I Break Horses
Chiaroscuro
(Bella Union/PIAS Records)
3/5
Swedish indie duo I Break Horses stay true to this album’s name: “Chiaroscuro” is defined as the contrast between light and dark, and I Break Horses bring together an eclectic range of alternative, synth, pop, dance, and binaural beats.
The album—which comes two years after their first, Hearts—features a sound that is comparable to that of a less high strung Crystal Castles with Tegan and Sara-esque vocals.
The songs focus less on the lyrical storyline and more on synthesized sounds. Their style allows for any language barrier to go completely unnoticed, despite the fact that most of their songs having English titles.
Unfortunately, the album lacks a storyline, a theme tying all of the songs together. Whether through lyrics or tempo there could be more flow between the songs, which would create the feel of a story line.
Still, I love the sound I Break Horses has created and will definitely be looking out for future albums by this duo.
-Matt O’Connor
Caliban
Ghost Empire
(Century Media Records)
4/5
Fans of heavy metal, especially extreme metal, have been battling societal stigmas since Ozzy Osbourne first uttered the words “Satan” in 1970. But bands like Germany’s Caliban could be the bridge between “scary” metal and the mainstream.
This puts Caliban in a very precarious position; either they’re too polished and mainstream for the vast legion of devil-worshipping underground metal fans (joking), or they’re just too damn heavy for fans of modern radio rock.
This gets more convoluted when you take into account that most fans of metal don’t just get off on one style. Sure, a rare few listen to only one sub-sub-genre of metal exclusively, but those people truly are frightening (not joking).
For open-minded heavy metalheads and adventurous hard rockers, Caliban’s ninth album, Ghost Empire, is like a final, triumphant battle. With elements of Meshuggah, Ministry, Neurosis, and even Linkin Park (see, we’re covering huge ground here) shining through, the disc proves that Caliban have spent the past 16 years honing their attack.
-Jason Schreurs