How I could've been yours, and you'd be mine, it could've been me and you until the end of time

I have to say, this week was pretty good when it comes to what I listened to. Admittedly, I already knew there would be a very high chance of that to happen, as I would be diving into one of my favourite labels - Pelagic Records. They are, for me, one of the top three labels when it comes to Post-Rock and Post-Metal.
There was a lot I could have chosen from, but ultimately I'm pretty happy with my choices - even if, in truth, it really didn't get off to a great start.

Day 169 - Abraham - 'Idsungwüssä'

I had their previous record - 'Débris De Mondes Perdus' - both on vinyl and on tape, but it never really called out to me. But for some reason, what with the french title, I was thinking that this was something maybe along the vein of Alcest? Alas, it is not.
It's very heavy, very harsh, almost on the point of being too abrasive even for me.  It's certainly not something I'd easily recommend to everyone. In the end I jus wasn't a huge fan of it, and I'll just give it a 6/10

Day 170 - Hiroe - 'Wield'

Now we're talking here. This is excellent instrumental post-rock, with some shreddy bits. Utterly loved this one. A stellar 9/10

Day 171 - Oh Hiroshima - 'And The Dead Trees Give No Shelter'

You know how ultimately there's just too much of everything and somethings you never get around to listening or reading or watching? This is one such case. I've always felt curious, but I never made that leap. This one is filled with the type of soaring guitars that make Post-Rock such an emotional experience, and a voice that's just calm and beautiful, even at their heaviest.

Pretty awesome 8/10 for this one

Day 172 - Pothamus - 'Abur' 

Weirdest listen of the week, but also one of the very best and most memorable ones. I can't even really begin to explain this one. Post whatever? Sure. But it sounds decidedly ritualistic, in some weird way, it sounds like something a cult that worships Kali and seeks the Mahapralaya would sound if they decided to create a soundtrack to the dissolution of everything. It's so fucking weird and I loved every minute of it. It gets a strong 8.5/10

Day 173 - Hippotraktor - 'Stasis'
This one was, in a sense, very similar to the Pothamus record - and yet nothing alike.

One of the things that struck me in both records was how similar the harsher vocals were, and how they remind me - at times - of Sakis Tolis, from Greek band Rotting Christ, around their 'Κατά τον δαίμονα εαυτού' and 'Rituals' era. I didn't enjoy this one as much, but I'll be the first to admit that due to personal reasons I had to listen to this one in less than ideal circumstances. I might revisit it in the future, though. As it stands, it gets a 7/10

Day 174 - i Häxa - 'i Häxa' 

So, this is isn't Post-Rock. Or Post-Metal, even. What it is is a combination of electronica, trip-hop. ambient passages, some decidedly heavy bits here and there, as well as piano infused moments of sheer beauty. All this makes for a wonderfully cinematic listen, that is best done in one sitting. I say this because this album is in fact four different EPs brought together in one package, made up of four parts. Each, on their own, is outstanding - but listening to the whole thing straight through just makes it all the better. This was the surprise of the week - it's got spoken word bits, it's full of conenctive tissue throughout, it's got a remarkably haunting voice from Rebecca Need-Menear, and by the end of the it I was feeling just so completely uplifted by the whole experience of it. For sure the best listen of the week, I'll award it a 9.5/10

Day 175 - Wang Wen - Painful Clown & Ninja Tiger'

Oh boy. Back when I still used social media, and I followed Pelagic on Instagram, I remember this one time when they made a post about this band - probably regarding some new release - and I made a comment on it that went something like this : 'Wang Wen? Sounds like a very horny asian chick asking her boyfriend when they're gonna have sex', and obviously, the amount of vitriol I got in return was enormous. And I say fuck them. 

So Wang Wen? I say Wang now. Thanks a lot! I'll be here all week!

But all kidding aside, it's another case of things slipping through. I knew of them, I knew that I'd probably enjoy them a great deal, but I never gave them the chance they deserved. And boy howdy, is this good. It's a bit jazzy in some parts - something not unheard of in Post-Rock - and it's sung in Chinese, because duh, they are Chinese. And it didn't even matter that I didn't understand a word - I didn't need to. Everything here was just so good and.. and pleasant to listen to. I loved this one to death. Big 9/10

Next week is Dunk!