Nebulae Come Sweet – Claritas
Similar artists: TOOL, Meshuggah, Cult Of Luna, Mastodon, Katatonia
Genre: Progressive-metal
Imaginative, ambitious heavy-metal music has finally been handed its most important music. Whereas when the genre first began, it was enough for Black Sabbath to write songs about getting stoned or Led Zeppelin to produce music about Viking warlords, this just won’t do anymore. Whereas Metallica’s speed could be enough to shock your parents, or Megadeth’s lyrics could launch a political debate around the household, this is simply not enough anymore.
You see, reality has changed. Everything is documented now, filmed in HD, and still, people have more questions about what is real or not than ever before. With this in mind, prog-metal’s mission is to create a journey toward worlds that can’t possibly be real. Yet, they need to make the ride so that it leaves everyone that gets off of it feeling like they’ve learned something that they can use in the real world.
Nebulae Come Sweet’s “Claritas” is a titanic musical construction about planets that exist merely in some metalhead’s fancy. But trust me, this is precisely what we need right now. There are no more questions to be asked about our planet and no mysteries left to investigate. Treat this Minsk metal group’s music as therapy through imagination. Its colossal riffs and surprising musical excursions will be of greater help to you than listening to the seven o’clock news.
Men Without Qualities – (There’s nothing like having it) Undone
Similar artists: Soundgarden, King’s X, Ghost
Genre: Progressive Rock, Alternative Rock
In many ways, a dedicated rock musician has a stronger spirit than someone who will one day win an Olympic gold medal. Sure, both of them work tirelessly, and both pour their heart and soul into their work. However, only one of them is likely to get massively rewarded for their efforts.
But there’s just no way to break the spirit of a modern rock musician. They have to purchase equipment, learn to operate it, learn to write songs, find people to play with, and find places that will let them play. And they’ll go along with all of this out of a pure love for the craft that goes into all of this. Marvelous stuff!
Men Without Qualities’ “(There’s nothing like having it) Undone” is a remarkably catchy piece of alternative metal. Sure, it’s tough, but you could hum the hook to your mother or your dog, and both would enjoy it. This kind of sound is no accident, either. When you’re hearing these kinds of poppy hooks plastered over the metal-inspired sound, you’re really listening to thousands of hours of work.
