WINTER HYMN COUNTRY HYMN SECRET HYMN

I always have a hard time writing the first review ("Well Sonny , it is a dirty job , but someone has to do it!!!") , but especially so for such a hard sub-genre as post-rock. Even the groups do not talk much about their work , preferring to let the music speak for itself.

All the groups on the Constellation label seem to have taken example on GYBE!'s formula , them having been influenced in turn by San Fran band Tarantel. So it is relatively commonly heard that you have got one album , then you have them all! I must say I find myself always a bit embarassed to find a valid answer to that remark, not being able to find a succesful example of different-sounding post-rock album. When it is the case , I do not appreciate it at all (see the latest four Tortoise albums) . With this fourth album , DMST probably were confronted with this same comment , and they tried to do different things and evolving , but the results are a mixed bag.

After a relatively conventional few tracks (for them) , the second part of the album has some very surprising moments , where they diddled with tape effects , added weird sonorities and used the studio as an instrument. Very progressive in spirit , but I must say that when you get to those tracks , you find yourself checking your stereo connections , start growing grey hair at the thought that you might have blown your sound-system to shread and dread the count for repair or replacement. Little do you suspect that the record you had inserted is responsible for the mayhem. Then when you do you wonder if you have not entered a virus into your Cd deck by inserting the disc. alas to no avail , it is the music itself that lead you into error , but is this not ruining your enjoyment! Even after a few listen , you still getderanged by it and you do not find funny the practical joke they pulled on you the first time around!

If the start of the Cd was up to a good level (with Auberge Du Mouton Noir the highlight), it sounded a bit too much like their GEAS,TLLID album. but you might want to have that album and stick to it, as it is from far their best one.