EHP 0.39: Belegost / The Sea, Like Lead split CD/LP [ purchase cd ] [ lp out of print ] Pressing Information: 1000 CDs 500 black Two Pennsylvania bands fill 41 minutes of space with three instru-metal exorcisms. Pittsburgh's THE SEA, LIKE LEAD are three men armed with ambience and warmth whose guitar driven sounds are backed with delicate layers of reverb and unwavering drums. Their songs are built up in an almost GODSPEED YOU BLACK EMPEROR fashion, persistently pushing and pushing sounds. Philadelphia's BELEGOST (ex-IO, VIRGINIA BLACK LUNG, etc.) end the record with one track topping 22 minutes. A spine-shivering debut from this five piece outfit, featuring three guitarists. Their unique sound intermixes elements of MONO, THE POLYPHONIC SPREE, PELICAN, and a love for the nerdiest literature of the land. This is the soundtrack to a decaying landscape and the hope for a change. CDs come packaged in 100% recycled arrigato paks. TRACK LISTING: The Sea, Like Lead 1. Anticline / Syncline 2. Twilight Of The Gods Belegost 3. Nightwalker / Deergod REVIEWS: Centerfuse.net (joethebone) This split CD is only 3 songs long (2 from The Sea Like Lead, 1 from Belegost), but stretches out over 40 minutes. When I read that on the press sheet, I kind of cringed. Both bands play that sort of post rock that veers towards distortion and loudness at times (think Mogwai or Explosions in the Sky), and I wasn't sure if they could keep it interesting for that long. The Sea Like Lead opens the disc with a comparatively brief song that throws on the crunchy guitars almost right at the start. Throughout both of their songs, TSLL remains unpredictable, never resorting to the distortion when it sounds like they're about to. The first track isn't the best example, compressed into just a few minutes, but the second takes its time unfolding and really shows their strengths. It builds and builds with tension just to drop off, and then out of nowhere it explodes. Before they can get too crazy with it, though, it dies out and the tension starts again. By the time they hit the second loud bit, everything sounds right. They manipulate the sound and mood so well that the song never drags or feels boring. It's tough to believe so much comes out of just three people. Belegost's one track takes up more than half of the music on the disc. It starts out with about 5 minutes of drone noise and feedback, layering sounds and really building up a nice atmosphere. It reminded me of Double Leopards a little. The drums come in and then one gigantic guitar chord repeats for a while. I wasn't really feeling this part of the song, it seemed like they were going more for just straight up loudness instead of doing much with it. The back of the case reads "Play at maximum volume", so they're definitely into making this as loud as can be. After that one part repeats for a few minutes, it kicks into a bit of an awkward melodic part. I wasn't very into this song, but around the 14 1/2 minute mark, it gets really, REALLY good. They take one melody line and build and layer all over it, to the point where they find the perfect blend of sheer volume, intensity, and a really beautiful guitar line. With the volume turned up, you can actually FEEL the sound at its peak. I think this is their first release, so if they trim off some of the fat and do more like the last 7-8 minutes of their song, they could be great. Bonus points for a super sweet layout. The New Scheme issue 14 Clamor Magazine (Casey Boland) Somewhere in the aftermath of Mogwai's colossal, crushing introduction Young Team , scores of indie-minded musicians decided that ambient, guitar-soaked soundscapes vacillating between loud and quiet passages were worthwhile stock in rock trades. Godspeed! You Black Emperor upped the ante, and with the 21st, century came the flood of bands wielding Telecaster guitars blasted through Fender Twins and Vox amps to deafening degrees (see: Explosions in the Sky, Pelican, Mono). Singing? Who needs that? This genre thrives on mood, and nothing ruins mood more than words. This is epic music. Think Odysseus or Beowulf come to life as rock bands. The Sea Like Lead and Belegost share a CD to explore these tumbling, shifting waters, to slow, hair-swinging effect. It may be three songs, but that's 41 minutes and 21 seconds of music. Both bands sound a bit too similar to be sharing such quarters together. Still, they lavish upon us captivating (if somewhat daunting and attention-testing) music. While listening to this album, I imagined myself crouched down, sweating and petrified, on a small boat sailing up that river in Apocalypse Now. The locals throw their arrows through the white, cotton-ball fog. And then we're out in the vast black night, the sky aglow with the fireworks of soldiers and rebels battling over a bridge. That bridge will be won and lost and destroyed every night. It will be rebuilt every day, only to fall once again. The myth of Sisyphus. The constant, inexorable struggle for nothing. This album, friends, is this torrid saga's soundtrack. Decoymusic.com In 2005, two independent Pennsylvania bands released debut extended plays. On first glance, there's not much of significance there, but they were both of the instrumental type, and I make a conscious effort to keep track of all the instrumental bands I can so that nothing slips under the radar. Neither one of them excited me too much, but they were interesting enough for me to make a mental note to check out both of the band's future material. Less than a year later, The Sea Like Lead and Belegost return with a split LP, and their combined improvement is bewildering. Belegost contributes only one song to the split, but it is a behemoth of a song, clocking in at twenty-two minutes. "Nightwalker/Deergod" will undoubtedly go down as one of the better instrumental songs of the year. It treads lightly on fragile ground, attacks sharply and fiercely, and shakes the entire sonic environment so much that the reverberations can be felt from miles away. Belegost succeeds in creating that massive sound that fills the listener's body from head to toe and holds it hostage until long after the song's conclusion. Just how massive is it? So massive that four guitarists are called in to tackle this monster of a song and beat it into submission. A sound this rich is only done as well by the likes of Isis, Caspian, and Mouth of the Architect, but by the signs of it, Belegost is quickly climbing the ranks. The Sea Like Lead have honed its music into a crisp, sharp sound that marches steadily forward with an aggressive edge. Hints of Pelican or Dysrhythmia can be heard from the bass, but The Sea Like Lead is a bit more friendly with the ambience and doesn't mind cooling off for a bit to regroup for an energetic display. "Anticline/Syncline" starts off strong, but in a slightly detached manner, as if the band doesn't really care that they are loud, and surely this isn't it's ultimate goal. The second half of the song relapses into a complete still, setting up for the next song, which is a remarkable display of musicianship. "Twilight of the Gods" starts off painfully slow, lurching forward only in the smallest of movements. A few times The Sea Like Lead threatens to break out into a full sprint, but it's not until the very end of the song where they fully awake to drive it home with a passionate finale. The Sea Like Lead is more cerebral than Belegost, but they lack the sheer energy of their counterparts. These two bands have not only shown vast improvements over their 2005 efforts, but have also demonstrated that they are ready to move onto bigger and better things. This split LP was the perfect tool to show the world that these bands are the real deal and are capable of playing with the big boys. Now we must anxiously await future offerings, where they hopefully deliver with more excellent music. Scene Point Blank (Neil) It's a Saturday afternoon and I'm at present stuck at work flipping through a copy of the latest Alternative Press magazine. Good literature it isn't, an easy read between calls it is. This particular issue sitting in my lap contains a feature on the hundred bands that are going to be "taking over" in '06; i.e. rammed down my unwilling throat. Your average AP reader (my sedate Saturday afternoon self included) is not interested in lots of big words and fancy linguistic turns of phrase; we want new bands to listen to and we want them now. To aid myself and my lazy brethren, AP provides a handy "For Fans of..." along with each band in their top one hundred list. In my present state this appeals to me a great deal, however the problem with it becomes glaringly obvious from the start: I like Wire but detest The Rakes, Refused used to frequently blow my mind but I can think of few hardcore bands more drab than The Warriors, and as for Big Black and Selfish Cunt being mentioned within the same breathe!? Get to fuck. None the less, the concept itself has grabbed me by the cranium and won't let go; as such I will hazard a guess that The Sea, Like Lead and Belegost will appeal to fans of Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Explosions in the Sky and Pelican. If your mind has already skipped to the “big crescendos with minimal or no vocal accompaniment” page then you wouldn't be on the wrong track, but back up kiddo, don't dismiss this just yet. The blueprint itself might be curled at the edges but the follow through is well and truly there. The Sea, Like Lead's two tracks are what I'd image being trapped at sea is like. Lame analogy off the starboard bow! It's all plain sailing to begin with, but then, oh fuck, a giant wave comes out of nowhere toppling your boat, throwing you off course and into general disarray. What follows is the acceptance of fate and a stranded solitary voice speaking hard to decipher words. Both "Anticline/Syncline" and "Twilight of the Gods" rely on textures and desolate mood, empty bombastic is nowhere to be found. The true surprise, for me at least, of this record lies with the third and final track. "Nightwalker/ Deergod" is my one and only encounter with Belegost, but I hope it isn't my last. The first five minutes are a stalking hum, as the music builds around you feverishly trying to escape its own constraints before the inevitable happens and it breaks free. And it lets you know it. If The Sea, Like Lead's tracks had the progressive elements of the second disc of Lift Yr Skinny Fists like Antenna to Heaven then "Nightwalker/ Deergod" has the unmitigated explosive elements of the first. If, like me, the new Mono album left you scrambling for some Kelly Clarkson to ease the tedium and Mr. Beast seemed to be lacking something to push it beyond the realms of mediocrity, then this is perhaps the record for you. Welcome back to the days when bands like Godspeed shattered earths and played amongst the rubble. Indie Workshop dot com (Terrance Wedin) The genre of instrumental metal is becoming the new black. Last year when noise bands were all the rage, bands like Pelican and Mono were still being severely overlooked. Now, well into 2006, it seems Instrumental Metal might be becoming the new noise (no, not like the Refused song). For The Sea, Like Lead and Belegost it just makes things harder. With the number of bands playing this style appearing at an exponential rate, it's a surprise that any of them get any attention at all. But these two Pennsylvania bands are very deserving of the attention. Clocking in at 41 minutes, this split release is a mammoth in length. The Sea, Like Lead open the record with two songs of sprawling instrumental post-hardcore. The two songs flow between movements of heavy post-hardcore riffs, and slow resonating soft parts that are reminiscent of newer Mono material. On "Twilight Of The Gods" they affix the use of sampled voices, similar to the tape manipulation that Godspeed You! Black Emperor popularized. The guitars waver on both songs, as the drums become non-existent at points. The Sea, Like Lead don't change the tempo much, instead opting for a steady and slow pace where the dynamics lead each song. Belegost come out of the gates even slower. Their 22 minute-long song comes to the listener in slow, well-paced movements of dynamic instrumental metal. The Philadelphia fivepiece includes three guitarists that utilize their guitars for ambience more often then riffs. As the song develops, bands like Pelican and Mono come to mind. Belegost does an excellent job differentiating themselves from these bands by adding solo guitar lines that rise and fall over the wall of heavy riffs and guitar drones. When Belegost pick up the tempo, the riffs begin to intensify in a Mogwai-"Like Herod"-esque style. The song is grand and expansive, and although at times it is tedious, Belegost never linger for too long, moving back into more creative and interesting territory quickly. The Sea, Like Lead and Belegost make impressive debuts on this split release. The music is expansive and brings to mind images of a city at rest. The record packaging is also aesthetically pleasing, and features beautiful artwork on recycled arrigato paks, making this split one of the best of 2006 thus far. The Indiana Journal Review (Wade Coggeshall) There’s a reason why music, as a form, can unite so many and rouse deep wells of emotion. Pittsburgh’s The Sea, Like Lead and Philadelphia’s Belegost are two bands indicative of those cherished traits. They combine for a three-song, instrumental split CD out now on The Electric Human Project. Both are masters at fluently bridging loud and soft dynamics, the kind that mesmerize and make the music almost cinematic in scope. The Sea, Like Lead opens its first offering, “Anticline/Syncline,” with unearthly, reverential strings before ramping into a haunted guitar onslaught with plenty of enchanting melody. Then it goes even further with enveloping doom riffing before disintegrating into a pile of squalling feedback. Compared to these movements, the aftermath is positively serene, though faraway air traffic voices make it unsettling. Fey soundscapes close it out. It’s seven minutes that go by fast. “Twilight of the Gods” is a continuation of track one. It builds slowly — mesmerizing, but with a sense of foreboding. Guitars with founts of sound and structure unleash echo-laden arpeggios. Over its 12 minutes, the song gathers momentum and takes on a decidedly darker tone. Even so there’s a palpable luster in the mix, straight out of Explosion in the Sky’s repertoire. Simply epic. Belegost’s contribution, “Nightwalker/Deergod,” is a 22-and-a-half minute tour de force of extremes — tranquility and tension. Utilizing three guitars, the quintet starts with an eerie blanket of sound at the beginning, which ebbs and flows in slow waves. After about three and a half minutes, gentle strumming enters the mix, though the previous movement doesn’t lose intensity. Two minutes later, a mountainous electric guitar makes its presence heard, along with a plodding, hefty beat. Beautiful glissandos take on a heavier edge and mutate into a jazzier realm, though the music remains focused and tight. In between are variations and combinations of all the aforementioned. Furious high- and low-end chord progressions and a flurry of cymbals and snare hits culminate this opus with the aural equivalent of fireworks. This is why you listen to music. Punk News dot org (Brian) The Electric Human Project label is one that makes it a mission to ensure that bands performing sounds that can only be found a bit off the beaten path are heard. And thus, we're given solid releases like this, a split release between them and Hard Travelin' Records featuring a pair of instrumental acts (of the post-rock/experimental variety, of course): the Sea, Like Lead, and Belegost. And at 3 tracks and a total running length of 41 minutes, it's hard not to use "epic" ad nauseum. The Sea, Like Lead is up first, serving the anti-climactic (Iin a very desolate but beautiful way) but appropriately titled and seven-minute-long "Anticline/Syncline." It begins with a heavy rock base akin to Godspeed You Black Emperor!, with these big riffs eventually giving away to slow, methodical churning of skittery, bell-like chords (think Explosions in the Sky here, as lazy as a comparison that might sound). The rising and falling action here is minimal, but TSLL apply a very interesting aspect to the action with spoken word distorted so harshly with a walkie talkie effect that it's hard to make out the words; and while it does sound like it's vaguely philosophical babble at best, it creates an excellently spacey vibe. The same type of speech is employed to the band's other contribution, the 12-minute "Twilight of the Gods," even more incomprehensive but very minimally used. Regardless, the heavy guitar distortion is used effectively, introducing to the truly "floating in space" aura moments of sudden discovery, as if planetary clusters are passing by. Before you know it, all the elements of the song have layered themselves upon each other; the transition really is so subtle it's hard to pinpiont exactly where it takes place. This ends up in a climax that's reached in a very moving, distant way. While the same of that latter song can be said for Bellegost's sole contribution, the 23-minute-long closing track "Nightwalker/Deergod," it captures the effect of this method in an even greater manner. The first five minutes are somewhat uneventful, simply meandering by, but then some standard drumming comes in, and heavy, commanding riffs pound every few seconds to take charge of the song. When this starts to let up, the mid-tempo, modest parade starts to take shape. One guitar is manipulated to craft atmospheric whimpering in the left speaker, while the second, in the right speaker for its first few times, offers a quick, strangely descending Zeppelin-esque riff. Just under halfway through, the song suddenly picks up a cheerful tone; assumingly the Deergod has now come into play. Four or five minutes later, things get really interesting. You can tell the riffs are quickly beginning to really build toward something, and the tempo is shifting into moderately faster territory; the chords become more urgent with every second, and everything begins to beg for a layered, chaotically beautiful explosion of light and sound. And that's exactly what we're given, as the drums are rhythmically pounded and guitars continue to fill the soundscape with their sqeauls. Chimes can be lightly heard tapped in the background, providing a gentle distraction. Not to mention, this entire, nicely drawn out experience is one that lasts five minutes. The last minute and a half, everything converges and shakes together into one pretty ball of noise disappearing into a musical black hole. The Sea, Like Lead and Belegost craft some swell post-rock instrumental with their split here, and while it's packaged in a 100% recycled arrigato pack, the music inside is hardly disposable. Dusted Magazine (Still Single by Doug Mosurak) Western and Eastern Pennsylvania bands lock horns in the epic instrumental rock battle on this split album. Longer in form than you’ve heard in a while … both sides exceed 20 minutes, and take their time in spilling the guts. Philly’s Belegost are a three-guitar, six-headed instrumental army of beards and peace, working away from the field recording samples and endless builds of their contemporaries by a bit less than they should, but still coming through with an engaging and heartfelt grand scheme. Their contribution here, “Nightwalker/Deergod”, is made up of parts you’ll recognize and hopefully will enjoy in execution; references include Slint, Still Life, Tarentel, Godspeed, etc., but with a sense of direction other than up and back down. Maybe some blues influence too, which steers the track away from obvious references. Ex-Virginia Black Lung and Io, so expect the chaos; just not all at once. Pittsburgh’s The Sea, Like Lead hedges the formation by half, removes the bass entirely, and rages almost twice as hard. Their two selections easily fill up the side with a more triumphant, less orchestrated sound. These guys take cues from similar yet distinct sources (Bitch Magnet, Hum, American shoegaze and Swervedriver) and provide a very satisfying flip on post-rock grandeur; “Anticline/Syncline’s” guitarring fully recognizes the scope of its power and basks proudly in its heat, while “Twilight of the Gods” builds to its absolute breaking point and caves in under double-bass destruction and digital delay. 24 inches of whoopass in a 12” record. Edition of 500; CD version also available for wimps.