Grunge and post-pop sit comfortably together on this ‘split’ EP showcasing two contrasting Porto bands – Icosandria and Treewax. 

Release Date:  18^th April 2025

Label: Self Release

Formats: Digital

TWO FOR THE PRICE OF ONE!

I don’t see many of these…

Void Intention is a ‘split’ EP, featuring three tracks each from two wavemaking bands from Porto, Portugal.  Treewax draw their inspiration from the grunge sounds of Nirvana, Dinosaur Jr, Weezer and Ozma.  Icosandria, on the other hand, make reference to the more ethereal experimentalism of bands like Alcest, Slowdrive or Explosions In The Sky.  On paper, it sounds like an odd combination for an EP; in practice, the two bands, and their styles, sit comfortably together.

INTRODUCING…

Treewax are: Gonçalo Ferreira (guitar and vocals), Gustavo Ribero (bass) and Francisco Amando (drums).  They made their recording debut back in 2019, when their debut EP, Tired, went a long way towards defining the band’s signature sound.  Since then, Treewax have released two full-length albums, most recently, their 2023 offering, Only Yesterday, plus a string of singles and EPs.

Icosandria started life in 2021 as a solo vehicle for underground/metal scenester Tiago Pereira.  The project soon expanded into a fully-fledged band when Tiago was joined by a group of collaborators that included Rui Moreira, Miguel Pinhal and Pedro Patricio.  The debut Icosandria album, A Scarlet Luna Glow, was released in 2024.

THE TREEWAX TRACKS

It’s Treewax who get first dibs in the running order and they’ll have listeners off their feet from the grungy – but clean – outset with the EP’s opening track, Save Me.  Gonçalo’s vocals are crystal clear and the accent is Pacific West Coast, without a hint of Portuguese.  The band are tight as a drum and joyously upbeat, despite the anguish expressed in lyrics like: “You always mess with my plans/ I fall subdued to the crippling fact that I’m not yours again.”  It’s one of those songs that’s impossible to dislike…

A burst of guitar feedback introduces the heavy, heavy, hell-for-leather riffage of Nothing Lasts Forever.  It’s a song with a frantic, relentless pace, a song that takes no prisoners and it turns the clock right back to those heady days of late summer 1991 with its grungy authenticity.  It’s on a softer note, however, that Treewax close their allotted half of the EP.  Jangly guitars predominate on the glorious, triumphal, Coming Back Home.  The 3/4 time signature is unexpected, but don’t try waltzing.  Gonçalo puts his entire being into the song’s “Just call me liar” refrain and his guitar soars skywards during the chorus.

FROM GRUNGE TO POST-POP: HERE’S ISOCANDRIA

Icosandria take the EP stage with Chronophobia and, immediately, we’re transported into a more dreamlike existence.  Placid vocal harmonies and a ponderous guitar theme provide a moment for listeners to take a breath, before the pace is cranked up once more.  There’s a lot going on, and my advice is: lie back, and let the music wash over you.

Flowers in the Attic is equally dreamlike but, this time, the dreams are in widescreen.  A grand chorus alternates with a pulsing rhythm and the song reaches skywards during the “I’m through, in two…” refrain.  A passionate middle section: “The only sound in my head is of you…” takes things in a more dramatic direction before calmer waters are reached for the dreamy “I’m through…” coda.

ETHEREAL AND ECSTATIC

It’s clear that Icosandria have saved their best until last as spacy ‘video game’ sounds yield to a soothing poppy motif for the EP’s closing track, Shellkeeper.  Melodic harmonies are the perfect match for the song’s ethereal lyrics and a chiming guitar takes the lead as the song enters its lengthy, ecstatic, playout.

Void Intention is an intriguing blend of two contrasting musical styles and an engaging showcase of two talented, imaginative, upcoming bands.

Watch the official video to Save Me by Treewax – the EP’s opening track – below:

Then stimulate a different set of senses – watch the lyric video to Chromophobia, the first of three Isocandria tracks on the EP here:

Treewax online: Facebook / Instagram / TikTok / YouTube / Bandcamp

Isocandria online: Official Website / Bandcamp

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