often compose soundtracks for cinema, animation movies and documentaries. Their sound is very neoclassical, ranging from tragic to epic and atmospheric.

Playlist:

1. Eveil des Fées
2. Assault
3. La Ronde des Fées
4. Entre Ciel et Fer
5. Devenons Demain I
6. Devenons Demain II
7. Solitude
8. Solarisation
9. La Chambre des Fées
10. Soleils Noirs pour Lune Blanche
11. La Mélodie de la Tête
12. Le Château Enchanté
13. Le Scarabée Bleu
14. Soleils Noirs pour Lune Blanche - Tango
15. Les Eaux Dormantes
16. Alpha du Centaure

Link.

Lunatic Soul, Self-titled

Poland, 2008.

Lunatic Soul is the solo project of Mariusz Duda, released on October 13th, 2008. Unlike Riverside, Lunatic Soul contains no electric guitars at all and can be best described as a mix of ambient and progressive elements - Duda himself calls the sound “oriental-alternative”.

Playlist:

1. Prebirth
2. The New Beginning
3. Out On A Limb
4. Summerland
5. Lunatic Soul
6. Where The Darkness Is Deepest
7. Near Life Experience
8. Adrift
9. The Final Truth
10. Waiting For The Dawn

Link.

We Made God, As We Sleep

Iceland, 2008.

For reasons I cannot comprehend, most reviews tend to describe We Made God as a mix of Sigur Rós and Deftones. This is, however, a promising experimental/post-rock/post-metal debut album.

Playlist:

1. Gizmo
2. Bathwater
3. Sub Rosa
4. Deir Yassin
5. Theory of Progress
6. The Color

Link.

Grails, Red Light

US, 2004

Since everyone seems to be into Grails at the moment, here's their second album.

Playlist:

1 - Dargai
2 - The Volunteer
3 - Worksong
4 - High & Low
5 - Reprieve
6 - Redlight
7 - New Lystra
8 - Fevers
9 - Alms
10 - Word Made Flesh

Link.

Amorphis, Silent Waters

Finland, 2007.

Amorphis started out as a straightforward death metal act. However, the band gradually developed other influences such as folk, prog and hard rock, adopting more complex arrangements and a less brutal sound. Noteworthy is their frequent use of the Finnish national epic, the Kalevala, as a source for their lyrics.

Playlist:

1. Weaving the Incantation
2. A Servant
3. Silent Waters
4. Towards and Against
5. I of Crimson Blood
6. Her Alone
7. Enigma
8. Shaman
9. The White Swan
10. Black River

Link.