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Now this is different. Sure, the Pelican,
Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Mogwai comparisons can be wheeled out sometimes, and 'Terra Ortus' isn't without it's moments of post-rock and mathy familiarity (Like the numerical 'Ares' and the long, psyched title track), but Only Until… are a primarily instrumental band that do offer up something new.
The production for a start. OU are far more lo-fi than the likes of
Explosions In The Sky and
Yndi Halda; there's less cinematic polish, but it's not that they lack affecting moments in places. Neither are they as apocalyptic or introspective as your typical instrumental band (Only three songs are over five minutes), there's even moments that reveal a simple rock & roll heart to this trio of experimentalists. 'Wars Oceans' might have a breakdown that sounds like the TARDIS taking off on a cold morning, but it's pinned down by a Foos-esque riff; the jazz and classical influences will wait for future records.
Words are used sparingly, and often cryptically and fantastically, on just five songs here, like the expansive hardcore of 'Giants Gate'. The hoarse vocals even sound lo-fi, but lyrics are not OU's forte - music is. Like the 2m52s dirge of 'Nabataean City', possibly drone's first pop song. Or 'Wraiths', which distorts the math-rock norm by bringing in elements of At The Drive-In,
Dinosaur Jr, and lets the sounds overlap and echo rather than applying a clinical finish.
Things lose their way on from 'Terra Ortus' through to 'Construction Catalyst', but are shaken up by the stoned, noodle-screwing 'Earth Throne' and 'Citadel' and 'In Desert Sands'. The latter two being Eastern adventures via Southern Lord and
Pink Floyd. They're by no means the finished article, but this will more than do until then.
Wow another amazing review this time by organ art
www.organart.demon.co.uk
ONLY UNTIL – Terra Ortus (Hollow Soul) – I guess if you must have us call this something, then we'd call it progressive post-rock/post-hardcore – mere signposts though, just pointing you (helpfully I hope) in a vague direction. Only Until are from London, the three of them deal in ambitiously epic scapes and expansive instrumental passages of a Pelican/Mogwai/Godspeed nature, maybe a little Sun Ra or Neurosis in there as well, lots of good things in there actually, and never in an obvious way either – Only Until are a rather original, refined and indeed impressive band. When the vocals do appear, then they're of a strained throat mature, a rasping scream of words – nothing that infringes too much though, very much a case of less is more in terms of vocals. The sound is warm and raw, a rich edgy expansive sound - and rightly so, there's a textured freedom here, no following the safe options, the almost lo-fi feel adds rather than subtracts (John Hannon has produced this well). An impressive album, a band with a sound of their own and an album well worth your time. www.onlyuntil.com or www.myspace.com/onlyuntilAwesome review by mike of flatlands for Niehertz Webzine
www.ninehertz.com
Only Until... - Terra Ortus
Only Until are a screamo band of sorts from London, and without sounding pretentious or boring, blend a Funeral Diner-esque quality with that of Pelican and Mogwai and end up sounding more essential than any of those influences. With a penchant for eastern-tinged scales all the way through this debut album they come across with an urgent, yet wallowing and epic sound that makes them stand out.
With quiet, truncated passages punctuated staccato-like with screamed vocals twinned with repetitive and crushing sections of wild-unharnessed riff no two songs are the same and it's a real delight that unfolds as each track reveals its centre. Third track 'Arcs' in particular contains some skilled technical guitar parts that brings to mind Scottish technical screamo chaps Kaddish in the fact that most of the complicated parts are delivered clean and fresh, rather than lost under the crunch of distortion, which is a rare treat with bands of this nature.
The album itself is well over an hour long and maintains interest, and for a collection of songs centred around a theme (it seems) of building new cities and warning of man's selfishness towards the earth itself, is no mean feat. Only Until have recorded what some would describe as a towering work, and for a relatively new band this is fantastic, definitely investigate if you want something that engages the listener and keeps on giving, something lacking in music released in recent times, an incredible release.