Your favourite post-rock industrial meme band, Am Fost La Munte Si Mi-a Placut, is back with a new record called I Went To The Mountain. It doesn’t get more self-titled than this—the band’s name literally translates to I Went to the Mountain and I Liked It. But maybe this time, they just went to the mountain… and weren’t so sure about it.
What started out as a passion project with an ironic undertone in 2016 is now a really strong act that is more known through their acronym AFLMSMP. According to their press release, they now present an unrestrained, hard-hitting iteration of their barefaced, riff-led take on post-rock and post-metal, as well as more than a few reveals of their other influences outside the post-genres. In recent years the band has toured not just within Romania, but had many shows abroad including some remarkable stints at festivals such as dunk!festival. This new album will take them once again on an extensive Eastern European tour, so make sure you catch one of their shows.
I know I’ve recently said in another review that my brain isn’t great at focusing on lyrics. You’d think that would make this review easier—but it really doesn’t. Reviewing instrumental music makes me feel like I should have some deep, academic take on song structure and composition. However, my formal musical education ended about 20 years ago (and wow, does that realization make me feel ancient), so instead, let’s just talk about these tracks in terms of …vibes.
Track by Track
First up, Needle for your Waistcoat. Right off the bat, the guitar intro has something unmistakably country/US Southern about it. I half expect to see a horse ranch and some gunslingers. Then the drums crash in, and suddenly, I’m vibing. Very amusing how the song ends with a sound of someone taking out a cassette out of the cassette player. See, I told you I was getting old, I can recognise that :))
The second song The Dogs Bark, The Bear Passes starts with a cassette player sound again, so I like that little transition there. I love it when albums feel like a cohesive experience rather than just a collection of singles. AFLMSMP always commits to a concept, and I can appreciate that. The track itself feels more diverse than the previous one—definitely a plus. But any track or album needs to be played live and this might be a hit. Vlad is telling us that “My hope is that we were able to craft an album which, played in order, leaves no stone unturned in regards to the audience’s expectations. But talking for real now, probably “The Dogs Bark, The Bear Passes” or “Fighting The Windmills” will have the biggest impact live.”
Fighting the Windmills – One of the pre-released singles, this track comes with a music video featuring footage from The Mountain, directed by Ray Garner. Musically, it’s textbook post-rock—or, if you prefer, insert whatever five-word subgenre name the hipsters are using, which is not entirely my cup of tea. That said, there’s an audience for exactly this kind of atmospheric, expansive sound, so if that’s you, give it a listen. Matei Pușcaru (bass guitar) even tells us that “We all have different favourite parts throughout the album, but I believe we can agree we collectively enjoy the most the outro riff of ‘Fighting The Windmills’.”
Towards My Shame is the slow and steady song, in more ways than one. Vlad actually says that both this song and the next one were the hardest to come together, as “ideas for both floated around the band for years until they arrived at the current form, which to us is simply one very long track“. Even more than that, this song has some unusual inspiration, as Matei puts it “Exhaustion. I never expected something to come out of that state, but one of the parts from “Towards My Shame” came to me following one of the most tiring & intense weeks of work I’ve ever had, when I was in a state of deep exhaustion. I do not recommend this method however.”
I Walk on Your Hand starts with a slightly disturbing buzzing sound that reminds me of those videos of “listen to this frequency for 30/60 seconds to see what it does to your brain”. It has a bit of an air-raid siren meets psychological horror vibe.
I Have Roads To Make –This one immediately plays with the stereo field, starting from just the right speaker—an interesting touch. I think this track is actually the one I like the most so far. And just a note to our non-Romanian speaking friends: if you’re wondering about the weird names of the songs, they are the literal translation of Romanian sayings.
Empty Elbows – The intro here feels bigger, more dramatic, and intense, with a bit of a headbang-worthy undertone. Definitely leans into the heavier side of their sound and I’m not just saying it. We reached out to the band and Vlad tells us “I am particularly proud of the riffs I wrote for “The Dogs Bark, The Bear Passes” and “Empty Elbows”. They belong to a style of writing that I was looking forward to trying out for the band, and I am glad that we’ve broadened our horizons enough to try heavier riffs on the album.“
Breaking Ourselves Into Figures deserves an honorary mention not just for the fabulous name, but for being a very interesting track, not just musically. Sev, the “new guy” in the band, tells us more about how it came together: “On the last night of our writing camp in the mystical land of Sohodol, Bran, as heavy rainfall hailed from the skies above us, Stere showed me a long forgotten live show of a band called Oceansize. As soon as light and electrical power came back on we grasped the wooden necks of our instruments and what emerged was the utmost breakage of ourselves into figures.” It took just 3 sentences to know he’s the right fit for the band.
The closing track, We Hold Each Other at Current, is louder and mellower at the same time, with just a splash of melancholia.
Final Thoughts
AFLMSMP has put out a strong record. Whether you’re already a fan of post-rock or just dipping your toes in, there’s plenty here to appreciate. I’ll admit, post-rock as a genre doesn’t always hook me, but I can’t deny the craftsmanship on display. I truly hope to see these guys keep growing, touring bigger stages, and reaching wider audiences.