QRO’s review of of Montreal at 40 Watt in Athens, GA on March 5th, 2015
Photos of of Montreal at 2014 Austin Psych Fest in Austin, TX
Photos of of Montreal at 2014 Middle of the Map Fest in Kansas City, MO
Photos of of Montreal at Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn, NY on May 22nd, 2013
Photos of of Montreal at 2013 Savannah Stopover in Savannah, GA
Photos of of Montreal at Plaza Live in Orlando, FL on March 8th, 2012
QRO’s review of of Montreal at 40 Watt Club on October 30th, 2011
Photos of of Montreal at 2011 80/35 Festival in Des Moines, IA
Photos of of Montreal at 2011 Primavera Sound Festival in Barcelona, Spain
Photos of of Montreal at The Ritz in Tampa, FL on January 15th, 2011
Photos of of Montreal at Firestone Live in Orlando, FL on January 13th, 2011
QRO’s review of of Montreal at Terminal 5 in New York, NY on September 18th, 2010
Kevin Barnes knows how to take the listener on an odyssey, as he has so often done fronting of Montreal. His latest, Aureate Gloom, features more personal lyrics from a tumultuous period in his life, but the widely varying psychedelic effects don’t grab quite as effectively.
Photos of of Montreal at Highline Ballroom in New York, NY on January 26th, 2010
Photos of of Montreal at Santos Party House in New York, NY on September 16th, 2009
Photos of of Montreal at 2009 Norman Music Festival in Norman, OK
QRO’s review of of Montreal at Orpheum Theatre in Boston, MA on October 30th, 2008
QRO’s review of of Montreal at Avalon Ballroom in Boston, MA on March 11th, 2007
The funky and upbeat opener “Bassem Sabry” would seem to indicate a positive of Montreal record, but Aureate Gloom actually goes all over the place in sound while Barnes digs dark in word. He seems to search for new terms for hell in song titles like “Empyrean Abattoir”, “Chthonian Dirge For Uruk the Other”, and “Like Ashoka’s Inferno of Memory”. While the relatively ‘basic’ (for Barnes) pieces such as the up in the air “Abattoir” and even alt-country-ish “Estocadas” prove interesting, there’s maybe a bit too much going on in the over-the-top “Monolithic Express” or “Ashoka’s”.
Of Montreal’s last release, Lousy With Sylvanbriar (QRO review), saw Barnes throttle back a bit on his spectacle for a more engaging record, but Aureate Gloom largely sees him return to giant psychedelics he has become known for, if with more personal lyrics.