Math Rock Albums Of The Month // March 2018

This month we thought that, rather force-feed you with prosaic platitudes for the plethora of math rock albums that came out this month, why not compile them all into a bite-sized summary? March has been a fantastic month for fresh tunes, with many exciting debuts and unexpected returns from hiatus; and we’d be absolutely buggered right-to-left trying to complete write-ups for every single album. So without further ado, here is a round up of our favourite releases for March 2018.

WRAP-UP: Intricate guitar-tapped melodies adorn this short but undoubtedly complex release. A strong follow-up from an exciting new band.

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WRAP-UP: Veteran trio Tangled Hair return from a major deluge to do what they do best. A slower and more emotional journey compared to its precursor Apples.

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WRAP-UP: Bold and crunchy riffs abound in the first full length from Odradek. Tracks like ‘Alergia’ and ‘Micterismo’ showcase the band’s jagged and abrasive take on math rock. ‘Nakamura’ seals the deal here, a powerful instrumental with nods to The Mars Volta.

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WRAP-UP: A nice emo-tinged instrumental album from Denmark. Short, to-the-point and rich in positivity. There’s not much to dislike here.

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WRAP-UP: Two Frenchmen forcing their instruments into an all-out musical bludgeon. It’s fast, it’s raw, it’s abrasive. Fans of Pneu will not be disappointed.

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WRAP-UP: The eagerly anticipated debut from Space Corolla has (quite rightly) been publicly lauded over the past few weeks. This Puerto Rican gem is equal parts punk rock, math rock and pop. And it is insanely tight.

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WRAP-UP: An exciting little discovery for us. This Seattle duo gives off vibes of late 90’s math and post rock greats like Pele and Ativin. Wonderful chemistry between the musicians.

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WRAP-UP: Another exciting two-piece, this time from up Canada way. What struck us most on Cat Mask was the diverse array of sound throughout the release, often a major challenge for two-pieces. You’ll hear strings, electronica, ambient soundscapes, shoegaze. Put it this way: you’ll get your money’s worth.

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WRAP-UP: Members of Fugazi turn to instrumental in this left-of-center debut. A wonderful unison of free-jazz and stripped-back classical rock motifs.

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WRAP-UP: Bangalore is the math rock capital of India at the moment, featuring Deadstar, Stuck In November and this exciting new quartet BREAKDOWNPANDA. Moronic Outburts is complex and unpredictable, packing progressive rock, jazz and math rock. As dense and zany as a good Thomas Pynchon novel.

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WRAP-UP: This wonderful EP brings back the highly imaginative post rock textures of band like Trans Am and Tortoise, with some AC/DC-style heavy rock thrown in for good measure. It’s a brief trip, but a scenic one.

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WRAP-UP: For those of us still yearning for the jazz-indie stylings of the sadly defunct Feed Me Jack, here is something that will fill the void. Cinema Jazz is true to its title; this is highly wired jazzy rock brought to cinematic proportions.

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WRAP-UP: Strait outta Liepzig comes this wacky mix of punk, math rock, surf rock and everything in-between. Snuff moves unpredictably from cool pop sensibilities to brash cacophony, we really are at the hands of madmen.

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WRAP-UP: This Leeds trio’s highly-charged follow up to World Owes You Nowt is louder, jam-packed with hooks and singalongs, and glowing with 90’s math-post-hardcore nostalgia. A noise that will travel far beyond the red brick homes below.

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WRAP-UP: Who would have thought that highly angular math rock would gel so well with J-pop and flute passages? Uchu Conbini started the legacy; and Daijiro Nakagawa and company are seeing it through to its maturation.

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WRAP-UP: Five fresh new tracks from math rock juggernaut Pete Davis aka Invalids showcasing what he does best: pop punk laden with signature hyper-angular guitar work. It’s a tight release, and it goes with saying you have to put it in your ears.

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WRAP-UP: It’s over. Let’s go home. This bunch of Aussie’s just won the dunk content. Reductio ad Absurdum is one of the pithiest EP releases of the year so far, featuring truly off-the-wall hyper-jazzy chord progressions and a truly eclectic mix of fusion, funk, metal, prog, math, you name it. Expect the unexpected.

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WRAP-UP: There’s a nice and healthy pot of bands in the middle of the math rock emo-revival Venn diagram. Dog Bless reaffirms Gulfer as one of the leaders, speaking from the heart and pushing their instruments further than ever before.

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WRAP-UP: The Planet You‘s follows the well-laid plan of I Too (Me Also), a suite of hook-rich indie tunes with mathy twists and turns throughout, satisfying both the fist-pounders and the jazz pundits in equal measure. As the band implies in their opening track: ‘Porque No Los Dos?‘.

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WRAP-UP: Don’t let the flippancy of the album title dissuade you, this is a will-executed, exquisitely crafted Zappa-esque-apade from Norwegian one-man-band Owane. Choice cuts of jazz and progressive rock and mixed with kitschy synths and uber-technical guitar wizardry up there with Plini and Sithu Aye. Fans of Hot Rats enquire within…

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