Bear in Heaven: Beast Rest Forth Mouth

Artist: Bear in Heaven
Album: Beast Rest Forth Mouth
Date Released: October 13, 2009
Genre: indie rock, neo-psychedelia, progressive rock, alternative rock
Rating: 7.9

Beast Rest Forth Mouth is the sophomore release from Brooklyn's Bear in Heaven, a band that incorporates influences from prog, psychedelia, electronica and krautrock. Thanks to bands like Mew and Muse, prog-rock is no longer a dirty word -- but as far as Bear in Heaven goes they're much more like the former than the latter. Where Muse wears its pretension like a badge, Mew and Bear in Heaven take a more subdued and ethereal approach to their music.

Beast Rest Forth Mouth is a prime example. It's an album of steady and hypnotic beats, synthy and spacey rhythmic sequences and dreamy vocals. The tracks are paced and have a shoegaze element to them at times, while frequently coloured with power-chords and some very heavy synth pulses.

Sonically, the album is gorgeous from start to finish; but stronger tracks and a clearer commitment to melody would have propelled this album from good to great. Track highlights include "Beast in Peace," "You Do You," and "Lovesick Teenagers."

The Mars Volta: Octahedron

Artist: The Mars Volta
Album: Octahedron
Date Released: June 23, 2009
Genre: experimental rock, prog-rock, neo psychedelia, post-hardcore
Rating: 7.6

Review: For their 5th studio release, prolific neo psychedelic rockers The Mars Volta have decided to take a deep and cleansing breath -- a welcome change after their spasmodically frenetic but brilliant The Bedlam in Goliath. Octahedron still features their characteristic power and trippiness, but the pace is taken down a considerable notch. The end result is a more listenable and intricate album where the band can showcase its song-writing talents. It's also an opportunity to hear Cedric Bixler-Zavala's vocals in a more intimate atmosphere (check out "With Twilight As My Guide" which features some gorgeous singing alongside an acoustic guitar and spacey guitar effects) . The Mars Volta remain one of the most fascinating and distinctive bands in the world.

The Soundtrack of Our Lives: Communion

Artist: The Soundtrack of Our Lives
Album: Communion
Date Released: March 3, 2009
Genre: indie rock, neo-psychedelia
Rating: 7.6

Review: Surprising return to form from a veteran band.

Omar Rodriguez-Lopez: Old Money

Artist: Omar Rodriguez-Lopez
Album: Old Money

Date Released: January 27, 2009
Genre: experimental rock, neo-psychedelia, indie rock, instrumental rock, space rock
Rating: 7.6

Review: The Mars Volta's Omar Rodriguez-Lopez continues to churn out albums with disturbing proficiency -- but this one's a doosey. Old Money is a guitar lover's dream come true, especially in today's age where bombastic rock-outs and virtuosic playing are (curiously) taboo. Some might consider Rodriguez-Lopez to be a bit indulgent here, but Old Money is too good and too much fun to ignore; let the malcontents miss out on this one -- it'll be their loss.

Like the last Mars Volta album, The Bedlam in Goliath, this CD blazes forward with unrelenting intensity. Rarely do listeners have a chance to catch their breath, all while being treated to a diverse sonic palate. The ten instrumental tracks on Old Money bring together a number of influences, from 70's era Zappa and psychedelia right through to Latin music and prog-rock.

The riffs are fantastic and never overdone; the arrangements are constructed with careful precision (including crazy time signature changes, saxophone and spacey synth zone-outs), but at no time does Old Money sound over-produced. The sound is raw, fresh and frenetic --and all performed with admirable skill.

Old Money is exactly what an instrumental guitar-rock album should sound like.