January 2021 Feature Release - The Fallen Edition

So we've now managed to rid ourselves of the pathetic excuse for a year that was 2020 which of course means that we'll be nominating a brand new monthly feature release for each clan. This essentially means that we're asking you to rate, review & discuss our chosen features for no other reason than because we enjoy the process & banter. We're really looking forward to hearing your thoughts on our chosen releases so don't be shy.

This month's feature release for The Fallen is 2005's classic "The Galilean Satellites" album from Philadelphia-based post-sludge metal outfit Rosetta which was an absolutely massive undertaking for a debut. It takes the form of a two hour double album with the two individual disks being intended to be played simultaneously over the top of each other in a similar way to Neurosis' "Times Of Grace" album which was clearly the inspiration for it. The first disk is an epic post-metal workout with the second disk taking more of an ambient direction. I first encountered this release back in 2009 & it absolutely blew me away. Strangely, I haven't returned to it since so I thought it was about time I renewed my vows.

https://metal.academy/releases/973

Ok, so I've given this release a few revisits over the last couple of days & have once again come to the conclusion that it's the finest example of post-metal I've ever encountered. I know that's a huge statement but it really is that good & the fact that it was Rosetta's first full-length release is utterly astounding. This music is intensely cerebral & emotionally gripping with an insane use of dynamics & atmosphere. The more ambient second disk is just as unbelievable as the metal one with almost all of the tracks building in tension over long-periods only to release it with crescendos of crushing enormity. I'd be very surprised if fans of Isis, Cult Of Luna & Pelican don't go absolutely bananas over this album.

5/5

I did my review, here's its summary:

If you wanna know what this album, The Galilean Satellites is about, the nearly blank booklet explains it all in one sentence... "These songs are about a space man." If you wanna know more than just a simple sentence, just press play and you'll find yourself as an astronaut eternally stranded in space with no other surrounding lifeforce. The Galilean Satellites contains two discs; one filled with monolithic dirges of spacey post-sludge not for the faint-hearted, and the other filled with desperate ambient tracks of strange beauty. And when you time both discs to play at the same time, they fit like a glove! A bit like Neurosis' Times of Grace and its ambient counterpart. Although I totally enjoyed the heavy first disc It's interesting how I, a heavier metalheads who's not usually into ambient music, feel more immersed by the second disc. It's an aural adventure well-crafted! Whether one of the two discs or both at the same time, the listener has to be absolutely determined. Clearly, it wasn't made easy with all tracks going over 8 minutes, but it sure looks like it was. The Galilean Satellites is no easy task. If you're driving while listening to the album on your radio, it's not for a small errand trip, it's for a cross-state road trip made epic. But it's better to listen to the album at home on your computer or MP3 player if you really want a perfect post-sludge trip out of reality!

5/5

I have say that "The Galilean Satellites" is yet another example of just how unnecessary the "atmospheric sludge metal" tag is. As with the vast majority of releases that receive that tag, there's really not much sludge metal on this release other than the vocal delivery. Sludge metal is essentially a brand of doom metal that's infused with hardcore punk & there's nothing hardcore or doom about this release. It's a true post-metal release in every sense of the term in my opinion. Lengthy, drawn-out tracks? Check! The use of textures & atmosphere over traditional riffs? Check! The strong use of repetition & the subtle layering of different elements in order to build tension over time? Check! Huge noisy crescendos to release that tension? Check! A strong focus on ambience, experimentation & artistic expression? Check! In fact, "The Galilean Satellites" sits far more comfortably in The Infinite than it does in The Fallen in my opinion.

Your thoughts on this Andi?

I see that Andi created a Judgement post about this album so I will talk about that at another time. But for me, The Galilean Satellites is a wonderful display of pacing in a post-metal album. The compositions are incredibly simplistic but grow beyond their motifs through spacing, dynamics and time. Songs like "Europa", "Absent" and "Au Pays Natal" make me feel this huge bundle of energy that slowly grows, and the explosive release at the final chords is wonderful. Even the second disc of ambient/drone stylings is quite impressive. But what really bothers me is the duality of it all. I cannot stand the idea of playing two records simultaneously as if they are inseparable. Trust me, I've tried it; it doesn't work! As it stands, I think The Galilean Satellites would be among the greats in the subgenre if it was only one disc of all post-metal or drone tunes. Together, it can become overwhelming, regardless of how you listen to the album.

7/10

Interesting thoughts saxy. I actually think the idea of playing the two releases over the top of each other is a huge wank &, after careful consideration, I chose to rate the album on the individual disks alone as they totally blow me away without ever needing to layer them & that's the way the release comes on Spotify. I honestly can't remember what the layered version sounds like to tell you the truth but I completely agree with you that if the album was genuinely meant to be listened to in that fashion then surely it would have been released that way to begin with.