What bands/albums have you listened to recently?

Hmm, it's been a while since I last posted here; I've listened to a lot of music, and I should diversify the topic. :)

Isis

Country: USA
Genre: sludge metal / post-metal / artcore
In fact, the band's style is a combination of sludge and post-rock influences, and the rather fitting term "artcore" was coined by a Russian music critic.

Panopticon (2004)

1. So Did We
2. Backlit
3. In Fiction
4. Wills Dissolve
5. Syndic Calls
6. Altered Course
7. Grinning Mouths

Perhaps this album has firmly established itself in my list of favorites over the past six months, despite many other amazing things.

The Panopticon is a type of prison building designed by English philosopher and social theorist Jeremy Bentham in 1785. The concept of the design is to allow an observer to observe (-opticon) all (pan-) prisoners without the incarcerated being able to tell whether they are being watched.

This is the concept that underlies the album. I only recently read about it – it has political subtext and much more... In fact, there is very little text in the album, just a few lines in each composition (and these are compositions, not songs), and music is the central element.
The music of Isis is a separate topic. There are no standard verses, choruses, solos, or riffs. Only themes, motifs, developing and smoothly transitioning into one another. The music sometimes "overwhelms" the listener with a solid "wall of sound," and then suddenly transitions into calm, unhurried melodies. And all this is accompanied by a unique, signature "Isis" rhythm section: mesmerizing, broken rhythms of drums and "unobtrusive" bass. It's hard to describe this in words; you have to hear it...
The compositions seem to be different from each other (there's the more aggressive "So Did We," the calmer – or rather, seemingly calmer – "Wills Dissolve," and the measured instrumental "Altered Course"), but they are all connected by some common musical idea. I can't single out anything in particular; I liked everything. I recommend it to metal fans and others, although the music is quite specific and won't appeal to everyone. In my opinion, you can listen to it almost endlessly.

Oceanic (2002)

1. The Beginning and the End
2. The Other
3. False Light
4. Carry
5. -
6. Maritime
7. Weight
8. From Sinking
9. Hym

The second album in my listening order. It's no less good than Panopticon, but for some reason, it didn't grab me as much. Maybe I just haven't "gotten into" it yet. There is also a certain conceptuality here; all the compositions are connected, and the album is perceived as a whole, but you can already clearly identify your favorite tracks that you listen to the most. In general, there is still a lot to listen to and think about here. :)

Celestial (2001)

1. SGNL>01
2. Celestial (The Tower)
3. Glisten
4. Swarm Reigns (Down)
5. SGNL>02
6. Deconstructing Towers
7. SGNL>03
8. Collapse and Crush
9. C.F.T. (New Circuitry And Continued Evolution)
10. Gentle Time
11. SGNL>04

The band's first full-length album represents a stage where their unique style was just beginning to take shape. To be honest, I didn't like it very much. From the name "artcore," there's more "core" than "art" here. There are quite a few overly intrusive repetitions, although I've become more tolerant of this lately. In the "signals," you can feel an echo/development of the idea of some Pink Floyd albums, where songs are divided by a characteristic sound. As, in fact, the influence of PF can also be felt in "C.F.T.," the only track that really grabbed me. For its sake, I even retune my guitar to a few half-steps. (the tuning that Isis uses in many songs)

The band has two more full-length albums: In the Absence of Truth from 2006 – I listened to it, and I liked it less than Oceanic, but I clearly didn't listen to it enough; the album has great potential, although it is criticized as "self-plagiarism"; Wavering Radiant from 2010 – I haven't gotten around to it yet, but the reviews from fans of Oceanic and Panopticon are not very flattering... I don't feel like listening to the early EPs "Mosquito Control" and "Red Sea" yet, but maybe I'll get to them.

to be continued...