2 by Bukowski - Drink From My Bastard Grail (2003)

This time around, 2 by Bukowski add vocals to their sprawling post-rock sound. Their debut had some great moments, but on this album, their second, they push their boundaries a bit. The heavy guitars are back, but this album relies a great deal upon the piano to create it’s ominous mood. They indulge in the guitars a bit much, perhaps, but this is a tense album that delivers a convincing atmosphere even when it seems to meander. Tracks like “I Am Continuum” and “Wild Manner” are wonderful sludge metal tunes. “The Last Aerie” and “Gate 3” find the band experimenting with other sounds, such as middle eastern sounding music and more airy, dreamy textures. It’s not a cohesive album, but it has some very good moments.

8.8 / 10

2 by Bukowski - What a Long, Strange Journey This Has Been (2001)

2 by Bukowski are a Greek post-rock group who err on the heavier side of what the genre has to offer. This album features three slow-building dirges and three more immediate, louder pieces. They begin the album, which was their debut, with a fifteen-minute affair, the first ten of which are little more than a beat over ambient noise, however the song’s trajectory is tangible and the journey is compelling. About ten minutes in, feedback-drenched guitars come crashing into the scene, making for a climactic, intense moment. They show a real talent for creating sounds that just erupt with explosive conclusions. This album is intense and spacey, and done as well as many of their contemporaries.

8.2 / 10

12twelve - Tears, Complaints and Spaces (2001)

12twelve’s debut is an unheralded should-be-classic post-rock album. It’s easy to get lost in the ominous gloom that shrouds this album, created by the low-end of the guitars and the raw underproduced percussion. It’s a sound that has been done by more well-known acts. Tortoise and Slint come readily to mind. Mogwai and Godspeed have leaned in this direction, but let’s not cast 12twelve aside just because they sound like other fantastic bands. They don’t sound derivative, and this album was released when Mogwai and Godpseed were still relatively young acts. The sound is convincing, the atmosphere can fill a room and the music rewards close listening. The track, “Zero, Nought, Nothing” reminds me of “Mogwai Fear Satan.” I don’t think I could offer a higher compliment than that.

9.1 / 10

Maserati - The Language of Cities (2002)

On The Language of Cities, Maserati throw their hat into the melodic, guitar-driven post-rock ring. This sounds a lot like what groups like Explosions in the Sky have been doing, creating dynamic guitar melodies that just shine and ring out in a beautiful way. The songs have a tangible linear progression to them but I never really felt like they wound up anywhere all that exciting. There are a lot of sounds that are very pleasant on the ears, but it’s a far cry from the best Explosions, Mogwai or Sigur Ros songs and, unlike them, The Language of Cities gets old.

7.2 / 10