Band:	Líam
Album:	MMIX
Style:	Post-rock
Release date:	March 25, 2012
Guest review by:	tea[m]ster

01. I
02. II
03. III
04. IV
05. V
06. VI
07. VII
08. VIII

So how great is the feeling after trudging through hundreds of albums in your favorite metal genre one finally distinguishes itself from the rest? Líam's latest and final release comes just in the nick of time when the grandiose and pretentiousness of post rock may be overstaying its welcome. Hearing God Is An Astronaut clone after clone eviscerates your confidence when defending a genre that already doesn't have a firm hold in mainstream metal music.

Formed in 2007, Líam, a four man instrumental post rock/shoegaze band from Germany, recorded most of these tracks in a rehearsal room during 2009 but after finishing school the band members (featuring Herbst from the band Lantlôs) all moved to different cities and never "completed" the album. It's amazing how the album turned out because it was released without "finishing the productions" as Herbst says. The aura, atmosphere and musicianship make this compilation seem like an immense project. The actual songs themselves have no titles but are structured with mandatory prerequisites that lace most instrumental post rock today: "noodle-y" guitar passages, multi-layered strings of organized distortion, reverb, and negligible drumming. Yes, most of the songs are over the seven minute mark and yes they start slow and build up before finishing with a loud finale.

However, it's a shame the album wasn't given a proper touch up. The bass guitar is almost non-existent and although there are keyboards and electronica dotted throughout the album, it's not very noteworthy. Track "VII" sounds like it was cut off and Track "VIII" is a minute long acoustic guitar excerpt; a terrible choice for a closing song.

By now you may be wondering what's the difference between MMIX and another Russian Circles LP. Catchy layered riffs with Alcest-sounding guitar textures make this album accessible to anyone. The songs are calm, warm and seductive leaving me no choice but to put a smile on my face and tap my feet every time I listen. After hearing this album my ambition is rejuvenated so I can continue forward and try to uncover the next Líam.