Italy’s finest in Post-Metal team up with their friends and release a split-EP with three tracks – one by each band and one collaborative effort, which is really a highlight for both. And both are still able to highlight their singular skills.
Both bands are from Italy’s northern region, which was hit the worst by the pandemic that offset any kind of live-action from either of those bands, which was especially hard for Postvorta as the release for their record Porrima was already on the way and with the pandemic they were not able to support the record on stage. Both bands then set about to release an EP together which they have done recently (in March 2021). The record features three tracks – one track by each band which has not been physically released before and one track where both bands form one gigantic ensemble basically.
Riah kickstart the record with their song “Epidermide” that features a very math-like drum-roll-intro and then proceeds via some crunchy basslines and some jangling guitar-melodies into a near-tribal experience. Of course, this is not Sepultura or Soulfly, but the first roughly 90 seconds would fit on Roots. However, next comes a very aggressive mix of rough riffs and swirling arppegios spiraling upwards. A hard and mesmerizingly mathy-Post-Rock track that one might find on records by Russian Circles or This Will Destroy You.
Postvorta’s track is “Hollow” and these eleven minutes are pure Post-Metal passion. The track is an outtake from the Porrima sessions and although the band says that it would not have fit to that five-track-monster (which ended up as the AOTY for this writer, by the way) that might be debatable for the crunch of the riff, the vibrant vocals and generally the whole ensemble of this track could have fit to the full-length. But the band had already decided in 2019, that “Hollow” would not make the cut and remain an outtake which was then published on their Bandcamp. If you like Breach and their was of building Post-Metal tracks with a lot of sludge, or LLNN with their affinity for small industrial offshoots – this track will blow your mind and you might find yourselves hitting repeat for the 10th time in a row.
Nevertheless, the standout track on this EP is the 16-minute title track “Riahpstvrt” which shows how well-connected these two bands are because they were able to blend their respective talents equally into one standout-track. The whole crew really take their time to develop a kind of highly-melodic intro and only after the first half, we hear some very subtle growls somewhere in the background while we notice the track going from dream-state to harsh-reality. A journey through the world of Post-Rock and Post-Metal which one probably will not forget because of the sheer urgency of now which it displays. You are right here, so listen to it!
The track has got dream-like passages with sparkling guitar bits that follow the Post-Rock-path more clearly; but on the other side there are really hard-hitting riffs that could crush everyone standing too close to the speakers during a live-show. And that is something that everyone should wish for: Once this pandemic is over and we return to a kind of normalcy – these two bands should go on tour together, and they should always end their shared concerts by sharing the stage and performing this eruptuous elegy together.
