WE NEVER LEARNED TO LIVE- s/t EP REVIEW

Welcome to another review. Do you ever feel like the format of the EP is grossly overshadowed by the LP/album? In the case of this gem, I certainly do.

This is the first release from this hardcore five-piece hailing from Brighton. While descriptions and tags can sometimes be ambiguous and misleading, their self acclaimed characteristics: "Post-Rock inspired cathartic misery" not only lives up to but exceeds the expectations created by such a claim. While this is only a three track affair, the amount of genuine power, passion and dynamic sensitivity present makes this EP feel like it is, figuratively, bursting at the seams. With two long songs bookending this piece, you can enter into this expecting something quite ambitious, quite intense and quite interesting which will most definitely be rewarding and enjoyable.The way in which all of the songs flow naturally into each other makes this an even more enjoyable listen. In some ways it is perhaps better to view it as one continuous twenty-three minute song.

The opening of this EP sets the mood with a very despondent guitar passage accompanied lightly with the drums. This motif gradually begins to reach a crescendo, giving way to the first heavy, ballsy riff. This is a fantastic beginning as it shows the important role of the tension and release build up which is present later in the EP and can be seen as a nod to their post-rock influences.

This post-rock characteristic is continued through the ethereal tremolo picked guitar leads that are present throughout this release and wouldn't feel out of place on an Explosions In The Sky LP for example. It's dark, it's haunting, it's emotional and the contrast of having the beautiful alongside the ugly, distorted guitars and relentless drums highlights these features and the feelings that they are able to evoke. This sound is mirrored in the vocals which sound painful and passionate in their harsh, screamed delivery.I feel in some ways that the vocal delivery could make or break this release for some listeners but I also feel in the context of the music, they are more than appropriate for the atmosphere that is produced.

In addition, the production is also very effective for this particular style. It is impressive to see a band in this stage of their infancy with such a great grasp on their particular musical direction and mix which is normally quite a rarity. All of the instruments are balanced nicely and the constant changes in dynamics are managed with care. The nuances in the drumming are particularly impressive, such as the cymbal accents and it is nice to hear how they are highlighted in the recording. However, some of the clean vocals could have done with being louder, especially in the first track where they are buried slightly beneath the guitars and drums.

I suppose in some ways the beauty and curse of this release is how a lot of its potency is subjective and it is down to the listener to make sense of it. Some sounds cannot simply be described arbitrarily; they need to be felt... and there are a lot of spots on this EP that I don't want to ruin for any potential listeners. This is an EP that I would highly recommend you listen to if hardcore, screamo, post rock and punk are styles that interest you.

Rating- 8/10

Listen to the full EP here! 

Links to their Facebook, Bandcamp and Bigcartel are here:

https://www.facebook.com/WeNeverLearnedToLive/info?ref=ts

http://weneverlearnedtolive.bandcamp.com/

http://throughlove.bigcartel.com/product/we-never-learned-to-live-s-t

Show these guys some love and buy that damn sexy vinyl... I mean, just look at it. I would...

AMESOEURS- s/t ALBUM REVIEW

When it comes to genre and sub-genre identification in metal, and in extreme music in general, we all know that it can be easy to go overboard in the taxonomy and that it can turn into a bit of a headache. I find that the situation with this album is, the more you listen to it, the more the influences on the music begin to present themselves, leaving it open to interpretation... and susceptible to anal, pedantic categorisation from music elitists. You can expect elements of black metal, post-punk, post-rock and even shoegaze on this LP. If you really want to throw the boat out, you could whack the 'blackgaze' label on it. However, whenever it comes to actually listening to it in it's entirety, the first and lasting impression of beauty it radiates makes you forget the classification game.

This is the first, and sadly only, full length from this French based supergroup, featuring Neige from black metal/shoegaze giants, Alcest, Audrey Sylvain of Peste Noire and Fursy Teyssier of Les Discrets. This lineup, even before you begin listening to the album, gives you a rough idea of what to expect musically due to their shared roots in both black metal and shoegaze and their interaction with each others respective projects in terms of guest appearances.


The opening instrumental track, Gas In Veins, acts as a perfect introduction to the dark side of the atmosphere which is present in various spots throughout the LP. The opening tremolo picked guitars with heavy reverb, delay and overdrive help set this tone and also showcase the typical sub-generic characteristics of this style. The production sounds great on this song too. Every instrument compliments each other and no definition is lost between the layers of reverb and more defined and distinguishable guitar and bass tracks in the foreground of the mix. The climax of the song which is built up with blast beats on the drums (in true black metal style) leaves you with a sense of urgency and breathlessness.

However, this is contrasted with the following track which introduces a more up tempo, upbeat and catchy sound which is most present on the album. This, along with songs such as Recueillement, Faux Semblants and the title track Amesoeurs almost make you feel like you are listening to an alternative rock album with a slightly dark edge. The guitar melodies and smooth, angelic vocals from Sylvain are infectious, easily making the songs distinguishable from one another whilst simultaneously giving an underlying feeling of melancholy. The sadness is particularly present on the closing track, Au Crepuscule De Nos Reves. The heart wrenching chord progression and melody which ends on an unresolved note brings this feeling of melancholy to the front of your attention. For this reason it acts as a great closer because listening to the last note fade away is like watching your lover leave, never to return. It's ironic that, metaphorically, this is actually the case since it looks unlikely that Amesoeurs will return and release another album. Poetic and sad at the same time!

Although not as frequent on the album, when the screamed, wretched vocals do appear, they do make a powerful statement. The only song where it doesn't work so well is Eveils Infames. In fact, just in general, this song seems out of place on this album in my opinion. While it clearly shows the black metal side of the band's influences, it feels too immediate and aggressive in comparison to the generally mellow and pretty atmosphere in the rest of the songs which are able to blend the more extreme elements of black metal in a more subtle and ear pleasing way. Furthermore, after hearing the warm layers created by the layering of shimmering guitars and bass, it feels very one dimensional and flat in contrast.

One other minor gripe I have is with the way the drums are mixed on a few songs. While it is generally very consistent and very palatable, there are a few cases during the blast beats where the snare drum could have been a little louder or more defined.

Overall, this is a fantastic album. It is generally consistent in blending extreme black metal traits within the context of a very beautiful, atmospheric setting and the result is an album that you want to listen to from start to finish and makes you hit repeat as soon as it ends. The issues I have with this release do not overshadow my enjoyment of this album as a whole which is one of its greatest strengths, along with the fine attention to detail in both the melodies and song structures. This is definitely an album worth your time!


Rating- 9/10

Favourite songs- Heurt, Recueillement, Faux Semblants and Au Crepuscule De Nos Reves.

Least favourite songs- Eveils Infames and La Reine Trayeuse.


Check out the album here!