The Pitch: Melbourne, Australia’s post-metal and sludge band Ylva deliver "patient, dark, and intense music" with their Translation Loss debut record M E T A. FFO: Alaskan, They Grieve, Sonance
What I Like: Ylva make soundtracks to the kettle boiling over. "Sting in the Air" takes its sweet time appreciating the calm before the storm, which makes the inevitable thunderous blasts of guitar and drums all the more potent. Like many of my favorite acts in this genre, there is a certain level of seafaring imagery that this music transports me to. It has little to do with lyrics and everything to do with the compositions themselves. I can almost feel the cool, moist air on my face and smell the salt wafting from the waves as they break against the keel. The ship heaves beneath me as the multiple vocalists bark commands between thunder claps of snare and lightning clashes of cymbals. It's a bit like Mastodon's Leviathan without the progressive or overt conceptual elements. The guitar riffs really do seem to simulate the various forces of nature above. Whether that is intentional or not, it sounds great.
Critiques: This is another situation where I start asking myself whether we need another band that sounds so damn similar to others I've listened to. But with Alaskan now defunct and some of the other acts drifting onto new sounds and styles, I say welcome to the fold.
The Verdict: I'm not sure what M E T A is all about: what inspired it, what it means to the band. But I'll tell you what, it sure takes you on a journey that will leave you with an interpretation of your own. Ylva have proven their worth in letting the music do the talking, and with such a strong debut I am excited to see what happens next for them. Get it today.
Flight's Fav's: Hunting Room, Metadata, Lapse
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