WE WILL CARRY YOU OVER THE MOUNTAINS

From the first moments of the opener, it's quite clear that Magyar Posse is a band that follows the likes of Mogwai for their general sound, yet also manage to incorporate a lot in each song, definitely being on the more busy side of the genre. The main difference I find between this album and the average post rock affair is the larger focus on building upon simple, cyclical rhythms, rather than solely focusing on creating a particular mood or image.

The album's title and cover art both paint a very accurate picture of what this album will sound like, with sweeping passages that just sound 'big' for lack of a better term. While the opening track, Sleepwalker, doesn't quite show off this element, it definitely displays the hypnotic effect that it can have, with absolutely mesmerising drumming. The next 2 songs are a much closer representation of all aspects of the album however, with the incredible, slowly building crescendos present in great post rock, with an amazing melody that continues appearing throughout, providing both a feeling of melancholy and a feeling of absolute power radiating from it. The band also has a certain krautrock edge to them, extremely present in Pacific Ocean/Death In The Desert, which has a much more psychedelic sound to it than anything else on the album, and is quite rhythmic in nature. My favourite song on the album is without a doubt Untitled, which contains such a wonderfully beautiful melody that I find completely indescribable, before fading away into a breathtaking wordless vocal section. Enemy Within shows the more intense side of the band with a song that just keeps going at full pace. Unfortunately, the final two songs falter to some extent, with Lufthan being somewhat boring, and The Endless Cycle Of Violence building up absolutely menacingly, but not really hitting a conclusive climax, but even so, they're definitely serviceable songs.

Overall, while this album isn't particularly groundbreaking, it definitely separates itself enough from generic post rock to end up being a deeply engaging and enjoyable listen. I think that those who enjoy post rock would find this to be a highly enjoyable album overall, but if you aren't a fan of the genre, this album wouldn't really change your mind, despite its beauty.

Best songs: Witchcraft, Untitled, Enemy Within

Weakest songs: Lufthan

Verdict: This is a wonderful sounding album all around, with great melodic and rhythmic components that sound simply divine. Definitely an album I strongly recommend to anyone who enjoys post rock.