“5 Albums That Changed My Life” with Theo Sandberg (Acres)

With bands like Devil Sold His Soul and Amia Venera Landscape satisfying the appetite of adventurous post-hardcore and post-metal fans everywhere, one would be remiss to skip over the South Coast, UK’s fast-rising juggernaut, Acres. They’ve released two highly successful EP’s, and are gunning for the stars with their unreleased full-length due out later this year. The band successfully merges ambience with the fury and emotion of post-hardcore, with slight tinges of post-rock, and is a band you’ll want to keep on your radar.

Guitarist Theo Sandberg stopped by to issue 5 albums that have had a massive impact on his life. No matter the musician, these lists are always a treat to read – this one certainly is, too. Check out the list after the jump.

“Albums That Have Changed My Life”
with Theo Sandberg (Acres)

To start things off, I have decided to approach this from a creative point of view (as opposed to a more physical outlook on the subject) as for the time being I do not yet feel I have experienced enough in life to list off five albums that have physically changed me as a person and the way I perceive the world we live in. Instead I will be addressing the albums that I believe have shaped me as a musician and consequently, have influenced me to write the music I do to this day.

Gojira – From Mars To Sirius

First on the list is definitely the heaviest album of the five. When I was nine I remember going to see Trivium live with a friend and Gojira happened to be the opening band. Their set left me completely gobsmacked; it was unlike anything I’d heard before. Back then Gojira were creating sounds using their instruments that I didn’t even know were possible at the time, it was very exciting for me as a young guitarist and definitely inspired me to think out of the box whenever possible! This album in its whole entirety showcases Gojira as a band perfectly, filled with soul crushingly heavy riffs and thought provoking lyrics.
Song recommendation: Flying Whales –

Jeff Buckley – Grace

I was fully introduced to Jeff Buckley’s music at a point in my life where my music taste revolved purely around metal (bands like Machine Head, Slipknot, Lamb of God etc). At the time I was currently going through a nasty breakup and truly found solitude in Buckley’s songs. He has an incredibly powerful and emotive voice and is still one of my favourite singers to this day. Listening to the album Grace at a point in my life where I was left in a very defensive state really helped me open up to myself and become more accepting of the low points in life that everyone has to go through. There’s a live version of his song Dream Brother that includes an entirely improvised intro that I find especially haunting and resonates with me on a very personal level.
Song recommendation: Dream Brother (Live Glastonbury) –

Mastodon – Leviathan

Between the age of 6 and 15, I used to go camping with my family during the summer on an island just of the coast of France called Herm. Herm itself is only a mile and a half in length and barely a third of that in width, however; as a result, it is incredibly uncommon to be outside yet to have the sea itself out of sight. Due to this, our trips consisted of mainly cliff walks and visits to the beach when the weather was good and keeping warm inside our tents when the conditions weren’t so fortunate.
Although I had been briefly introduced to Mastodon beforehand, it was after the release of their second full length Leviathan that I truly fell in love with their sound. Leviathan itself is a concept album based on the classic of American literature, Moby Dick. I distinctively remember listening to it for the first time whilst following a cliff path along the Island of herm. It was a rainy day and as a result of the albums mysterious and nautical undertones – along with the very apparent gale-force winds sending waves crashing up against the cliffs’ edge – I was left staring into what was the English Channel with complete awe. There is something incredibly mystifying about the sea and I think Mastodon really managed to portray that with this release. Each track takes you on a journey that is slightly outside of the expected and truly paints a musical picture of the unknown. Even to this day listening to Leviathan still transports back to that cliff top path staring into the sea while contemplating in my head its immense size.
Song Recommendation: Hearts Alive –

Sigur Rós – ( )

Out of all the bands and composers on this list, I personally find the most solace in Sigur Rós’ music. Amidst the simplicity and meditative soundscapes, there is something immensely real and honest about the music Jón Þór Birgisson (vocalist/guitarist and songwriter for Sigur Rós) writes. The minimalistic and drone-like tones apparent in their compositions – for me – set an atmosphere that more than anything describes love in all it’s imperfections as well as perfections. It is music that can be appreciated in any state of mind and in my opinion can also be very healing. The album ( ) influenced me hugely as a musician and as a result, has without a doubt affected the music I choose to write myself (whether it be for Acres or anything else).
Song Recommendation: Untitled 1 (“Vaka”) –

Camille Saint-Saëns – The Carnival Of The Animals

The Carnival of the Animals (Le carnaval des animaux) is a musical suite of fourteen movements by the French Romantic composer Camille Saint-Saëns. Although this may not entirely fit in with the rest of the music I’ve put forward, Saint-Saëns compositions played a great part in my childhood. I have a scrapbook worth of memories from various times whilst I was growing up in which one of the fourteen movements would have been accompanying in the background. My favourite movement is the 7th, Aquarium. It has a very beautiful and flowing structure to itself that glides up and down gracefully throughout the piece almost replicating that of a shoal of fish (hence it’s name).
Song Recommendation: Aquarium –

Check out Acres’ music video for “Write Home” here.
Follow the band on Facebook.