It wouldn’t be an October monthly without any mention of Halloween. It all started with Samhain, an old Celtic festival where the townsfolk would light these big-ass fires and wear costumes to ward off spirits. Nowadays, its kids warding off nutrition by knocking on doors and begging for candy. SpoOoOoky…
But hey, there were plenty of treats to be had in October. The obvious shiners in the math rock community were TTNG‘s Animals Acoustic and Lite‘s Blizzard (check the ‘Veterans’ section for these tasty morsels), but also great albums by Twin Pyramid Complex and Mambo. There’s also Matt Calvert of Three Trapped Tigers fame, who put forth the elegantly jazzy, post-classical, avant garde masterpiece Typewritten. As usual, we are not limited to math rock in our list; we’ve thrown in a range of other odd-timed beauties pervading our inbox. So without further ado, here is our picks for October…
Twin Pyramid Complex – Upplevelsen Av Formaliteten Att Faktiskt Förekomma
File Under
Noise, prog, math rock, experimental, improv
Sounds A Tad Like
Pneu, Upsilon Acrux, MoHa
Price
56SEK (Bandcamp)
Location
Helsingborg, Sweden
The Littlest Viking – Feelings & Stuff
File Under
Math punk, emo, two-piece
Sounds A Tad Like
Gulfer, Tiny Moving Parts
Price
$7 digital / $20 vinyl (Bandcamp)
Location
Los Angeles, California
Mambo – $20000 de Chorus
File Under
Math rock, instrumental, indie, experimental
Sounds A Tad Like
Enemies, The Redneck Manifesto, Chancer
Price
$20000 ono (Bandcamp)
Location
Liege, Belgium
A.M. Overcast – That Being Said
File Under
Math rock, indie, pop, emo
Sounds A Tad Like
Heavy Vegetable, Thingy, Vennart
Price
$3CAD (Bandcamp)
Location
Winnepeg, Manitoba
RXYZYXR – II of V
File Under
Instrumental, math metal, djent, progressive metal, groove metal
Sounds A Tad Like
Animals As Leaders, Body Hound, Town Portal
Price
$7USD (Bandcamp)
Location
Saint Petersburg, Russia
Big Lad – Pro Rock
File Under
Electronic, jazz, progressive, noise rock
Sounds A Tad Like
Three Trapped Tigers, Soccer96, Quadrupede
Price
£7 digital / £16 vinyl (Bandcamp)
Location
London, England
Matt Calvert – Typewritten
File Under
Math, jazz, orchestral, acoustic electronic
Sounds A Tad Like
Alarm Will Sound, Dawn of Midi, Three Trapped Tigers
Price
£7 (Bandcamp)
Location
London, England
Gösta Berlings Saga – Et Ex
File Under
Progressive, instrumental, post rock, math rock
Sounds A Tad Like
Mogwai courting with Dream Theater
Price
£17.49 vinyl + CD (burningshed.com)
€19.99 vinyl + CD / €14.99 CD (nuclearblast.de)
Location
Stockholm, Sweden
Hemwick – Junkie
File Under
Mathcore, prog metal, thrash, grind, post-rock, instrumental
Sounds A Tad Like
Frontierer, Between the Buried and Me, Body Hound
Price
$5 digital / $7 CD (Bandcamp)
Location
Ogden, Utah
Bear the Mammoth – Years Under Glass
File Under
Post-rock, progressive, math rock
Sounds A Tad Like
We Lost The Sea, Cloudkicker
Price
$10AUD digital / $15AUD CD / $35AUD vinyl (Bandcamp)
Location
Melbourne, Australia
WILDCARDS
Wax Chattels – Live at Part Time Punks
File Under
Post-punk, dance punk, math punk, noise, synth, live
Sounds A Tad Like
Death From Above 1979, AK/DK, Kabobo
Price
$5 (Bandcamp)
Location
Auckland, New Zealand
Blast – Drifting
File Under
Nu jazz, contemporary jazz, math jazz
Sounds A Tad Like
Jaga Jazzist, Milton Man Gogh
Price
€7 digital / €12 CD (Bandcamp)
Location
France
pulses. – Mark IV
File Under
Post-hardcore, emo, math rock, swancore
Sounds A Tad Like
Blakfish, Joliette, Look What I Did
Price
$2USD (Bandcamp)
Location
Dumfries, Virginia
Snack Family – Bunny
File Under
Avant-rock, experimental, djazz, blues, swamp rock
Sounds A Tad Like
Nick Cave, The Lounge Lizards, Acoustic Ladyland
Price
£7.99 digital / £14.99 vinyl (Bandcamp)
Location
London, England
Horrendous – Idol
File Under
Progressive metal, death metal, old school, math metal
Sounds A Tad Like
Death, Necrophagist, Cynic, Atheist
Price
$9.99 (Bandcamp)
Location
Philly, Pennsylvania
Countdown from Ten – Speakeasy Petting Zoo
File Under
Math rock, post-hardcore, prog, post-rock
Sounds A Tad Like
Town Portal, ASIWYFA, Tera Melos
Price
Name your price digital / $8 CD (Bandcamp)
Location
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Matron – Standing Water
File Under
Math rock, indie, prog, psychedelic, alt-pop
Sounds A Tad Like
Radiohead, Talking Heads. Tera Melos
Price
$3 digital / $6 cassette (Bandcamp)
Location
New Orleans, Louisiana
Euclid C Finder – EUCLID C FINDER!
File Under
Mathcore, noisecore, grind, solo
Sounds A Tad Like
The Dillinger Escape Plan, The Number Twelve Looks Like You
Price
Name your price digital / $5 cassette (Bandcamp)
Location
Baltimore, Maryland
Peachí – Peachy is Over Party
File Under
Math rock, post-hardcore, emo, jazz, sax
Sounds A Tad Like
Dumb Waiter, Axes
Price
Name your price (Bandcamp)
Location
San Jose, California
Punching Swans – Faces
File Under
Noise rock, post-punk, math rock, post-hardcore
Sounds A Tad Like
The Blood Brothers, Falls, In Love Your Mother
Price
£5 digital / £8 cassette /£15 vinyl (Bandcamp)
Location
Kent, England
permanent tension – dedicated to the guilt that should have been felt but never was
File Under
Mathcore, hardcore
Sounds A Tad Like
Every Time I Die, Curlupanddie
Price
Name your price (Bandcamp)
Location
Belvidere, New Jersey
Little Wizard – Block
File Under
Math rock, post-punk, noise rock
Sounds A Tad Like
The Fierce And The Dead, The Redneck Manifesto
Price
$3USD (Bandcamp)
Location
Shaoxing, China
Seimugenhoutai – The Loss
File Under
Mathcore, tech death metal, extreme metal, noisecore, avant-prog metal
Sounds A Tad Like
Blotted Science, Kurushimi, Car Bomb
Price
$4USD (Bandcamp)
Location
Russia
Lilly Legit – Melovance
File Under
Math jazz, djazz, piano
Sounds A Tad Like
Tigran Hamasyan, Voronoi
Price
€4 (Bandcamp)
Location
Osnabrück, Germany
Kero – Mustelmia
File Under
Math rock, jazz fusion, prog, alt
Sounds A Tad Like
Yonen, Alex Skolnick Trio, Efterklang
Price
€1 (Bandcamp)
Location
Kajaani, Finland
Sit Calm – Percia
File Under
Math rock, emo, indie
Sounds A Tad Like
Polar Bear Club, Set Your Goals
Price
Name your price (Bandcamp)
Location
Winnipeg, Manitoba
monarch – The Memory of Trees
File Under
Math rock, alternative
Sounds A Tad Like
The Mercury Tree, Obstacles
Price
Name your price (Bandcamp)
Location
Toronto, Ontario
Archemist – Going Home
File Under
Math rock, post-punk, post-rock, sludge, two-piece
Sounds A Tad Like
Mental Architects, Dialects
Price
Name your price (Bandcamp)
Location
Binghamton, New York
Benjamin Blue – II
File Under
Pop, indie, emo, math rock
Sounds A Tad Like
Ganglions, Venkman
Price
Name your price (Bandcamp)
Location
Aberdeen, Scotland
Kaschalot – Whale Songs
File Under
Math rock, post-hardcore, prog, post-rock
Sounds A Tad Like
Riding The Diplodoc, MTCRSS, Weary Eyes
Price
€10 (Bandcamp)
Location
Tallinn, Estonia
READ MORE ABOUT ‘WHALE SONGS’ HERE
Blip – Facial
File Under
Math rock, instrumental, noise rock
Sounds A Tad Like
Yak Strangler, Weye
Price
$7USD (Bandcamp)
Location
Denver, Colorado
WILDCARDS
HOUDiNi – Roots
File Under
Mathtronica, experimental, low-fi
Sounds A Tad Like
Someone programmed atmospheric math/djent for a Playstation 1 JRPG
Price
Free (Bandcamp)
Location
Undisclosed location
In-Dreamview – In-Dreamview
File Under
Instrumental, post-rock, jazz, math rock, solo
Sounds A Tad Like
The Samuel Jackson Five, Jaga Jazzist
Price
Name your price digital / $7 CD (Bandcamp)
Location
New Jersey
Effet Barré – EP
File Under
Math rock, progressive, groove metal
Sounds A Tad Like
LITE, Partout Partout, PinioL
Price
€7 (Bandcamp)
Location
Paris, France
Requin – The Noisy Miners Swoop Him
File Under
Math rock, art-pop, indie
Sounds A Tad Like
Silian Rail, Delta Sleep, Palm
Price
$5AUD (Bandcamp)
Location
Brisbane, Australia
Dammit I’m Mad – Dammit I’m Mad
File Under
Math rock, art-pop, noise rock
Sounds A Tad Like
“if Lightning Bolt would play Deerhoof-covers”
Price
$20 CD / $25 vinyl (acetunes.biz)
Location
Stockholm, Sweden
READ MORE ABOUT DAMMIT I’M MAD HERE
Voyeur – La Nuit Juste Avant Les Forets
File Under
Math rock, post-rock, piano, pop
Sounds A Tad Like
toe, The Samuel Jackson Five
Price
$5USD (Bandcamp)
Location
Seoul, South Korea
Without Oars – Without Oars EP
File Under
Math rock, screamo
Sounds A Tad Like
Envy, Bear Makes Ninja
Price
Name your price (Bandcamp)
Location
New York
Moths Will Nest In Your Eyes – There that is what not is yes
File Under
Math rock, IDM, mathcore, prog, noise, post-rock, jazz, synth
Sounds A Tad Like
Alarmist, 65 Days of Static, The Physics House Band
Price
Name your price (Bandcamp)
Location
Sheffield, England
Tall Talker – The Gino EP
File Under
Instrumental, math rock, prog, jazz, punk
Sounds A Tad Like
Ativin, Pele
Price
Name your price (Bandcamp)
Location
Leeds, England
READ MORE ABOUT TALL TALKER HERE
Yufi⁶⁴ – Yufi⁶⁴
File Under
Math rock, post-rock, VGM, electronic
Sounds A Tad Like
Math Rocktendo 64
Price
Name your price digital / $5 cassette (Bandcamp)
Location
Seattle, Washington
Thiquid – For She
File Under
Mathcore, progressive metal, experiemtnal, glitch
Sounds A Tad Like
Body Hound, Loincloth
Price
$5CAD (Bandcamp)
Location
British Colombia
Violet Hours – Relert
File Under
Instrumental, alternative, indie, math rock
Sounds A Tad Like
Macho Muchacho, SLVDR
Price
Name your price digital / €3 CD (Bandcamp)
Location
San José, Costa Rica
F! – L’âge d’or du Bronze
File Under
Math rock, noise, stoner, electro, post-rock, two-piece
Sounds A Tad Like
Cleft, Too Piste
Price
Name your price digital / €3 CD (Bandcamp)
Location
Rennes, France
Touccan – Touccan
File Under
Math rock, punk, alt, two-piece
Sounds A Tad Like
Silian Rail, Totorro
Price
€1 (Bandcamp)
Location
Lyon, France
&therisk – Expectations
File Under
Metalcore, math rock, post-hardcore, metal, riffs, two-piece
Sounds A Tad Like
Botch, Curlupanddie, Cave In
Price
€8 digital / €10 USB box (Bandcamp)
Location
Cologne, Germany
acedia – G#
File Under
Instrumental, math rock, prog, jazz, space rock, tapping, solo
Sounds A Tad Like
CHON, Stage Kids
Price
Name your price (Bandcamp)
Location
Santiago, Chile
Carsyn Ainsworth – Milkweeds
File Under
Acoustic, math folk, female vocals, solo
Sounds A Tad Like
Natalie Evans, Kaki King
Price
Name your price (Bandcamp)
Location
Moran, Wyoming
Sweet Toothe – Sweet Toothe
File Under
Post-rock, post-hardcore, math rock, female vocals
Sounds A Tad Like
Stockades, Sketchshow
Price
$7CAD (Bandcamp)
Location
London, Ontario
Coyote the Trickster – Coyote the Trickster
File Under
Math rock, psychedelic, noise, prog
Sounds A Tad Like
Lingua Nada, No Age
Price
$5USD (Bandcamp)
Location
San Antonio, Texas
Too Piste – Too Piste
File Under
Math rock, dance punk, noise rock, two-piece
Sounds A Tad Like
Cleft, Death From Above 1979
Price
£6 digital or CD (Bandcamp)
Location
Hinckley, England
READ MORE ABOUT TOO PISTE HERE
NoiSays – NoiSays
File Under
Mathcore, djent, post-hardcore, chaotic, jazz, grind
Sounds A Tad Like
See You Next Tuesday, Psyopus
Price
$8 digital or CD (Bandcamp)
Location
Baltimore, Maryland
Taco de Golfe – Folge
File Under
Math rock, prog, punk, post-rock
Sounds A Tad Like
CHON, The Mars Volta, Don Caballero
Price
$4USD (Bandcamp)
Location
Aracaju, Brazil
Yellow After Rain – Condemnation
File Under
Math rock, emo, shoegaze
Sounds A Tad Like
Prawn, Braid
Price
$9.99 digital / $10 CD (Bandcamp)
Location
Lincoln, Nebraska
WILDCARDS
DRH – Thin Ice
File Under
Progressive, rock, metal, jazz
Sounds A Tad Like
Town Portal with sax?
Price
Name your price (Bandcamp)
Location
Lyon, France
Saint Lune – Cope
File Under
Melodic metal, math rock, post-hardcore, prog metal, female vocals
Sounds A Tad Like
Paramore, Plini
Price
Name your price (Bandcamp)
Location
Boston, Massachusetts
Sandman Project – Royal Family
File Under
Jazz fusion, world
Sounds A Tad Like
ukandanz, Pixvae
Price
£4 digital / £6 CD / £12 vinyl (Bandcamp)
Location
Tel Aviv, Israel
Impetus – Delirium
File Under
Alt rock, math rock, pop rock, prog rock
Sounds A Tad Like
Death and the Penguin, Black Peaks, Incubus
Price
Name your price (Bandcamp)
Location
Mannheim, Germany
zeta – Magia Infinita
File Under
Math rock, chaotic punk, post-hardcore, screamo, post-rock
Sounds A Tad Like
The Mars Volta, Austin TV, Poly-Math
Price
$7 digital / $25 vinyl (Bandcamp)
Location
Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela
Daughters – You Won’t Get What You Want
File Under
Dark, noise rock, post-hardcore, doom
Sounds A Tad Like
A dark hallway
Price
$10 digital / $14 CD / $25 vinyl (Bandcamp)
Location
Providence, Rhode Island
TTNG – Animals Acoustic
File Under
Math rock, emo
Sounds A Tad Like
TTNG, but acoustic
Price
£7.99 (Bandcamp)
Location
Oxford, England
READ MORE ABOUT ‘ANIMALS ACOUSTIC’ HERE
LITE – Blizzard
File Under
Math rock, post-rock, progressive, electronic
Sounds A Tad Like
toe, Low-pass
Price
$2 digital / $9 vinyl (Bandcamp)
Location
Tokyo, Japan
Flares – Allegorhythms
File Under
Post-rock, prog, shoegaze, math rock
Sounds A Tad Like
Gosta Berlings Saga, sleepmakeswaves
Price
€8 digital / €11 CD / €17 vinyl (Bandcamp)
Location
Saarbrücken, Germany
Shiiin – Future Past Life
File Under
Instrumental, post-rock, math rock, indie, lost album, 2011
Sounds A Tad Like
The Samuel Jackson Five, Shellac
Price
Name your price (Bandcamp)
Location
Chicago, Illinois
WILDCARDS
Deerhoof – Deerhoof Plays Music Of The Shining
File Under
Experimental rock, noise rock, avant-garde, film soundtrack
Sounds A Tad Like
Deerhoof playing music of The Shining
Price
$2 digital / $8.50 vinyl (Bandcamp)
Location
San Francisco, California
Thumpermonkey – Make Me Young, etc.
File Under
Progressive rock, art rock, math rock, pop
Sounds A Tad Like
Oceansize, Knifeworld, Cheer-Accident
Price
£6.99 digital / £7.99 CD / £19.99 vinyl (Bandcamp)
Location
London, England
PAK – Bestial
File Under
Noise rock, avant metal, prog, math rock
Sounds A Tad Like
Craw, Knut, Loincloth
Price
$5USD (Bandcamp)
Location
New York, New York
The Dodos – Certainty waves
File Under
Indie rock, pop, folk, alternative, two-piece
Sounds A Tad Like
Menomena, Wolf Parade
Price
$8 digital / $10 CD / $18-19 vinyl (Bandcamp)
Location
San Francisco, California