Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
HOW CAN YOU BE BOTH DARK AND SCARY BUT UPLIFTING?, 20 Jan 2009
Laymar are a band I discovered about 3 years ago. I had the blessing of finding and putting them on at one of my live nights. Considering our setup was rubbish and Laymar used one of our two PA speakers as their monitor, I was literally jawdropped to see how they managed to fill the venue with their epic and beautifully crushing sound through just one speaker.
Since, I have been to see Laymar numerous times, and have never been dissapointed, if anything there sets are two short, because as my ears and spine are tingling thoroughly appreciating every noise they make, they end, and Im left needing more.
I have always wondered what Laymar would sound like on CD and always wanted them to record their stuff so I can let all my friends hear it. On the first listen this CD didn't quite have the impact I wanted, but this was by no fault of the band or production, I just realised on the second listen it needed to be turned up full. On doing so, there album has been listened to by myself and friends none stop, it is a master piece, which whilst taking elements of post rock, it completely surpasses the genre and enters a whole territory of its own. I can hear synth elements of 'the cure - disintegration', industrial elements of the darker more instrumental side of 'nine inch nails', there is definately elements of the climatic builds in 'lift your skinny fists - godspeed you black emperor', but saying this, its still completely different to any of these.
I don't ever write reviews really, this long winded afair probably shows why, but I would seriously reccommend this album to anyone who has the patience to hear something unique and beautiful.
Although the main theme behind the music seems very dark, and like many other reviews say, the album could be used for the soundtrack to the end of the world, or a post human time, there is an underlining uplifting vibe to it, maybe its just the excitement of what Im hearing, but surely this would fade by my 20th listen, which is by far gone now.
Buy it, turn it up, show all your friends, and go see them live.
My favourite album since 'sigur ros - ageatis byrun'
peace
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0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
nothing cutting edge or new., 30 Jul 2008
as a debut this is ok, the majority of the tracks are fairly short pieces so whizz by and dont really make you sit up & listen, only the final track is of epic length but even then its still just typical imitation instrumental music ala godspeed you black emperor, explosions in the sky etc...
this album isnt a rewarding listen, its nothing you wont find anywhere else in your record collection, its not a bad record, it just isnt a good one either, its mediocre, there is no questioning the work that goes into making instrumental music but whats the point when its dull & been done before countless times.
i am sure that live they probably blowyour socks off but on record they simply dont.
do not buy this expecting something cutting edge & new, you will be disappointed, all this will do is make you listen to the records you already own that this band sound like.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Post Rock with an Identity, 17 Jul 2008
I probably got into post-rock like many others through Mogwai/Godspeed You! Black Emperor then Explosions in the Sky and a whole host of other bands. Which was fine, really enjoyed this type of music and my album collection just grew and grew. Trouble was most of it was sounding the same as so much of it followed the quiet/loud/quiet/loud pattern. So latterly I've stopped listening to big names in this genre and looked elsewhere for my post-rock fix such as Grails/Red Sparowes/Mono and others that are on the periphery.
I discovered Laymar about two years ago when I saw them supporting someone else and I was amazed at what they were playing. The band have grown in confidence over the last 18 months or so and I'm glad to see that they have picked up a bit of a following. If you don't know them I'd say they are an experimental instrumental band rather than a post-rock band.
The album is dark and atmoshperic but at the same time it's melodic. Whilst the tracks can be listened to as individual pieces these guitar/bass/drum/electronica instrumentals do fit together quite nicely as a whole and many reveiwers have made this very point.
I have played the album many, many times and I still hear and notice little bits that I haven't heard before. The tension and drama throughout is remarkeable and all this comes to a head with the final 19 minute long track, titled 'Swords', which is a monster piano driven heart thumping roller coaster of a ride that when it's over you either want to get back on and ride it again or you'll say - "No more, that's enough".
I can't bench mark the Laymar sound to any other bands although others do. There's not much radio friendly stuff in the album - except 'NU1' which I've heard on a few radio stations already and Stuart Maconie (BBC 6 Music)has been brave enough to play 'Juvenile Whole Life' but if you want three minutes pop songs then look elsewhere.
You can find plenty of 'official' reviews on the internet and those I've seen range fom 7 out of 10 to 9 out of 10. Please read them and then buy the album.
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