LP Review: 'Ultraluminal' by City of Ships

Playing on the post-hardcore tradition with added feeling, expansive sounds and harmonic explorations – City of Ships have always had their own coherent identity. Reaching out to the world with this, their third full length, the band’s unadorned sound is more of the same, arresting, melodic and when heavy it’s a shock to the ears in the best possible way.

Opting for fewer quirky guitar signatures than 2011’s ‘Minor World’ the band strip back on songs like ‘Alarm’ and ‘Metadata Blues’ – while still textured, the songs are slow building affairs that burn with intelligence. Eric Jernigan’s impassioned vocals rasp darkly on tracks like ‘Lost It’ And ‘The Old Man’ which are more reminiscent of the screaming found on 2009’s ‘Look What God Did To Us’ but there are notable exceptions here (‘Illawarra Escarpment’ and ‘Alarm’) where vocals surge and play out similarly to Dustin Kensrue’s in Vheissu era Thrice.

Tagging City of Ships with the arbitrary post-hardcore title is a discredit to the band in some ways who are both heartfelt and dramatic. Rather than be confined by genre parameters the band are akin to Cave In or Thrice with their sprawling-beautiful-ugly sounds and you don’t need to delve any further than 20 seconds into opener ‘The Light You Stole’ to hear the magic within.

Some of ‘Ultraluminal’ is punkier than their last two records ‘Private Party’ where Eric’s screaming has all the acrid taste of vomit – and the full-on aural assault and feedback-laden intensity of ‘Hardwired’ which treads the best of grunge. It’s the perfect blend of emotion and chaos and their strongest offering yet.



 Facebook | Bandcamp

Seth's Top 11 of '11

Hell. I just spent nearly six seconds scribbling a list of 2011's top albums and it somehow caught fire. I managed to salvage the wreckage and now struggle to read my own handwriting, but here's the juice: 2011 was one fuckin' fat year. My world of metal expanded far beyond the reaches of my most reliable belt. From thick, murky, crust-vomit sludge to soaring atmospheric soundscapes, this year stretched boundaries and broadened the spectrum. When I wasn't pretending to love my day job, I was casually admiring dozens of the finest heavy albums the year offered. I'll do my best to scale back the dick-suckin' diatribes, but these albums had me at "dude... you gotta hit this shit."

1. Rwake - "Rest"

"This sludge/doom opus is so broad in vision and scope, I can make no promise this discourse will suffice in validating the exhaustive (and exhausting) beauty of these six tracks. I almost feel like a violator of someone's very personal, metaphysical glaze; this haunting roll through layers of pensive fog is gonna leave a mark."




2. Ironweed - "Your World of Tomorrow"

"Ironweed have struck an incredible balance between their instruments, creating a sound that is confident, honest, and ultimately indisputable. The production of the album is slick, the track selection is dead-on. Ironweed have put together an album that's meaningful without being pretentious, heavy without being over-stuffed, and precise without being clean. What a cool vibe."




3. Vultures At Arms Reach - "+)))((()))((()))((()))-"

"+)))((()))((()))((()))- is 25 haunting and atmospheric minutes that soar, drift, and march to the beat of an otherworldly ocean of sound. Spend some time with this one and see where you're taken. You may find yourself losing track of time, needing less sleep, and fantasizing about a life that doesn't so closely resemble hell. The mood grows ominous and you begin to wonder just what impact this solid three-track EP is gonna have on your frame."



4. Black Cobra - "Invernal"

"This riff-oriented collection is far too immense and far too fast to serve as background music while you wash dishes. Give it your full attention. Let it wear you out like the drunk whore at your block party, and make sure you ask for seconds. Invernal will burn and blister, but it's gonna heal a lot better than the stupid tribal tattoo you just sat through."




5. The Dive - Self-titled

"From the album's ashy lead-off stroke to the final breath of the hidden track's primal, organic, and effortless amalgam, The Dive roll through smoky psychedelic jams that no debut album should rightly boast. Soaring, moon-shot riffs, grooving tempos, and a brilliant vocal high-five make this self-titled the perfect soundtrack to a snakebite hospital rush. Enjoy this; it may not happen again."


6. Wizard Smoke - "The Speed of Smoke"

"From beginning to end, The Speed of Smoke oozes otherworldly psychedelia, doom/stoner grooves, and prog-rock leanings. This is one of the better albums you’ll hear this year. The track placement is perfect, the sounds are jaw-dropping, and the heavy is incessant. Put The Speed of Smoke on your “must-hear” list of 2011 and sit back as you’re guided through a black cosmos."




7. Swamp Witch - "Gnosis"

"Ridiculously slow, heathenistic sludge from the bowels of some clandestine swamp located in Oakland, CA., Swamp Witch decimate your ears with eerie bellowing howls, slipshod grooves, mind-numbing feedback, and a daunting unholiness." - Reg






8. Ethereal Riffian - "Shaman's Visions"

"These thirty minutes have plenty to offer, and you won't be disappointed. Whether it's sludge, doom, stoner, et cetera, you'll find it here. What you'll also find is a trip to a dense, sweltering, untouched world of groove and mist. Bring a backpack, a canteen, and a useless map. Ethereal Riffian is taking you deep into some pretty cool places."



9. City of Ships - "Minor World"

"This album is evanescent. You'll think this is a two-way street, you'll buzz from the stomach-pit butterflies, and then you'll have the rug pulled out from under you. But, of course... you'll go back for more. On Minor World, this trio manages to deliver an effort of staggering thickness, congenial sadness, and wandering cosmic acceptance."




10. Shroud Eater - "ThunderNoise"

Shroud Eater is the reason I write for Heavy Planet. Reg featured them, Toby interviewed them, I bought their cd and t-shirt. ThunderNoise sounds like a spring morning, if spring mornings are cloudy, wet, and fraught with brilliant sludge/doom descent. Few bands play this hard.




11. Belzebong - "Sonic Scapes and Weedy Grooves"

"This twice-baked sack o' ditch is packed with serious sludge and gorgeously fuzzy feedback. Don't bogart it; Belzebong brought plenty of supplies on Sonic Scapes & Weedy Grooves. Your parole agent is gonna be pissed, but Belzebong can take you somewhere he'll never follow. Their Kansas Grass ain't no schwag, son. This swirling, thumping kush frolic is the perfect, uh... score to an after-school session with your pals. Clear your calendar.



I won't call this honorable mention, that sounds terrible. Let's call it "Ten More Albums That Blistered Your Ass":

Weedeater - "Jason The Dragon"
Carcinogenic Corpse - "Noise Farm"
Borracho - "Splitting Sky"
Ponamero Sundown - "Rodeo Electrica"
Giantrider - Self-Titled
Elvis Deluxe - "Favourite State of Mind"
Using Bridge - "And I Will Be Heard"
Archon - "The Ruins At Dusk"
BOAR - Self-titled
Mastodon - "The Hunter"

Album Review: City of Ships - "Minor World"

The principle I carry when determining whether or not a band qualifies as "heavy" is a pretty simple one; somehow, make me FEEL what I'm hearing. Anyone can learn a few chords and spit 80's rock, anyone can buy a "how-to" video on just about anything to do with getting your band heard. You don't have to be proficient musicians, necessarily. You don't have to hit "puree" on the distortion. You don't even need to be that loud. Just believe that what you're creating will slug someone in the gut, one way or another.

City of Ships strikes the heavy on too many levels to enumerate. This is a smart band, this is a heavy band, and this is a beautiful band. The fuzz on this record exceeds the minimum standard, while expanding components move far-beyond expectations. Good thing, too; if I'd abandoned this record too soon, I'd have missed out on ten spacey slices of hazy insomnia. On Minor World, this trio manages to deliver an effort of staggering thickness, congenial sadness, and wandering cosmic acceptance.

The guitars here will fool you. Clotilde begins with a gentle Silent Lucidity lilt, but thickness follows close. There's enough dirty mist to effectively balance the clean musicianship. Dryer lint knocks at the door through the song's first half before busting through with floating, spritzing, warbling gamma rays. Slowly, the track steps away and fades out of range.

Subrosa fully establishes the album's lingering sadness, paired with jagged guitars, furry hooks, and yelps that neither take over nor drown in the marriage of prog guitar and solid bass-bounce. Tantric Engineer is hazy complacency, though Rob Motes's jackhammer drums steal the show without apology. The guitars may sound like Incubus, if Incubus weren't pretty and self-absorbed. Andrew Jernigan's bass contains a doomy drop before the song hightails it to space.

City of Ships excel when they pull back. Darkness at Noon is the album's standout. Sad, pensive, and incredibly haunting, this is a song you'll play on your way to a November funeral. Elements blend, lift, drop, and eventually stagger drunk. The sounds are coddled just long enough to relax the listener before letting him go. Where Deftones never quite relent, City of Ships knows just where to keep things at a low hum. Oh, and speaking of Hum, I can only imagine Matt Talbot is somewhere leading a classroom where this album is the curriculum's cornerstone.

Eric Jernigan's crippling howl is the bridge between the creator and the listener. You'll feel what he's feeling, canvassed by intertwining instruments that never stumble over one another (evidenced on Low Countries). The vocals layer themselves, minimizing the isolation the lyrics are delivering. Celestial Navigation is punky, emotional tickling until rhythms shift and an alien delivers your crunchy takeout. Eric's guitars are sharp as cliff rocks, but his voice cuts deeper than obsidian.

Easy Way/Hard Way showcases a sludge grind on bass, while the band's expansive vocabulary is buried in beautiful lyrics like "Why is it that the addicts are the only ones who got it figured out?" Chainman is heavy and can't seem to decide if it wants to embrace the listener or turn and walk away. The bass keeps slummin' while the guitar is climbing peaks. Again, this band knows how to contrast elements and still keep things steady.

The album ends as it began, with Low Lives bringing hope's bare minimum before quickly pulling back and leaving your hand empty. The clickety-clack drums, moon-trip guitars, and distant screeches break into sludge thumps and fadeout fuzz before everything reaches an abrupt conclusion.

City of Ships will leave you with countless questions. You're gonna fall asleep thinking about this sound and about this band. The real kicker, though, is the uncertainty of whether or not they'll ever love you as much as you love them. This album is evanescent. You'll think this is a two-way street, you'll buzz from the stomach-pit butterflies, and then you'll have the rug pulled out from under you. But, of course... you'll go back for more.

Stream the entire album's brilliance here.



Band Site | Facebook | Myspace | Last.fm

Translation Loss Records Signs City of Ships

Translation Loss Records are extremely excited to announce the addition of Richmond, VA’s CITY OF SHIPS to their roster!

CITY OF SHIPS has been touring relentlessly since its inception in 2005, promoting self-released EPs as well as CD and vinyl releases from independent Richmond, VA labels Forcefield Records and the Perpetual Motion Machine. The trio will embark on an extensive European tour this summer, first with label mates ROSETTA and later joining The End Records’ BRAVEYOUNG (previously named GIANT, from NC). In addition, the band is currently booking a run of East Coast US dates with LIQUID LIMBS happening late May through mid-June.


Look What God Did to Us is CITY OF SHIPS’ first release with Translation Loss. The album will be co-released with indie label Sound Study Recordings from Gainesville, FL. Translation Loss will take charge of the CD release (expecting a mid-late summer release) while Sound Study will handle the vinyl and digital versions for this remarkable ten song full-length debut. Both record labels are intensely passionate about the band’s music and look forward to helping present CITY OF SHIPS to the world. For more information on Sound Study Recordings, please visit soundstudyrecordings.com.


Drew Juergens from Translation Loss on the signing and co-release:


“I could not be more excited about working with CITY OF SHIPS. Ever since I heard their tour EP and saw them live, I knew they were destined to create greatness. The new record is absolutely amazing and will take the world by surprise with its intrinsic groove and the jaw-dropping musicianship it presents.”


CITY OF SHIPS’ Translation Loss debut, entitled Look What God Did to Us, was tracked and mixed over two sessions in February and March of this year with producer Andrew Schneider at Translator Audio (PELICAN, MADE OUT OF BABIES, UNSANE) in Brooklyn, NY and will be mastered by Nick Zampiello at New Alliance East in Boston.


What folks are saying about CITY OF SHIPS:


“Pounding bass lines and quirky rhythms and structures that almost have a math metal sort of vibe, but there`s also a constant flow of all kinds of incredibly tactful "post-" influences, from lush clean passages and swirling, spacey effects to noisier layers of intense guitar work. I`m really fuckin` impressed by this material. Excellent.”
– Aversionline.com


“The group`s frenetic energy and obvious emotional stake in the music which they play is simultaneously impressive and inspiring.”
– Scenepointblank.com


“Amidst the ocean of droney post-rock, post-hardcore clones, there are only a couple bands that catch my attention. CITY OF SHIPS had me hooked from beginning to end.”
- Razorcake


“This takes me back to a time of discovering exciting new sounds in the underground scene that really blew minds, from KEROSENE 454 to ETHEL MESERVE — bands unhindered by genre and expressing endless enthusiasm for just playing great music. CITY OF SHIPS are hard to describe and easy to enjoy, both great things.”
- Exclaim Magazine


For more information on CITY OF SHIPS, visit www.myspace.com/cityofships.



UPCOMING SHOWS
05/27/09: St.Augustine, Florida - St. Augustine, with LIQUID LIMBS
05/28/09: Orlando, Florida - Backbooth, with LIQUID LIMBS
05/29/09: Tampa, Florida - New World Brewery, with LIQUID LIMBS, GUILTMAKER
05/30/09: Gainesville, Florida - The Atlantic, with LIQUID LIMBS, SO PASTEL
05/31/09: Pensacola, Florida - Pensacola, with LIQUID LIMBS
06/01/09: Birmingham, Alabama - Birmingham, with LIQUID LIMBS
06/02/09: Chattanooga, Tennessee - JJ’s Bohemia, with LIQUID LIMBS
06/03/09: Louisville, Kentucky - Louisville, with LIQUID LIMBS
06/04/09: Cincinnati, Ohio - Cincinnati, with LIQUID LIMBS
06/05/09: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - Pleasure Island, with LIQUID LIMBS
06/06/09: Frederick, Maryland - @ Guido’s Speakeasy, with LIQUID LIMBS
06/07/09: Richmond, Virginia - Nara Sushi, with LIQUID LIMBS
06/08/09: Washington, DC - TBA, with LIQUID LIMBS
06/09/09: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - Philadelphia, with LIQUID LIMBS
06/10/09: Lancaster, Pennsylvania - The Stomping Grounds, with LIQUID LIMBS
06/11/09: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - TBA, with LIQUID LIMBS
06/12/09: Brooklyn, New York - TBA, with LIQUID LIMBS, IREPRESS, JUNIUS
06/13/09: Boston, Massachusetts - TBA, with LIQUID LIMBS
06/14/09: Providence, Rhode Island - TBA, with LIQUID LIMBS


EUROPEAN TOUR, with ROSETTA AND BRAVEYOUNG
06/17/09: Wroclaw, PL - Firlej Club, with ROSETTA and BLINDEAD
06/18/09: Prague, CZ - 2 Klub 007 Strahov, with ROSETTA and BLINDEAD
06/19/09: Athens, GR - An Club, with ROSETTA and BLINDEAD
06/20/09: Brno, CZ - Yacht Club, with ROSETTA and BLINDEAD
06/21/09: Budapest, HU - Dürer Kert, with ROSETTA and BLINDEAD
06/22/09: Vienna, AT - Arena Dreiraum, with ROSETTA and BLINDEAD
06/26/09: Paris, FR - TBA, with ROSETTA and BLINDEAD
06/28/09: Tilburg, NL - 013, with ROSETTA and BLINDEAD
06/29/09: Berlin, DE - Mikz, with ROSETTA and BLINDEAD
06/30/09: Potsdam, DE - Black Fleck, with BRAVEYOUNG
07/01/09: Dresden, DE - Az Conni, with BRAVEYOUNG
07/02/09: Leipzig, DE - Zoro, with BRAVEYOUNG
07/03/09: Frankfurt, DE - Elfer Club, with BRAVEYOUNG
07/04/09: Antwerpen, BE - De Rots, with BRAVEYOUNG
07/05/09: Lille, FR - Le Select, with BRAVEYOUNG
07/06/09: Southern UK - TBA, with BRAVEYOUNG
07/07/09: StokeonTrent, UK - Harry’s Bar, with BRAVEYOUNG
07/08/09: Leicester, UK - Criterion, with BRAVEYOUNG
07/09/09: Glasgow, UK - Cassette, with BRAVEYOUNG
07/10/09: Leeds, UK - Joseph’s Well, with BRAVEYOUNG
07/11/09: Lincoln, UK - Groomfest, with BRAVEYOUNG
07/12/09: Le Havre, FR - Kingstown Cafè, with BRAVEYOUNG
07/13/09: Montaigu, FR - Le Noctambule Bar, with BRAVEYOUNG
07/15/09: Toulouse, FR - Le Pavillon Sauvage, with BRAVEYOUNG
07/16/09: TBA - Spain, with BRAVEYOUNG
07/17/09: Porto, PT - Fabrica Do Som, with BRAVEYOUNG
07/18/09: Madrid, ES - Siroco, with BRAVEYOUNG
07/19/09: Badalona, ES - Estraperlo Club, with BRAVEYOUNG
07/20/09: St.FeliuDeCodines, ES - Centre Civic La Fonteta, with BRAVEYOUNG
07/21/09: Lyon, FR - Lyon’s Hall, with BRAVEYOUNG
07/22/09: Vicenza, IT - Centro Tecchio, with BRAVEYOUNG
07/23/09: Arezzo, IT - Habitat Skatepark, with BRAVEYOUNG
07/24/09: Meunchen, DE - Sunny Red, with BRAVEYOUNG
07/25/09: Solingen, DE - Waldmeister Club, with BRAVEYOUNG
07/26/09: TBA - Austria, with BRAVEYOUNG
07/27/09: TBA - Germany, with BRAVEYOUNG
07/28/09: Hof, DE - Gruene Haidt, with BRAVEYOUNG
07/29/09: Wuerzburg, DE - Immerhin, with BRAVEYOUNG
07/30/09: Amsterdam, NL - Winston, with BRAVEYOUNG
07/31/09: Utrecht, NL - ACU, with BRAVEYOUNG
08/01/09: LaLouvière(Hainaut), BE - La Taverne du Théâtre, with BRAVEYOUNG
08/02/09: Blankenberge, BE - Offshore Fest, with BRAVEYOUNG