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News: comings and goings...

16th September 2008:

We have, of late, been hither and thither in a quite haphazard manner. Things are hard to keep track of, so, for that reason and sundry others, we have begun a journal of sorts on this here internet. Enjoy it here.

3rd July 2008:

Oh, things keep happening, but it's all unseen... comings and goings, to-ings and fro-ings... but soon all will become clear. As I type, our feverish produce is being looked at by top men. Top men. In the not too distant future, we hope to able to advise a time at which it will be available to the general populace. Meanwhile, we have made plans to travel around sporadically and upset people - Gigs page.

26th February 2008:

Another year has come around - we have only just noticed this, ensconced as we were in a Nottingham tinkering shed, plugging wires into any and all available nooks and niches and shouting. To what end, you may well ask. To the end of making an album, that most final of ends. The resultant output is currently being prodded by two bespectacled men of varying height and coiffure, but early indications are that it sounds like a small man firing a huge gun inside a tin box.

While all this is going on, we aim to be accused of a crime we did not commit and go on the lam around Easter time. This coincides with our planned outing with Montana, so we can get that out of the way at the same time. Efficiency is our watchword. Gigs page, go on...

8th December 2007:

Welcome, traveller. You find us apparently becalmed in sea of inactivity, but fear not! For in the new year we will enter into a darkened place and, all being well, emerge victorious with rudiments of what could be described as "an album". This will then be taken away and subjected to intense scrutiny and tinkering by men with an array of bespoke tools and implements. After some time, it will emerge on both large, crinkly discs and smaller, shinier discs. Then something else may sneak out on one side of medium sized crinkly disc, with an offering from another group on the reverse. This has been referred to in some quarters as "a split 10 inch". 

Of course, while the tinkering and fettling is occurring, we will keep ourselves busy by going to towns around the country and ruining people's evenings. As ever, keep an eye on the Gigs page so you know where not to be, especially in late March as we undertake a week of hideous malpractice with our friends from the Midlands, Montana.

10th September 2007:

Another all too sporadic bulletin regarding our woe-begotten goings on... we have been busy at the coalface of musical artifice, carving out blackened lumps of long dead vegetation that we like to call "new songs". Some of you may have viewed them on recent occasions. These are intended to be presented to the world in the not too distant future in one handy collection, suitable for all workshops and dwelling-places.

In the meantime, be content with an older song, newly offered up for the taking... make your way to the Songs page where, for the first time anywhere, you may now avail yourself of the digital rendering of The Bikes Were Locked Together... And So Were They!  Previously only available on our now sadly unavailable split 12" with Sunshine Republic, this is now brought to free of charge in an uncharacteristic display of bonhomie. Make of it what you will.

17th April 2007:

So... after far too long, an update. Things proceed according to plan, frustratingly exactly what the plan is and who devised it are as yet unknown. Since last we spoke, several gigs have come and gone, mostly to the benefit of all concerned. Except the for the young people of Horncastle, for whom only time will tell if full recovery is indeed a possibility. A mention, even fulsome gratitude, is due to our local wingmen, The Mirimar Disaster, for inviting us to play at their album launch, and thereby allowing us to run about like idiots on a big stage with flashy lights. As for the future, there is plenty afoot over the next few weeks... as always, venture to the Gigs page for details

14th February 2007:

So, a day for the lonely-hearted to express their longings... we feel your pain, unloved and pitiable as we are given our genetic degeneracy. Still, it seems Nick Ruskell of Kerrang! harbours some feelings other than disgust... towards our music, at least:

Flatlands, Vermuyden
Epic sounds of the boring British small-town.
KKKK
The trippy panoramic sound of ISIS/Neurosis/Cult of Luna may sound easy to do, but it takes a lot more than 10-minute long songs and ever increasing volume to really capture that special feeling of absolute vastness. Hailing from small-town Lincolnshire, Flatlands relocate Neurosis' ever so slightly hippy San Francisco vibe to the less inspiring, more boring climes of northern England, and add a good dash of Vitus-ish metal to create an immensely heavy wall of sound, with an edge of surly British bleakness. Which, oddly enough makes "Vermuyden" a thoroughly exhilarating slice of immense, colourful music. Even if the song titles are bloody stupid.

Why, thank you, sir. You make us blush.

1st February 2007:

January has at last dragged its wretched carcass out of our lives, freeing us from its decaying reek for another eleven months. A brief bulletin is this, designed merely to share these words with you, gleaned from Sonic Frontiers webzine:

Flatlands reach great heights with debut
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Released in 2006, Flatlands’ Vermuyden could easily fit within the sonic margins situated by genre stalwarts ISIS or Neurosis. At the same time, this bass-heavy meandering 6-track EP takes on a definitely rawer edge in execution and production than its predecessors. Overall, this fledgling UK band does well to attract diverse audiences supplementary to the average post-rock/doom-sludge crowd that seems all too frequent today. If given the proper prologue, it would not be stretching to foreshadow great things in this band’s future.
The first minute and a half provides the gloomy backdrop to which Flatlands so proficiently sets forth across the rest of Vermuyden. The band does an excellent job meshing rich, heavy bass with layered guitars and an obscure drumming array to create a constantly progressing animal. Indeed, the band has done their homework as the songs on Vermuyden ebb and flow as if alive--surging instances of sonic mass intertwine with moments of atmospheric subtlety to create their own unique sound. Each song slowly evolves to include both the harsh and the melodic to create a combination like few other bands.
Overall, it’s apparent that the band strives to break away from the tired “heavy segment followed by a melodic segment” formula, but instead do a stand-up job of blending both elements competently while slowly building momentum throughout the span of the (respective) song. The vocals are consistently abrasive (maybe too harsh in places), but are heard in relatively small doses. The drumming is not entirely pronounced, but has a cadence style theme in multiple places that fits well. In time, Flatlands could easily develop into a band with a style that stands out from the weary masses striving to do something different.  Score: 7 / 10

2nd January 2007:

Well, a new calendar has appeared on the wall, and that can only mean another year has turned up, full of new miseries and frustrations to heap upon us all.  We shall be thrusting our dour countenances upon all manner of unsuspecting townships over the coming months... the fates of but three have been sealed as yet, but more shall follow. As ever, the Gigs page is your herald of woe.

6th December 2006:

A small bulletin, to bring you the gracious words of Rock Sound magazine:

The clocks have gone back, the daylight hours are lessening and there's a sense of wintery oppression in the air. Flatlands are here to make you revel in the gloom. This indulgent six-track EP is the result of the UK band's two-year life, and represents the rural monotony experienced by those who live in rural flatlands. Vermuyden veers between post-hardcore meanderings and outbursts of doom. Broken lyrics swim in pools of bass-heavy sludge, and the constant drumming stifles momentum. This is music that sounds grey, induces goosebumps, and places weights on heavy hearts. But there's beauty in being dragged into this uncomfortable holding pen, and the album acts like a welcome sedative for mind and body alike. 8 / 10.

Aren't they nice?

4th December 2006:

Cast your weary eyes leftward, fellow traveller... a new word has appeared, and that word be Songs. Click upon it, and you shall find yourself transported to a veritable archive of our meanderings. There you will find the opportunity to download the sum total of our Come For The Boredom... Stay For The Monotony opus, as well as the chance to peruse some of Michael's lyrical charms, and, not least, a visual treat for the unwary in the form of a live video.

Enjoy, one and all, enjoy. More treats will appear in this area as time and tide allows.

Meanwhile, some more words about Vermuyden, this time from well known webatorium Alice's Records:

A sprawling and epic EP whose 6 tracks combined stretch well beyond the half hour mark. It’s a Doomy Post Rock kind of affair mixing heavy roared parts with atmospheric subtleties in a not dissimilar way to someone like Neurosis, although both production and execution comes with a slightly rawer edge here. Promising noises for future development.

Fine words, fine words indeed.

29th November 2006:

Well, well, well... some people have been listening to Vermuyden and then writing what they think about it... whatever next? Here's what Load Of Noise magazine had to say:

Flatlands are a brilliant discovery by Sound Devastation and after hearing their name on the underground for some time I’ve been eager to check them out. ‘Vermuyden’ is a layered, well structured and heavy album of grand scale that truly impresses. Comparable to bands like Neurosis and Capricorns in terms of quality and substance, Flatlands could be considered to fit into the genre of post-rock/metal but they have added their own crucial and unique twist to the sound. They don’t simply follow heavy sections with melodic sections but rather blend both into a constantly evolving beast that swamps anything in its path. With a tangible passion and emotion conveyed through their playing, the band stands out from the crowd and genuinely impress with ‘Vermuyden’.

And then Gin Tramp webzine said this:

Flatlands has been a name to be uttered only by those who know the true ferocity of their on record dissonance, one can only imagine what it’s like live. Releasing a 2 track 12” on the bloody awesome SuperFi label, Flatlands now come up with this… a 6 track EP on Sound Devastation, set to be remarked by many as the release that makes the band truly great.
Does it live up to the hype? Of course it does… as intriguing as Neurosis, as bludgeoning as ISIS and as downright epic as Red Sparowes in parts, ‘Vermuyden’ is a captivating 36 minutes and certainly solidifies the band as one of the most dense noise making behemoths currently in the UK.
RATING: 7 out of 10
WE SAY: Like a plank of wood to your ever unprotected ear drum….

Praise indeed, fit to warm even the flintiest heart. As we wind down for hibernation, we can also sustain ourselves with the sure knowledge that we have at least one occurrence to look forward to in the new year, appearing with three of our very favourite musical troupes, no less. See the Gigs page for details.

If that will not be suffice to keep your spirits as warm as the writer shall doubtless be while he passes the winter in his cave, then perhaps the anticipation of more multimedia titbits for your edification will tide you over... watch this space for developments.

5th November 2006:

A week has passed since our triumphant return from our latest trek... time enough to evaluate the full impact of all that has been achieved, to lick our wounds, and to retreat back into our isolationist cocoons. Full reports and images will follow in time, but suffice to say fun was had, scrumpy was drunk and people were left subtly altered.

Vermuyden has been let loose, and has received a favourable response thus far (click here for a review, brought to you by the good people of NineHertz. New shirts are also available, and can be acquired either from our good selves or from Sound Devastation Records, as can the CD itself.

We now find ourselves somewhat bereft of engagements for the near future, so if you have a space you'd like us to fill, feel free to get in touch.

4th October 2006:

Welcome one and all to the new Flatlands webatorium - a beast born amidst tears of rage and frustration, yet welcome for all that. 

Much has happened in the world of these merry troubadours since last we spoke...

Soon to be unleashed, the new CD - Vermuyden be its name, 6 be the number of its tracks and about thirty-six minutes be its duration. Visit Sound Devastation Records to order, or track it down through shops, both real and internetary. Visit the Songs page to sample one of the songs...

As if we had something to sell, October also sees us off on a major jaunt with Narwhal. This shall be undertaken in the usual spirit of drunkenness and barely concealed hatred.  Plans are afoot to have a whole range of Flatlands goodies available for you, the lucky punter to peruse and purchase... find your nearest port of call on the Gigs page and be there, daddio!