Sit down; you’re in for a ride. Coming in at just under an hour, this eight-track album from German post-rock outfit Long Distance Calling is an audibly enjoyable experience that is at once captivating, disquieting and dreamily nostalgic. The album gets off to a slow, ambient start with meandering, bluesy guitar and poignantly gentle drumming. In true Long Distance Calling style there’s no vocals on this first track, but the guitar work is so well crafted the music speaks for itself, and it culminates in a crescendo of fuzzy, gnashing guitar and pounding drums.
Of the eight tracks, four are blissfully experimental, and there’s a lot of time spent on engaging the listener’s emotions at every second. The four remaining tracks use vocals intermittently, and to great effect. Martin (Marsen) Fischer, the now permanent vocalist replacing founding member and atmosphere-wizard Reimut von Bonn, has a demure, yet sincere voice that doesn’t detract from the heaving, frenzied feel of the album. ‘Welcome Change’ also includes the beautiful guest vocals from Anathema’s Vincent Cavanagh, and Norwegian singer/songwriter Petter Carlsen, plus there’s a really groovy shred-session about three-quarters of the way into this seven minute masterpiece. I hadn’t heard Long Distance Calling before, and don’t usually listen to such ‘melancholic’ rock, but it’s definitely worth giving it a listen because there are some delicate, well-crafted and soul-invading moments on The Flood Inside.
Released: March 4, 2013
Genre: Prog Rock
Label: Century Media Records
