Result: NAY  

For The Mathematics -- We Impend  (Year of the Sun/Soft Revolution)  

This 6-song EP caught me by surprise. With a name like For The Mathematics, I figured this would be another band that all the indie folk would be all over. Well, music wise, they should be. Very ambitious and well thought out, this record would fit nicely with anything The Mars Volta has done, but that’s a lazy assessment. While The Mars Volta can go into the Afro-Cuban and Middle Eastern influences, FTM do plenty with their own concoction of proto-punk meets atmospheric hardcore. It brings to mind the largely influential Refused. If they continue on, I wouldn’t be surprised to see For The Mathematics leave a lasting mark of their own.  

Result: YAY  

What’s He Building In There? -- self titled 

With one of the most memorable names for a band that I can recall, What’s He Building In There? have to bring something dissimilar to back up a name like that. At first listen, its sounds too chaotic to make sense but as you get to songs like “Citizen of the City” and “Monkey Knife Fight”, you can feel it come together. Very challenging to listen to, this won’t be for the casual fan. They check off styles such as death metal, rock, ambient and anything else that come to their sick minds and make it something innovative. Canada should be proud to call WHBIT? native sons. Fans of At All Cost, HORSE the Band, and Mr. Bungle should be happy to pick this up.  

Result: YAY