
Grunge progresses!
-- Sister May --
29/10/2018
Stijn Daneels

Album genres:
■ | progressive rock |
■ | Grunge rock |
Album artists:
■ | Bert Goethals | Vocals |
■ | Carl Vangheluwe | Guitar |
■ | Wannes Desramault | Bass |
■ | Stefaan Degryse | Drums |
Review written by Glenn Van Bockstaele.
Sister May is a Belgian rock band from Roeselare and
formed in 2016. Last year they released their well-received debut EP “My
Absolute Defiler” and now they’re bringing out a second one called “Ascent.” Like
its predecessor, “Ascent” is an independent release and this little gem was sent
to us by Hardlife Promotion. Thanks a lot, guys!
The EP kicks off with its title track and you’ll
immediately feel a sense of dark melancholy that you can easily associate with
the 1990s grunge rock era spearheaded by such bands as Nirvana, Pearl Jam and
Alice In Chains. The next track, “Deception,” starts with a slow build up of
gentle guitars and vocals until Bert screams out, the drum and bass kick in and
the guitar riffs get more intense. Then everything cools down a little until
one final sonic explosion. Classic grunge stuff! The EP’s third track, “Diamond
Dreams,” is a long and intimate melody that’s an excellent choice of song to
sit back and let the moody tunes and vocals sink into your head. The song has a
dreamy quality to it and reminds me of the Alice In Chains classic “Would?” It’s
beautiful! And finally the “Ascent” EP ends with “Revolution,” a perfect
summary of everything Sister May brought to the table during the entire EP and
wrapping up with a sweet guitar solo!
Overall, Sister May provides a throwback to grunge’s
heyday but injected with progressive rock and some dark ambient samples. Bert’s
vocals in particular deserve much praise. His voice is compelling and filled
with restrained anger and occasional eruptions of pure rage! Sister May is the
kind of music that allows you to lay back and relax but also is very fitting if
you want to rage out against the machine! Well-recommended to any rock and
grunge fan out there!
83/100
Sister May is having a release party at the Verlichte
Geest in their hometown of Roeselare this Halloween (October 31st) so
if you prefer grunge rock rather than grunge zombies then I suggest you head
over there and check them out! Here’s the EP’s teaser trailer!