Stevie Floyd/Aerial Ruin/2013 Split Album Review

  This  is  a  review  of  a  self  released  split  between  Oregon's  Stevie  Floyd  and  Aerial  Ruin  which  was  released  in  2013  and  we  will  start  of  the  review  with  Aerial  Ruin  an  act  that has  been featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  dark  neo-folk  music.

  "Where  The  Shadow  Stands"  starts  of f  with  some  acoustic  guitars  and  clean  singing  bring  in  a  dark  folk  rock  sound  with t he  guitars  utilizing  both  finger  picking  and  full  chords  along  with  some  dark  and  depressive  lyrics.

  "November"  starts  off  with  some  powerful  full  chords  from the  guitars  before  the  soft  clean  singing  kicks  in  which  makes  the  acoustic  guitars  sound  even  more  powerful.

  "Less  Than  Deca"  starts  off  with  some  fast  finger  picking  and  melodic  vocals  which  also  utilize  some  back  up  parts  and  female  vocals  which  lead  yup  to  some  black  metal  style  whispers  before  before  returning  to  the  clean  singing.

  "Blood  For  Fall" starts  off  with  some  classical  music  style  finger  picking  and  then  the  psychedelic  folk  rock  vocals  kick  in  which  remain  that  way  towards  the  end  and  the  song  closes  with  a  full  chord.

  "Ascending"  starts  off  with  some  fast  finger  picking  on  the  guitars  before  the  dark  neo-folk  singing  kicks  in  along  with  some  more  higher  pitched  vocals  which  lead  to  some  full  chords  coming  out  into  the  music  along  with  some  female  vocals.

  "The  Only  Road"  starts  off  with  some  finger  picking  and  full  chords  from  the  guitars  and  then  the  60's  style  folk  rock  vocals  kick  in.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Aerial  Ruin  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  artist  you  should  check  out  their  side  of  the  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS INCLUDE  "November"  and  "Ascending".  RECOMMENDED.

  Next  up  is  Stevie  Floyd  a  solo  artist  that  plays  an  avant  garde  form  of  neo-folk  who  also  uses  Wrest  from  Leviathan  and  Aerial  Ruin  as  quests  on  her  songs.

  "You  Scatched  The  Sun"  starts  off  with  some  powerful  soundscapes,  exotic  sounding  acoustic  guitars,  folk  instruments  and  clean  singing  before  closing  with  psychedelic  sound  effects.

  "Failure"  starts  off  with  an  ambient  style  background,  finger  picking,  black  metal  screams,  clean  singing  male  and  female  vocals  before  the  guitars  start  throwing  in  some  full  chords  into  the  song  and  then  the  synths  get  more  powerful  and  the  vocals  darker  as w ell  as  some  drum  programming.

  "Wrest  In  Nature"  starts  off  with  some  ambient  synths,  female  chanting  and  grim  black  metal  vocal  sounds  for  a  couple  of  minutes  and  then  the  actual  singing  starts  kicking  in  with  some  Gregorian  chants  and  percussion  in  the  background  staying  that  way  for  while  until  the  song  closes  with  some  guitar  distortion.

  "Disappear"  starts  off  with  tribal  percussion,  ambient  soundscapes  and  clean  singing  male  and  female  vocals  which  have  an  exotic,  esoteric  new  age  feeling  to  them.

  "Ungod  Reapper"  starts  off  with  some  heavy  guitar  drones,  haunting  female  vocals  along  with  some  semi  influenced  black  metal  elements

  "This  Has  Gone"  starts  off with  a  distorted  ambient  drone  before  the  etherial  clean  singing  kicks  in with  the  song  being  very  short.

  In  my  opinion  Stevie  Floyd  is  a  very  great  sounding avant  garde  neo-folk  artist  with  the  best  music  on  this  split  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  her  side  of  the  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Wrest  In  Natur"  and  "Ungod  Reapper".  RECOMMENDED.

  In  conclusion  I  feel  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  split  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  dark  neo-folk  music,  you  should  add  this  album  to  your  collection.  RECOMMENDED  BUY.  

http://www.StevieFloyd.Bandcamp.com and http://www.AerialRuin.BandCamp.com.



    

Aerial Ruin Interview

1. Can you give us an update on what is going on with this project these days?

The Aerial Ruin full-length album "valleys of the earth" just came out on Vendlus Records. I am performing live regularly and writing and demoing new material. In March of this year I was thrilled to play a few east coast shows with Agalloch and Worm Ouroboros.



2. How would you describe the musical sound of the new album?


melodic, moody, psychedelic, ritualistic, dark, partially but not entirely acoustic.

3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the new release explores?


Mostly a spiritual perspective I gained when I had experiences that felt a lot like ego-death. I felt more in touch with the harsh spiritual energy of the universe. Aerial Ruin is both a lament for this and a humbled tribute to it.

4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?


It's a demonic reference I suppose, ruin from the winged air...

5. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and how would you describe your stage performance?


The four shows I played with Agalloch and were a thrill, both to play and to be part of such great musical events which also at different times featured Worm Ouroboros, Allerseelen, Vindensang and Daniel Menche. Aerial Ruin also opened for Earth and Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter at my favorite San Francisco venue Great American Music Hall. It is an amazingly beautiful venue with incredible sound and the show was one of the few non metal shows I've played as Aerial Ruin, a great night of music. The small shows can be fun too, playing in a Seattle basement with my friends Grey or at SF's Rite Spot with Amber Asylum or the weirdness of playing a sportsbar in Vancouver with my friends The Atomic Bomb Audition and Ninja.
These days my stage performance is just me singing and playing acoustic guitar but in the past I have at times had the pleasure of being accompanied by Eric Peterson from Lost Goat and other occasional contributors.

6. What are the touring plans for the future?


In the next two months I'm playing shows in San Francisco, Seattle, Portland and Eugene. I'm hoping to return to the east coast by the end of the year and would certainly love to tour extensively if the opportunity were to arise, however immediate plans are only for more mini-tours, I certainly hope to make it to Europe eventually though.

7. You have a history playing in extreme metal bands and now you are playing folk with the new project, how would you compare the 2 styles and which one do you enjoy playing the most?


They are so different I cant say I prefer one over the other. Some of the inspiration writing wise is the same but some is totally opposite. My old bands Epidemic and Old Grandad were much of the time very extrovert, in a live setting you feed of the loud energy and chaos of the audience where as with Aerial Ruin the best audience is a completely silent and contemplative one. I'm not done with playing extreme metal, at some point I may start a new metal band but will always continue Aerial Ruin as well.



8. On a worldwide level, how has your music been received by music fans?


Very well, although it is only very recently that Aerial Ruin has had any exposure on a worldwide level. I'm impressed that some people feel moved by such personal music. It's not for everyone but the people who like it seem to really seem to love it. It's not a casual listen.

9. What direction do you see the music heading into on future releases?


Some of the newer songs are stretching what I can do as a guitarist and vocalist, I sometimes write stuff that I have to learn how to play but other songs are quite simple. I feel no need to deliberately do something different, the music progresses and evolves naturally but the ritualistic inspiration always remains the same.

10. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to noways?


influences would be Syd Barrett, Mark Lanegan, 60's and 70's Pink Floyd.


lately I've been listening to Samothrace, Katatonia's "brave murder day", Lesbian, The Atomic Bomb Audition, Agalloch, Evoken, Walken(SF), Grayceon, Danava, Alcest, Opeth, Zoe Keating, Old Light, Boduf Songs, Elliott Smith, The Flaming Lips, the list goes on...

11. Outside of music what are some of your interests?


not much really, I'm a tunnel visioned human for sure. I am however interested in religion, spirituality and certain aspects of science, especially astronomy. I'm a complete escapist for the most part. The aspects of the physical universe that I find the most interesting is the stuff that defies human intuition and is as far away from the doldrums of day to day human survival as possible.
The massiveness of the universe, the mystery of its origin, the strangeness of the quantum world and its implications. Evolution also fascinates me, the fact we can trace our roots back around 7 million years and find our common ancestor with chimpanzees but if we go back 90 million years we can find our common ancestor with the rat.

12. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?


Thanks for the interview and interest, Cheers.

https://www.facebook.com/aerialruin/

Aerial Ruin/Valleys Of The Earth/Vendlus Records/2011 CD Review

  Aerial Ruin are a dark neo-folk band from Portland, Oregon and this is a review of their 2011 album "Valleys Of The Earth" which was released by Vendlus Records.

Acoustic guitars a neo-folk riffs that utilized a lot of full chords and finger picking to create a very dark sound and at times they get faster, while the electric guitars sound very dark and distorted, as for the vocals are all  clean singing vocals that have a 1960's folk rock feel to them.

Lyrics are very dark and depressing themes, while the production has a very dark and professional feel to it.

In my opinion Aerial Ruin are a very good neo-folk band, and if you are a fan of this style, you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Amends" "Lonely Of Need" "Sacraments" and "Psalm". RECOMMENDED  BUY.

http://www.aerialruin.com