Customer Reviews

Australasia

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Pelican is a very talented new band from Chicago. The more I listen to this the more it sounds like a metal version of Explosions in the Sky, the instrumental post-rock band. They have many similarities including long, ever-changing songs and shifting, intertwining melodies. The few soft parts on this album are even more similar to post-rock. But the metal side also reminds me, and most other people of Isis, minus the vocals, which is a fair comparison I think. This is a very raw and authentic sounding album, being their first full-length. If I had to say which Isis it was most similar to I'd say Celestial. So fans of Explosions of the Sky AND Isis, like me, will have a good time with this CD, even though it's not really better than either of those bands. Maybe they will live up to them someday. There are six songs on this album and four are around the 10-minute mark, the other two being a lot shorter.

Many songs sound threatening or scary but some softer parts sound relaxing and delightful. "Drought" might be my favorite track; it's a heavy, sludgy mess (in a good way) that continually progresses through different movements and ideas. The first part of it is menacing and brilliant and will probably lure you in. "GW" is in memory of Gary Weber, I don't know who that is, but this is the shortest song on the album and probably the most melodic heavy song. The song entitled "-" is totally un-distorted, it's a relaxing and soothing break from the chaos. It's very nostalgic sounding, with an ever-so-slight tinge of country, and sounds like it could be on a Godspeed you Black Emperor album. It also contains a "singing saw," I didn't know saws could sing but it's very good. Lastly, the title track is mostly heavy like the rest but breaks down into a similar acoustic section for a while and then continues to add acoustics throughout the rest of the song. It's probably my second favorite track.

Isis/Neurosis/Pelican fans also should check out CALLISTO - True Nature Unfolds, an extremely talented similar sounding (more like Metalcore though) band from Finland that deserves much more attention. I liked the Callisto CD instantly but then it kinda dried up fast. Amazon doesn't sell it at the moment.

Anyways, I'm very satisfied with Pelican so far and I hope they will continue to evolve; I'm very much looking forward to another album someday, and it is one of the best metal purchases I've made this year.

Pelican's career is an interesting one for me. Being both a fan of post-rock and sludge/stoner metal (call it what you will), they often hit the spot perfectly. Their debut EP quenched my unabashed desires for monumental heaviness, sounding reminiscent of the most thunderous Isis or Neurosis climax, and the two latest releases ("The Fire In Our Throat..." and "City Of Echoes") are more geared towards the post-rock fan in me. Ultimately, I like these albums for different reasons. "Australasia", on the other hand, manages to combine these aforementioned qualities rather splendidly. It can whisk me up into ethereal places with its progressive post-rock styling, but equally, it can take my face off with outrageously powerful grooves.

Opener "Nightendday" is a perfect example of this. The song showcases airy, gentle, almost ambient moments - then there are typically Pelican melodic chord progressions - and then it is all shattered down with huge monolithic doom riffs. Perfect. And the rest of the album tends to follow suit. There is the utter groove-based sludge metal throughout "Drought" (quite possibly Pelican's most brutal and endearing piece to date) contrasting to the beautiful melodic strumming of "Angel Tears" and the serene acoustic untitled piece. The band really balances the album, giving just enough moments of splendid tranquillity to combat the monolithic heaviness. It is for this reason that I feel "Australasia" is Pelican's finest album to date. It manages to combine all the other standout elements of other releases, making it their most interesting and varied release. Fans of bands such as Isis, Neurosis, Mogwai, Red Sparrowes, Old Man Gloom etc will enjoy this.

I have grown tired of metal. I admit, I don't look as hard as I could for good metal, but that's because I like so many other genres as well. Here's the story:
A couple friends convinced me to come see Appleseed Cast at the UW Union. I say convinced because I despise almost all emo, and I won't say all given the small chance of something I've never heard being good. So after the opening emo-ish band I was expecting something less than great from the next band. Their image- I'll admit- was a little confusing, with tight t-shirts, tight jeans, and short hair, they looked a little, dare I say...emo.
During the soundcheck they confused me even more by playing totally clean guitars; then I noticed their amps: one had a Sunn and one had Mesa/Boogie. Any guitar player knows these are not amps made to be played clean, so where was the distortion.
I believe they opened with "Drought" (the best track on the album)and my head immediately started to bang. I have never experienced such intensity, and after the show I frantically tried to locate their selling stand. I bought Australasia, and listened to it. All of it.
I won't try to come up with adjectives to describe it; I'll just say two things: 1, the album captures their live show perfectly, and 2, buy it.
By the way, I left about 10 minutes into Appleseed Cast's set.

Pelican's Australasia is an experience worth going through. Fans of atmospheric metal and sludge will absolutely die for this album. Fans of ISIS will also like this band, though the presence of vocals might throw them off. There are rocking riffs, evil melodies, and a sense of impending doom that will swallow you up and not let you get out. Definitely one of the best instrumental albums I have ever heard.

I gotta admit:I really thought I'd outgrown this type of music when I hit my early 30s. The heavier than thou guitars,the double kick drum kits and the screaming,barking vocals talking about souls going to hell,druids tapping into dark magicks or just folks wanting to inflict greivous bodily harm on someone.The race for bands to be"heavier,faster,louder than everyone else "for its own sake just wasn't engaging for me anymore.

So,enter Chicago's very own Pelican. What a totally refreshing change from the dozen of metal bands out there that try to out-Korn or out-Hatebreed one another. For a start,they set themselves apart from the rest of the pack for the sheer reason that there are no vocals. It's all about the instumental here,pardner. Without having someone singing,you've no choice but to focus on the aural,particularly the guitar work. With that in mind,the following should be duly noted: this band is skull-crushingly heavy. If the band Neurosis and composer Glenn Branca had a baby,Pelican could easily be its offspring. Subtle chord changes married with melody and time signatures that flow like a mastadon is the order of the day for this quartet. Major chord mastery meets low end immersion on this six-song juggernaut that brings the listener into an almost hypnotic trance. Hands down,the song "Drought"is the best tune and probably the heaviest on the CD,particularly around the last three minutes of the song.

"-" is a light,delicate affair that gives the fuzzbox pedals a break,proving that the band can be more versatile and insert a "cool down"before returning you to the sonic onslaught of the title song.

What's great about "Australasia'is that the album or Pelican,for that matter,aren't heavy for the sake of heaviness. It's heavy more for the sake of manipulating the density of the music and making it into something that transcends its original form. A lot of metal acts that subscribe to the "all heavy,all the time"idea soon start to stall and begin to get stale. Simply put,Pelican takes what could be considered pure noise and makes it an intelligent,engaging yet still rocking ride.

Their first full-length (though their debut EP was still a decent 30 minutes long), this one clocks in at a smidgen over 50 minutes. I was curious how they'd follow up on their tombstone-heavy debut, and they've done a great job, here. Slint have to be kicking themselves that they didn't think of ditching lyrics and going purely instrumental.

There are six tracks on here, "NightEndDay" (11:14 min), "Drought" (8:23), "Angel Tears" (10:59), "gw" (3:34), "[untitled]" (5:30), and "Australasia" (10:48) and they pick up where they left off with the EP, doing for instrumental sludgerock/hard progressive (?!?) what the Ventures did with surf guitar.

This is a solid work, managing to take their heavy music and weaving complex themes into it; it's really hard to describe what they're doing; you have to hear it for yourself. Doom still dances in on the margins of their sound, but with broader sonic vistas in the mix, and some positively triumphant anthems in there, too.

"gw" is a wistful, warm, glowing remembrance of a lost friend, with tempting acoustic hints at the beginning before they launch into a soaring wall of guitar sound that looms overhead -- no doom is apparent in this one. Just love and hope and powerful music.

Acoustics carry the tune in the untitled track 5, where it was a welcome addition to the album, offering a change of pace and tone and a sense that the Pelican approach can sound great even with acoustic guitars thrown into the mix, and a ghostly singing saw offering an overall psychedelic, ethereal country vibe to the piece (My Morning Jacket with hints of the Flaming Lips in there). It made me think of sunsets, or sunrises, of beauty and calm and bittersweet serenity.

My favorite track is probably "Drought" though all the tracks are decent. "Drought" ladles on a magnificent percussive sound to the guitarwork that calls to mind machine guns, Black Sabbath, Kyuss, and Metallica all forged into a devastating sonic attack. "Angel Tears" manages similar triumphant fuzztones and themes that they played with in "Pulse" from the EP. The title track is defiantly resonant, proceeding in a stately fashion along its entire 10 minutes.

Their songs tend to be long, but you don't mind the ride one bit, and they never get boring, because they're doing so much, and there's not a standard verse-chorus-verse straitjacket afforded in the traditional rock song format to limit their approach.

This album has just come out, and I'm already wanting to hear the next one, just to see where they take it!

It took me a while to get into the sludgy and epic metal soundscapes of bands like Neurosis and Isis, but soon after I found myself hooked. Isis are by far one of my favorite bands these days. So when my friend recommended this Chicago and described them as Isis with major chords and no vocals, I opted to check them out.

My first reaction was a mixed one. I downloaded the track Drought and found it to be so-so. It sounded like a slightly less interesting Isis song with different production. The guitars where impressive, but something was lacking and it wasn't vocals. But then I heard the album later(with the aide of a certain plant, heh) and found it to be a very enjoyable listening experience.

The guitars on this record have the capability to be crushing, as well as weaving interesting compositions of sound. The opening track of Nightenday is proof enough. My two issues with this band start with the drummer. He is tremendously banal and boring. Nothing but an endless assault of tedious cymbal crashes, out-of-place double kick rolls and a stale sounding snare drum. Obviously, this particular genre is not reliant on drumming technicality, but this guy sounds so limited in comparison to what his bandmates are doing. Also, though one reviewer was happy of the fact that Pelican where not an emo band, I was disappointed to find that some emo/shoegazer influence makes its way into this record. Namely with the last three tracks, Pelican plays a lot of overly melodic and emo-ish acoustic pieces which are begging to have some moppy haired wuss whine about his girlfriend over them. I love soft acoustic melodies, just not these ones.

Still, this album is a testament to the greatness that is Hydrahead records and of a young and promising Illinois band.

Pelican's Australaisa is a masterful balance of dark and dreary soundscapes with just the right ammount of melodic hopefulness. Australasia drags the listener through sludgey mires of sonic excesses and self-indulgent grooves and ends up on the beautiful sunlit shores where the listener overcomes the darkness and welcomes the warmth of the sun This album is one of the most powerful and moody instrumental releases ever.

If you like this album you should check out their 2005 release The Fire in Our Throats will Beckon the Thaw as well as their self titled debut.

If you're like me you've grown a little tired of heavy metal over the years. The screaming and caterwauling of various bands gets old and even though you dig the crunch of the guitars and the thundering drums it's just not worth it. Sadly, most metal bands don't take a cue from hip-hop and release instrumental versions of their songs so it's up to a band like Pelican to step up and save us all from terrible vocalists. This is the best metal album I've heard since the last good Anthrax album - and even then I'm not sure which one that was. Everything that's great about heavy metal (grand themes, tempo shifts, pure power, technical brilliance) is here but there's no bleating about `searching for the seventh key,' creepy serial killer references or the like. There are no stoner-rock psychedelic references here either even though the songs do go on a ways - this is raw, visceral and immediate music. Be warned before you get involved, the six tracks here stretch out to over fifty minutes so you can get deep into these songs. "Drought" is just slabs of raw guitar piled so high you can barely tell which way is up. Odds are the drum work on this album would beat the rest of the instruments to shards but it barely has a chance against the guitar onslaught here. "Gw" is the closest to a single given that it's three plus minutes so it's as good a track as any to highlight - it also proves the band can work in a tight time frame and keep a hook working through the multilayered guitars and ominous low-end. If you've ever enjoyed heavy metal in your life this disc is something you should seek out.

Taking the heavy, crushing sound of sludge bands like Eyehategod and slower Immolation and blending it with the epic, droning soundscapes of post-rock like Mogwai or Godspeed You Black Emperor, Pelican have created an album that is as melodic and dense as it is heavy and blistering. They're actually the first band I've ever heard do anything like this, though by the sounds of things I should also check out Callisto, Neurosis and Isis.

The music is epic and droning, so its not your typical moshpit material. This is music to sit down and listen to, to get lost in or to fall asleep to. Don't be under false impressions from its heaviness - Pelican are not a band to conjour up breakdowns and thrashy moments of headbanging madness. The heaviness actually serves to help the dark, epic, almost sleepy sounding atmosphere rather than act against it because the production here is very thick and dense - almost muddy (but in a good way). The lack of vocals is a definate bonus. Hearing a voice would probably ruin the atmosphere the band were going for. I love vocals as much as the next man, but I know when they're not needed and I think if there were any on show here they would do more harm than good.

I can't say Australasia blew me away as such, but I'm certainly very impressed with it and I'lll be keeping an eye open for Pelican in the future.