Posted on: September 16, 2011 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

Clotilde is the first track on Minor World, and it immediately solidifies City of Ships space in with some of the darkest and most intense metal bands currently creating music. The act is able to create some tremendously emotional tracks on the album, all while moderating them with intense guitars and fulfilling drum work. The band is able to blend together equal parts indie rock, metal, and even alternative into something that is beyond intense – Subrosa is one of the tracks that allows listeners to properly plumb the depths of the band’s psyche.

“Easy Way / Hard Way” is one of Minor World’s strongest tracks, in that the act is able to further two distinct approaches in the same small length of time. City of Ships creates their own unique take on heavy music with each of the 10 tracks on Minor World, and it is in this process that they will be able to count large numbers of fans on their rolls by the end of the album. Without any drop in quality, Minor World is able to impress even in its last registers.

Just check out Low Lives for a perfect example of this. While the track is stuck at the last possible second on the effort, City of Ships make it a must-listen through the inclusion of introspective arrangements and a murky, dank type of overall approach. I know that I will be looking for more from the band in the months and years to come; if you like music that looks to expand upon what individuals think is possible, pick up a copy of Minor World today.

Top Tracks: Low Countries, Easy Way / Hard Way

Rating: 8.3/10

City of Ships – Minor World (CD) / 2011 Translation Loss / 10 Tracks / http://www.cityofships.com / http://www.translationloss.com

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