RED FOREST

"If These Trees Could Talk" were sort of my introduction to the genre of post-rock though I've listened to various bands from this genre while not really understanding that it was a genre in itself.

There were 2 things that got me hooked on to If These Trees Could Talk: - the first was the name of the band: i could be an album or a song but was quite an unusual name for the band itself! - "When The Big Hand Buries The Twelve": with a haunting visual backdrop on Youtube (the best source for discovering new music, if you ask me!); from 5:00 to the end is one of the most interesting sequences i've heard...

The guys do a lot of things right in "Red Forest": - stay away from long, meandering "ambience" sequences. most post-rock bands tend to overplay this as an essential part of the genre but I just think its lazy... - a good balance of heavy and soft passages - a variety of sounds, all linked to a strong core theme

the last 26-27 minutes of this album, from "Red Forest" through "When The Big Hand Buries The Twelve" is simply amazing. the band doesn't let down even for a bit and produce some of the best playing and composing they've done so far.

in summary: a big improvement over their previous work, leaves me waiting for their next.

I'm completely surprised that I had never heard of this post-rock band. Why? Well, for starters, they hail from Akron, OH, which just so happens to be my hometown/current location. I'm unsure of why I've not heard of them, and it's even stranger when you consider just how good these guys are at what they do.

This is post-rock. The formula is basically the same: lots of ambiance, soaring atmospheres, a lack of real structure; but, rather, more of a constant progression or movement to the music. Overall, a type of music that focuses on textures and feelings, rather than on power and structure. There are few post-rock bands that really gain my interest more than If These Trees Could Talk. Their sophomore album, "Red Forest", showcases the one aspect of their music that is different than other post-rock bands: the technical prowess of which this band is capable.

I was floored, really. The incredibly delicate, yet technical drums; the soaring, blistering lead guitar; the dynamic bass; and the mood-inducing rhythms all come together to form an album that catches your interest and doesn't let go. "Barren Lands of the Modern Dinosaur", for example, blows us away with amazing texture, but also with difficult soloing that somehow works its way into the post-rock style without compromising it. Again and again, this album wowed me. These guys have confidence in a sub-genre that usually lacks it.

It's more than that, though. "Red Forest" is capable of messing with your emotions, elating and deflating you at its whim. Depression one minute, hope the next. This type of masterful control is something I look for in the texture-driven style of post-rock, and many bands simply lack the finesse and expertise of If These Trees Could Talk. This must be heard by all post-rock fans.

One of the most delightful surprises from the post-rock genre of the latest years. ITTCT first album is a piece that every post-rock fan would love from the slow and soaring intro til the late notes of "When the Big Hand Buries the Twelve".

After the first hypnotic two minutes, arrives to our ears the majestic and powerful "The First Fire", a piece full of heavy riffs but still nostalgic between drums that break through soaring sonic landscapes. Like other reviewers, I feel a lack of constant structures, but the mix of surprising moments of calm and explosions of epic guitar riffs and drums it's really captivating.

The formula built on three guitars and a solid base of drums and bass, repeats into the other songs of the album but always with different textures. "Barren Lands of the Modern Dinosaur" sounds like an awsome fusion of Red Sparowes and EITS best moments, but still with the original imprint of ITTCT. Same with "They Speak with Knives" a five minutes piece that removes your emotions with lots of interesting moments built on amazing walls of sound. Another 5 stars moment comes with "Red Forest", a very obscure post-rock jewel based on a repetive guitar riff surrounded by heavy but still floating atmospheres.

The "grand finale" comes with "When the Big Hand Buries the Twelve", an almost 10 minutes piece a little bit repetitive but with more great epic and inspired instrumental sections.

Beside the deployment of rich textures we find five very talented musicians who are capable to take your emotions and squeeze it almost every minute of this brilliant álbum. At least to me, it's a must have!