| Landless | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 2016 | |||
| Genre | Avant-garde metal, post-metal, black metal, doom metal | |||
| Label | Battleground Records | |||
| Producer | Billy Anderson | |||
| Eight Bells chronology | ||||
| ||||
Landless is the second album by Eight Bells, released on February 12, 2016, by Battleground Records. [1]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Hating" | 6:48 |
| 2. | "Landless" | 12:46 |
| 3. | "Hold My Breath" | 8:06 |
| 4. | "The Mortal's Suite" | 3:14 |
| 5. | "Touch Me" | 8:45 |
Pitchfork contributor Jason Heller said "Wraithlike vocals and numbed melodies hanging over pinprick prog fretwork... The pulse of ethereal '70s rock – from Pink Floyd to Hawkwind's more celestial moments... Dual vocal lines emanate from some unseen place, sometimes braided together in a conjoined plea for connection... Heartbreakingly beautiful." [2] Kim Kelly of Noisey music by Vice said "Landless is a tour-de-force... out-there progression, ethereal atmosphere, and unexpected harmonies." [3] Natalie Zina Walschots of Exclaim writes "Eight Bells have created a veritable monument to yearning... Breathless, imbalanced genius." [4] BrooklynVegan staffer Rob Sperry-Fromm says "There's a classical doom feel... wedded to a modern sense of progressiveness, with reverb-y harmonies and organ melding creating a vivid contrast with the driving, powerful drumming of new member Rae Amitay." [5] According to the Invisible Oranges staff, "[Melynda] Jackson's chiming and piercing guitar tone evokes The Edge's celebratory playing style. She and [Haley] Westeiner employ two-part harmonies, the sort often used in medieval choir music... Their jagged, sometimes Slint-like approach to songwriting, and their assonant sining make their songs obscure... I find myself obsessed with the surface of Eight Bells' music, curious what lies beneath." [6] MetalSucks Senior Editor Anso DF says "Another time and dimension... where Ulver and Ihsahn are Pink Floyd's precedents, where lyrics can trade mind-travels for centuries-ago suffering..." [7] Walker MacMurdo at the Willamette Week writes, "Soaring, clean vocals punching through an aura of swirling melancholy... Landless sounds like a strong contender – Portland or otherwise – for the best metal album of the usually slow first quarter of 2016." [8] According to loudwire.com, Landless is ”An exercise in sonic dreamscapes... Unpredictable from moment to moment, Landless is an exciting listen." [9] Allen Griffin at Burning Ambulance says ”Like any great trio, each instrument is equally important to the overall architecture of the sound... Eight Bells is much more than the sum of their parts. Eight Bells have crafted a unique sound, one that is thematically consistent, from lyrics to artwork and sonic palette as well." [10] According to Echoes and Dust writer Peter Meinertzhagen, "Landless drifts like an ethereal mist, enveloping you slowly... Eight Bells shrug off the meandering bluesy psychedelia of their debut in favor of a sound that is darker, more mature, and more atmospheric, sounding less like a jam and more like a crafted narrative." [11] Manny-O-War at Nine Circles says "It takes special talent and songwriting to grab the listener with what's not there; to entice the listener with merely the mood or emotion of your music. Eight Bells are experts here... The perfect combination of Brian Eno, Ulver and King Crimson." [12] Brian Krasman of Meat Mead Metal writes "From the progressive sections, to the enthralling arrangements, to the lush vocal harmonies that push the story, to the propulsive drumming, this group create weaving, winding tapestries that are melodic, dark, hypnotic... This is an adventure." [13]
Fear Factory is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1989. Throughout the band's career, they have released ten full-length albums and have evolved through a succession of sounds, all in their main style of industrial metal. Over the years, Fear Factory has seen frequent changes in its lineup, with lead vocalist Burton C. Bell being the only consistent member for 31 years until his departure in 2020. Other than guitarist Dino Cazares, there are no original members left in its current lineup. The band went on hold in March 2002 following some internal disputes, but resumed activity a year later without founding member Cazares. Previous bassist Christian Olde Wolbers replaced him as the new guitarist, and bassist Byron Stroud joined the band. In April 2009, a new lineup was announced. Cazares returned as guitarist, and Gene Hoglan as drummer. Bell and Stroud reprised their respective roles, and this lineup recorded the band's seventh studio album titled Mechanize (2010). Former members Wolbers and Raymond Herrera—both of whom were playing in Arkaea—disputed the legitimacy of the new lineup, and a legal battle from both parties had begun. Despite this, Fear Factory has since released three more albums: The Industrialist (2012), Genexus (2015) and Aggression Continuum (2021).
Ulver is a Norwegian experimental electronica band founded in 1993, by vocalist Kristoffer Rygg. Their early works, such as debut album Bergtatt, were categorised as folklore-influenced black metal, but the band has since evolved a fluid and increasingly eclectic musical style, blending genres such as experimental rock, electronica, ambient, trip hop, symphonic and chamber traditions, noise, progressive and experimental music into their oeuvre. 1997 marked their international debut with the release of their third album Nattens madrigal through German label Century Media. However, following discord with the label, Rygg formed his own imprint, Jester Records, in 1998.
Bullet for My Valentine, often abbreviated as BFMV, are a Welsh heavy metal band from Bridgend, formed in 1998. The band is currently composed of Matthew Tuck, Michael Paget, Jason Bowld (drums) and Jamie Mathias. Former members include Michael Thomas, Jason James and Nick Crandle; the latter were on bass. They were formed under the name Jeff Killed John and started their music career by covering songs by Metallica and Nirvana. Jeff Killed John recorded six songs which were not released; two of these tracks were reworked later in their career as Bullet for My Valentine. A change of style from that of Jeff Killed John led the band to change their name. In 2002, the band secured a five-album deal with Sony BMG. The band has stated that their music is influenced by classic metal acts such as Metallica, Iron Maiden and Slayer. The band is part of the Cardiff music scene.
Sounding the Seventh Trumpet is the debut studio album by American heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold, released on July 24, 2001, through Good Life Recordings. The album was later reissued on March 19, 2002, through Hopeless Records, featuring a slightly different cover art. Although the album only sold 300 copies in its first week of release, it has sold 370,000 copies worldwide, with 310,000 sold in the United States, as of November 2010.
Cauldron is a Canadian heavy metal band formed in 2006 in Toronto following the breakup of Goat Horn, with guitarist Brandon Wars leaving to form a new band, Zuku. Cauldron consists of Jason Decay on vocals and bass guitar, Ian Chains on guitar and Myles Deck on drums.
Cynic is an American progressive metal band formed in Miami, Florida in 1987 and later re-formed in Los Angeles, California in 2007, where the sole surviving member, Paul Masvidal remains to this day. Cynic incorporates elements of progressive rock, alternative, and metal.
Alcest is a French post-black metal band from Bagnols-sur-Cèze, founded and led by Neige. It began in 2000 as a black metal solo project by Neige, then became a trio, but members Aegnor and Argoth left the band following the 2001 release of their first demo, leaving Neige as the sole member. In 2009, drummer Winterhalter from Les Discrets joined Alcest, after eight years with Neige as its sole full-time member.
Eight Bells is an American experimental metal band based in Portland, Oregon, United States. It was formed by guitarist Melynda Jackson after SubArachnoid Space disbanded in 2011. She was joined by bassist Haley Westeiner and SubArachnoid Space drummer Christopher Van Huffel. They describe their music as expressionistic experimental metal. Their debut album, The Captain's Daughter, was released 19 February 2013 by Seventh Rule Recordings. The band toured in April 2013 to promote the album. Their follow-up, Landless, was released on February 12, 2016. They toured with Voivod and Vektor in the Northeastern United States in support of the album. In February 2018, Jackson announced a new lineup with Alyssa Maucere on bass, Brian Burke on drums, and Melynda Amann on synth and vocals. The band did a West Coast tour with Subrosa and made an appearance at Psycho Las Vegas. 2019 saw more lineup changes with Alyssa Maucere and Melynda Amann exiting and Matt Solis of Cormorant and URSA taking over on bass and vocals.
The Captain's Daughter is the debut album by Eight Bells that was released 19 February 2013 by Seventh Rule Recordings. The album was engineered by Billy Anderson The band toured in April 2013 to promote the album.
Dystopia is the fifteenth studio album by American thrash metal band Megadeth. It was released on frontman and guitarist Dave Mustaine's Tradecraft label via Universal on January 22, 2016. It is the first Megadeth album to feature guitarist Kiko Loureiro. The album was produced by Mustaine and Chris Rakestraw and features cover artwork by Brent Elliot White.
In Times is the thirteenth studio album by the Norwegian extreme metal band Enslaved. It was released on 10 March 2015 by Nuclear Blast. As the title suggests, the album's central theme is that of time, considered philosophically, historically, and mythologically. The album sold about 2,950 copies in its first week of release in the United States, making In Times their highest sales debut to date. The album charted in some territories in its first week of release, including Norway and Finland. It is also the band's last album with keyboardist/vocalist Herbrand Larsen, who departed the following year.
M is the debut studio album by black metal project Myrkur, by Danish musician and singer-songwriter Amalie Bruun. Produced by Kristoffer "Garm" Rygg of Ulver, it was released on 21 August 2015 through Relapse Records.
Melynda Jackson is an American guitarist recognized for her work in SubArachnoid Space (1996-2010) and her current project, Eight Bells (2010–present). She is known as an experimental musician using effects to create emotive and bleakly atmospheric soundscapes. She credits a range of influences including '70s prog and krautrock, ambient and minimalist composers, and progressive black and death metal.
Suicide Silence is the fifth studio album by American metal band Suicide Silence, released on February 24, 2017 by Nuclear Blast. The album is a notable departure from their deathcore signature musical style, pursuing a more 1990s influenced nu metal sound. Critical reviews were mixed, while fan response was generally negative. It is also the last to feature Alex Lopez on drums before his departure from the band in April 2022.
The Stage is the seventh studio album by American heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold. It was released on October 28, 2016, through Capitol Records, their first release through the label. It is the first Avenged Sevenfold album to feature drummer Brooks Wackerman, who joined the band in November 2015 but was not revealed as previous drummer Arin Ilejay's official replacement until Ilejay's departure in 2015, because the band wanted to find a drummer that would "fit in".
Eat the Elephant is the fourth studio album by American rock band A Perfect Circle. It is their first album release in fourteen years since 2004's Emotive. While early work on new material traces back to as early as 2008, years of slow progress would ensue due to conflict between the band's chief music writers, frontman Maynard James Keenan and guitarist Billy Howerdel, largely stemming from their commitments to other projects and inability to come to an agreement on the direction to take the band. Renewed focus, alongside assistance from music producer Dave Sardy, helped propel the band into much more productive sessions across 2017, with the album being completed in early 2018. Thematically, the album covers a variety of Keenan's views on modern societal, religious, and political issues, focusing on his perceived lack of accountability in humanity. Musically, the album was viewed as an extension and maturation of their rock sound, adding more piano and electronic elements into songs for a more mellow sound than prior albums.
Clairvoyant is the fourth studio album by American progressive metal band The Contortionist, released on September 15, 2017 through eOne Music and Good Fight Entertainment. It has been described as somewhat of a departure from their previous heavy sound, moving the band more toward a progressive rock style.
AmeriKKKant is the fourteenth studio album by industrial metal band Ministry, which was released on March 9, 2018. It is their first release on Nuclear Blast, and marked the longest gap between studio albums in the group's entire career; at five years, following From Beer to Eternity (2013). AmeriKKKant is also the first Ministry album without guitarist Mike Scaccia since The Last Sucker (2007); Scaccia died in 2012 but appeared posthumously on From Beer to Eternity.
Mirror Reaper is the third studio album by Seattle-based metal band Bell Witch. It was released as a double album on October 20, 2017, through Profound Lore Records and was met with critical acclaim. This is the group's first release since the death of its drummer, Adrian Guerra, and it acts as a tribute to him.
"Disillusioned" is a song by American rock band A Perfect Circle. It is the second song released from the band's fourth studio album, Eat the Elephant. The song was released on YouTube, on January 1, 2018 and then released digitally on the following day. A limited edition physical vinyl was released on March 9, 2018, along with a music video.
