Band:	Rosetta
Album:	Quintessential Ephemera
Style:	Post-metal, Sludge metal
Release date:	June 22, 2015
A review by:	R'Vannith

01. After The Funeral
02. (Untitled I)
03. (Untitled II)
04. (Untitled III)
05. (Untitled IV)
06. (Untitled V)
07. (Untitled VI)
08. (Untitled VII)
09. Nothing In The Guise Of Something

Quintessential Ephemera is a record which streamlines Rosetta's sound at a time of creative independence. It marks the band's second self-release and is a stabilising work which assures of their ability to make music free from label demands.

Having departed from Translation Loss Records and proceeding to release 2013's The Anaesthete independently via online distribution (Bandcamp), Rosetta continue with this method for the band's fifth full-length effort. This DIY approach has granted greater flexibility in Rosetta's recent output, as demonstrated by the creation of an ambient score released earlier this year, the proceeds from which were directed to the recording for Quintessential Ephemera.

The addition of guitarist Eric Jernigan (City Of Ships) to the line-up enables further layering in a record which has been carefully arranged in a melodic and accessible manner distinct from The Anaesthete and the band's discography in its entirety. Rosetta's blend of post-metal primarily driven by contrasting sludge metal and post-rock receives a tightening in delivery in Quintessential Ephemera; sludge and post-rock guitar lines occur simultaneously in building crescendo for much of the album's duration. An emphasis on melody and the placement of clean vocal arrangements distinguish the record from prior efforts, while expected elements of hardcore remain essential and a driving force to Rosetta's sound, such being delivered vocally and in the pronounced drumming style in the mix.

The main body of work to Quintessential Ephemera, which goes untitled in the tracklist, bears a continuity and flow that make for a streamlined listen. This is broken only by the interlude of "Untitled IV," which serves as a dividing midsection to a record which rarely utilises Rosetta's usual underlying ambient or space rock aspects. Although their music is fondly referred to as "metal for astronauts," such a moniker seems less applicable in the case of this latest album, as the sound forgoes much of the atmospheric components to Rosetta's style in a direct and engagingly hardcore emphasising structure. Tracks such as "Untitled V" introduce subtle background distortions and spoken word passages, but, by-and-large, Quintessential Ephemera stresses melodic instrumentation over its atmospheric qualities. The named tracks operate as post-rock bookends to this structure, which runs as some of Rosetta's most cohesive material to date, beginning and ending the record on lighter notes.

This record is evidence that the band's model for the future is working well for them; without the pressure from labels Rosetta have benefited from a certain creative freedom resulting in the material of Quintessential Ephemera, which is another independently accomplished effort and a stable addition to their discography.