Manhattan Skyline
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| Manhattan Skyline | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Oslo, Norway |
| Genre(s) | Mathcore Metalcore Tech Metal |
| Years active | 2002 - present |
| Label(s) | Audio Is a War |
| Members | |
| Even Bekkedal Hans Marius Midtgarden Fredrik Melby Steffen Sether Sigurd Mæle |
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Manhattan Skyline is a Norwegian mathcore band based in Oslo, Norway. They are influenced by metal, hardcore, contemporary music, jazz, fusion, electronica, gabber, and hip hop drum. They can sound like the Dillinger Escape Plan, Converge, and Botch, but the mellow parts are more reminiscent of Cult Of Luna and Red Sparowes.[citation needed]
After their performance at the 2005 Bodø Hardcorefestival, The Faceless Masses website praised them as "one of the fastest and most technical bands in Norway today." After releasing an EP, they began recording a full-length debut album which was intended for an early 2007 release, but due to illness within the band, this release has been severely postponed.
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[edit] History
Manhattan Skyline was formed in Oslo in 2002 by drummer Steffen Sether, guitarist Fredrik Melby and vocalist Hans Marius Midtgarden. Subsequently, members of Kaospilot, Slingshot Idol, The Break Quintet, and Next Life joined and left.
In October 2003, they recorded their debut EP, Tarantula Arms, a 3" MCD of seven songs featuring off-time rhythm patterns.
Upon the departure of bassist Anders Braut Simonsen (bass stand-in for a long time, now in Kaospilot) and guitarist Christian Johansen, the band used several part-time bassists while searching for a permanent member. A long search resulted in the selection of Sigurd Mæle (friend of one of their classmates, former bass stand-in with c-t Prevail, and lead singer for emocore band unset).
Jørgen Waag began playing bass with the band and then played guitar for approximately a year before leaving. Following his departure, Even Bekkedal, formerly with In Dialogue With Radiometer, joined the band.
[edit] Recent activity
Manhattan Skyline contributed a song called "A) Spitting Milk or B) Swallow or Drown" to React With Protest's Emo Armageddon 7" compilation, which was released in February 2005 and included bands such as Funeral Diner, The Birds Are Spies They Report to the Trees, Suis La Lune, and Catena Collapse. Throughout 2005 and the beginning of 2006, the band was also writing and arranging new songs for their first full-length album.
Their new material is far more complicated and aggressive, but at the same time the musical landscapes presented to the listener are more diverse, roaming from the complex and heavy to the subtle and soothing. Influences span from 1970s groups of progressive rock and jazz fusion like King Crimson and Weather Report, electronic music like Squarepusher, Aphex Twin, and Venetian Snares, as well as post-rock groups like Fugazi, Shellac, Quicksand, all the way to a handful of noisy hardcore bands like Botch, Dillinger Escape Plan, Refused, Converge and Coalesce.
During the fall of 2006, the band was planning to tour internationally, including a 2-week UK tour in the English and Scottish countrysides, but due to complications with booking, this tour was cancelled.
In April 2007, the band did a two week tour of Europe with Norwegian hardcore-act Dominic.
[edit] In the press
- Quotes about the Tarantula Arms EP
" Members of Kaospilot and The Slingshot Idol blast through seven songs in barely 13 minutes on their dazzling debut EP appropriately named "Tarantula Arms". Displaying intricate stop and go drumming and herky jerky chaos riffage of the highest calibre this supergroup have made a record that is way too over the top and loud to ignore. This is extremely angry and screamy music not for the faint of heart. "
- – Electric Human Project.com
" An excellent Norwegian group. Rapid, chaotic and straightforwardly nutcase music. Good violence with a good quite fast key metal played noisy. Some good station-wagons for half-compartment play.. Mmmh a delight j'adore!!! I wonder what its like to be in this group because it consists of the members and ex-members of Kaospilot and The Slingshot Idol, two groups which are already very very very well! Here one continues in a register already visited by Kaospilot... without nevertheless resembling it too much. However, the fans of Kaospilot will adore!! In short truths is delirious of metal quite fast chaos emo played. A pure moment of pleasure here. "
- – Shoot Me Again.com
[edit] Members
- Current members as of 2007
- Hans Marius Midtgarden - vocals
- Fredrik Melby - guitar
- Even Bekkedal - guitar
- Sigurd Mæle - bass
- Steffen Sether - drums
- Former members
- Anders Braut Simonsen - bass
- Jørgen Waag - guitar, bass
- Christian Johansen - guitar
- Hai Nguyen - bass
[edit] Discography
| Released | Title | Label | Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| October, 2003 | Tarantula Arms | Audio Is a War | EP |
| February 11, 2005 | V/A Emo Apocalypse | React With Protest | 12" compilation featuring "A) Spitting Milk or B) Swallow or Drown" |
