Zitat:The Mirimar Disaster might never have made it to this point. After the departure of frontman Ian Stockdale last year the band might have given up and moved on but thank whatever deity you dig that they didn”™t, because they”™re back with a vengeance. More than simply surviving see, the Sheffield four-piece have fought on and fully flourished to create new album ”˜Volumes”™, and it”™s bloody brilliant.

This hasn”™t come out of nowhere of course. ”˜Volumes”™ builds on the extremely solid foundations of the band”™s steely debut, picking up the same post-metal threads but pushing things on rather than sitting back or trying to steal cues from Isis like everybody else. Ok so the Disaster quartet have clearly been taking notes from some of their touring partners- there are traces of The Fall of Troy, Will Haven, and 65daysofstatic here and the metallic roar of Mastodon is perhaps the closest musical comparison throughout- but this thing forges a furious sound of its own too.

Opener ”˜Alms For Strangers”™ doesn”™t need a vocal centre point to get its message across, some venomous, serpentine riffing doing the job with awesome instrumental aplomb, and while at less than two minutes it”™s the shortest thing here, it feels just as powerful and epic as what follows. The tectonic shifts, tidal surges, and roar and rage of ”˜Control. Alter. Delete”™ storm into earshot next, guitarist Frank certifying himself as a stellar vocalist in his own right while the band behind him battle to break amps everywhere, ”˜The Town Of Empty Sound”™ rests the crushing assault completely to move angelic female vocals, acoustic guitars and atmospherics to the fore, and ”˜Sing Hera”™ is ambitious and complex but bold and beautiful too.

The best bit about all of this though is just how capable and prepared ”˜Volumes”™ is for worldwide consumption. Yes it”™s the work of a British band, one that can now confidently be called one of the country”™s finest, but it also gives The Mirimar Disaster massive potential far beyond our tiny island. Impressive indeed.