Post-rock: you either love it or would rather pour sulphuric acid into your eyeballs. Sey Hollo is the solo venture of Swedish musician Sebastian Larsson, it's also entirely instrumental (barring the odd brief sample of speech) which will no doubt be a turn-off for a few more listeners. But post-rock does have its fans, in fact it has a very large number of extremely dedicated disciples. What can Sey Hollo offer us on his third outing 'Kombinat'? Well it all begins in a comparatively accessible way, with 'Bunker Of Bare Life' being a chugging alt-rock track, much like that which many non-post-rock fans will happily lap up, however it gets a little heavier towards the end. All that's missing are the vocals, so perhaps we'll get an album that builds bridges between the two.
It may satisfy a wider audience at times, but second track 'Haraka Haraka Haina Baraka' is intent on letting us know that this is a post-rock record in the truest sense of the word. A lengthy instrumental, the song uses tempo changes, guitar distortion and different segments to take you on an aural journey that will reduce its fanbase down to the dedicated followers and have the pop fans scurrying for cover. Ambiance is a big part of the genre, and when we reach the blissful, dreamy 'Terroture' this is exactly what we get. Wispy guitars and distant drums that gradually get eaten by a growing ball of distortion that begins to envelop the song, it sounds incredible/dull as anything imaginable (delete as appropriate).
The next two tunes are the longest here, clocking in at eight minutes and eleven minutes respectively. 'Lusaka Funeral Association' is particularly alluring and may even find some converts as its solid foundations bare the weight of increasing guitar noise that brings with it a sense of melody; there's more accessibility here and you don't notice the length. 'Crowds At The End Of The World' is maybe closer to people's vision of this form of music, but it's done to an impressive standard, shifting in pace, heaviness, and atmosphere. This will be the great divider. The delicate and short 'Jimmy's' brings the album to a close, and we'd have to say that as post-rock goes, 'Kombinat' is a very good record. Your personal enjoyment will, naturally, be based on your views on this genre, but give it a go, you might just find you like it.
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