It?s hard these days for a band to maintain any kind of mystique. MySpace, Facebook, Twitter and the preponderance of immediately accessible online zines has whittled down the rock star persona to lines in a label-scribed biography, for better or worse, and now when an act comes out and tries to withhold information about themselves, it seems more like they?re keeping secrets just to be obnoxious than like they?re full of any kind of mystery. Where are City of Ships from? I don?t know. They won?t tell anything more than ?United States.?

Something else they pride themselves on is being difficult to classify. The trio — Eric Jernigan, Andrew Jernigan and Rob Smith ? play out this cross-genre notion of indefinability on their full-length Translation Loss debut, Look What God Did to Us. And it?s true, they incorporate sounds from across a range of genres into a self-aware brew of sound, but it?s not nearly as difficult to nail down as their point of origin. Emo, post-hardcore and post-metal are the main ingredients, and from their melding, City of Ships winds up with an aggressive and esoteric crunch that more than anything else seems entirely conscious of what it?s doing. That is, everything here feels on purpose, thought out.

For a band?s debut, this is an impressive feat, but the downside is that with such rampant calculation, the spirit of spontaneity is practically nil. Longest cut (5:01) and centerpiece track ?March of the Slaves? is the album?s high point, but there are varying degrees of execution throughout, that just happens to be where the approach works best. Even so, the plotted feeling that pervades might be the result of overworking; I find myself wondering if City of Ships might be better off doing less at any given moment. Even the atmospheric parts have a sheen to them.

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It’s a pretty god damn complicated process to figure out who’s who when it comes to East of the Wall and Biclops, since the two bands have been basically sharing lineups, but now they’ve cleared it up and officially made it all under the banner of the former. Biclops‘ Resentiment, due out next summer, will now be an East of the Wall album, and everything else they do from here on out will be as well. Confusion be gone!

The PR wire has names and places:

East of the Wall is excited to announce its new lineup. Joining the band are guitarist Chris Alfano and drummer Seth Rheam. Both played in the band Biclops with East of the Wall bassist Brett Bamberger and guitarist Kevin Conway. Due to the merging of the two bands? lineups, all music created by the aforementioned collective, along with guitarist Matt Lupo, will be released under the name East of the Wall. This will include the release of the group?s next record, Ressentiment, due out next summer through Translation Loss Records.

With this lineup change, East of the Wall has parted ways with original drummer Mike Somers. The band would like to thank Mike for his outstanding musicianship and hard work since the inception of the band. Stay tuned for more info about the lineup change and other upcoming projects, and read more about the band merger here.

East of the Wall will also play a record release show in support of their three-way split with Year of no Light and Rosetta, to be released shortly on Translation Loss Records:

12/19/2009 Brighton Bar – Long Branch, NJ w/ A Fucking Elephant, Fake Gimms

Their team may be down in the World Series as of Nov. 3 (Cliff Lee can?t pitch ?em all), but Philadelphia?s finest purveyors of thickened thrash, Javelina, are just hitting their stride. On their second offering for Translation Loss, Beasts among Sheep, they rip, tear, growl, feedback and scream their way through eight tracks (nine if you count the bonus) of righteous workingman?s fury, with just enough doom awareness to keep away from being a basement version of Slayer or whichever modern Slayer clone you?d want to compare them to.

They?re like Thrash Sabbath.

Even on opener ?You?re Gonna Hate This? — probably named for the 30 seconds of abrasive feedback that starts the album — Javelina show a heightened awareness of melody as the guitars of Chubbrock and Mike B. come together to harmonize a riff at top speed. Both guitarists and bassist Herb handle vocals, leaving only drummer Erik mic-less, so there is no shortage of changes or variety in the approach, though all three singers handle screams. The tactic is most effective on tracks like middle cut ?Arcadia,? where the voices combine or run in and out of each other, making the most of the differences between everyone?s individual contributions.

If you heard Javelina?s self-titled debut, which came out last year, then you should have a basic idea of what to expect, but where the four-piece excels is in an even-tighter presentation of the material. Beasts among Sheep was recorded at Chicago?s Volume Studios by (none other than) Sanford Parker, so the clarity of the production should go without saying, but Javelina keep a ferociously aggressive live feel to victorious riffs like that around which ?A Little Paranoia Goes a Long Way? is based, and the groove resulting is all the more headbang-worthy for it.

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A hearty way-to-go to New Jersey tech-experimentalists East of the Wall (featuring members of the defunct The Postman Syndrome), who according to the trusty ol’ PR wire, have just signed to super-hip indie Translation Loss Records. This is a good fit if ever there was one, since the label specialized in quality post- and artistic metal, and so does the band. East of the Wall‘s Farmer’s Almanac was a pretty kickass outing, so it’s cool to see good things happening to those who rock. Here’s the news:

Born from the dissolution of The Postman Syndrome and Day Without Dawn, East of the Wall has been hard at work crafting their complex and varied sound, drawing inspiration from a wide range of emotions and ideas. East of the Wall?s sound straddles the line between an engulfing ambience and crushing force that dissolves into beautiful melodies seamlessly. Translation Loss Records will be releasing a three way split release from East of the Wall, Rosetta and Year of No Light late 2009.? The material is the ultimate precursor to what will be their stunning Translation Loss debut. East of the Wall have released records on indie label Forgotten Empire Records.

Said Brett Bamberger from East of the Wall on the signing: “We are so fortunate to be on a roster full of artists who we respect and appreciate so much, not to mention having this excellent opportunity to do business with such a hard working operation of great people. On the road ahead we will be focusing extensively on writing, recording, touring, touring, touring. We have about half of our next full length written, which thus far in content is a bit more technically involved than our last LP.? We want to extend our thanks to all the people who have helped us along the way, most especially Brandon Helms, Dave Grossman, and Dave Witte. Looking so forward to our time ahead with TL. Cheers – East of the Wall“

Drew Juergens from Translation Loss on the signing and co-release: “We are very excited to have East of the Wall on the label and help them release their next opus. They are an amazing force to behold live and if their material on the three way split we are releasing at the end of this year is any indication of the level of musicianship we will all bear witness to for their next full length, I can only imagine what kind of greatness is on the horizon for the band.”

A friendly note from the PR wire reminds that Philly mongrels Javelina release their full-length, Beasts among Sheep today, Sept. 29, on Translation Loss. Haven’t heard it yet, but if it’s anything like their self-titled was, should be a winner. Behold the press release and tour dates:

Javelina posted the new tracks ?You?re Going to Hate This? and ?Black Blizzard? from their Translation Loss Records debut release titled Beasts among Sheep due out? September 29th, 2009, here.

Javelina?s new record Beasts among Sheep was recorded at Volume Studios in Chicago, IL, by Sanford Parker Parker (Minsk, Pelican, Nachtmystium), mastered by Collin Jordan at The Boiler Room, and features artwork by Philadelphia?s very own Old City Tattoo stalwart artist Jason Goldberg.

Beasts among Sheep is now available for with exclusive CD/T-shirt package deals only available on the Translation Loss Records webstore!

10/03/2009 Oade?s Hidden Camel – Lansing, MI w/ The Plague Years
10/04/2009 The Melody Inn – Indianapolis, IN
10/05/2009 Ronny’s – Chicago, IL w/ Lord Mantis
10/06/2009 Red Raven– Fargo, ND w/ Nux Vomica
10/07/2009 The Bar – Missoula, MT w/ Nux Vomica
10/08/2009 The Morgue – Georgetown, WA w/ Nux Vomica
10/09/2009 The Rendezvous – Seattle, WA w/ Nux Vomica, Slave Traitor
10/10/2009 Plan B – Portland, OR w/ Nux Vomica
10/11/2009 *TBA
10/12/2009 Elbo Room – San Francisco, CA
10/13/2009 Alterknit Lounge @ The Knitting Factory – Los Angeles, CA
10/14/2009 Jug Heads – Phoenix, AZ w/ The Accused
10/16/2009 The Phoenix Project – Dallas, TX w/ Vorvadoss, Kill the Client, Maleveller
10/17/2009 Red 7 – Austin, TX w/ Pasadena Napalm Divison (members of DRI, Deadhorse)
10/18/2009 The Rats Nest – Houston, TX w/ Pretty Little Flower, Skruge, Termination Force
10/19/2009 Checkpoint Charlie’s – New Orleans, LA w/ Holy Dirt, Raum
10/20/2009 Transitions Arts Gallery @ Tampa Skate Park – Tampa, FL w/ Six Dead Horses
10/21/2009 Will?s Pub – Orlando, FL w/ Six Dead Horses
10/22/2009 Drunken Unicorn – Atlanta, GA w/ Music Hates You, Sons of Tonatiuth, Fluff
10/23/2009 Slim?s – Raleigh, NC w/ Man Will Destroy Himself
10/24/2009 Barclay House – Baltimore, MD w/ Man Will Destroy Himself
11/11/2009 941 Theater – Philadelphia, PA w/ The Atlas Moth, Wetnurse, Woe

After the considerable buzz that surrounded them following the 2007 release of their debut, self-titled EP through Translation Loss, Boston?s Bloodhorse make a firm statement with Horizoner, clearly demonstrating there?s more to stoner metal in 2009 than Sleep worship or post-metal posturing. With nine tracks in just under 50 minutes, the trio update Kyuss riffs with beard metal sensibilities, pounding drums, and semi-melodic vocal shouts. It?s new school, for sure, but Bloodhorse?s up-from-the-basement aesthetic serves them well when it comes to unleashing their sometimes speedy charge.

Horizoner is a bold release from the outset, beginning with the album?s longest track, ?A Good Son,? the first six minutes of which is pure intro. With a full song tacked onto the slow build start (if you can?t abide a band taking a while to get where they?re going, you?re in the wrong genre), ?A Good Son? stretches near 10 minutes, two and a half longer than the next closest, but it also sets the tone for the record perfectly. Bloodhorse have a strong, aggressive take on ?90s stoner rock that shows itself in huge Torche-style guitars and vocals which, on the short ?Aphoristic,? come on with punk rock velocity. Drummer Alex Garcia-Rivera, who also engineered and mixed this recording, shows himself to be versatile enough in whatever gear the song takes, his crash and tom work being principle to the success of ?A Passing Thought to the Contrary? and other cuts throughout.

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The PR wire has an update from Philly doomthrash bastards Javelina. If you missed their self-titled on Translation Loss last year, now might be a good time to get caught up. These guys pretty much destroy.

Philadelphian behemoth Javelina shall unleash their sophomore album September 29th via Translation Loss Records. The aptly titled Beasts Among Sheep boasts eight tracks of the band’s ultra-brutal brew of sludge-inspired, streetfight gutter metal, as was witnessed on their 2008 debut self-titled release.

These rabid hymns were captured in March of this year at Volume Studios in Chicago by Sanford Parker, and mastered at the Boiler Room in Chicago by Collin Jordan. The cover art, as with the previous album, was handled by Jason Goldberg (Olde City Tattoo, The Bad Luck 13 Riot Extravaganza, etc.).

The track listing goes like this:
1. You’re Going to Hate This
2. A Little Paranoia
3. Towers of Silence
4. Stepchild
5. Arcadia
6. Black Blizzard
7. The Nuclear Option
8. Beware the Wrath of the Patient Man

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Damn thing just came out on Tuesday and the Boston/Brooklyn trio are already giving it away for free. I’m talking about Bloodhorse‘s first Translation Loss full-length, Horizoner, which follows up their impressive 2007 self-titled EP. The album is available in CD and 2LP form, with a fancy etching on the second vinyl disc for any hard core collectors out there. I’m listening to it for the first time now and so far so good. If you dig Torche, it might be a good way to spend some time.

Stream Horizoner here.