THE CONTORTIONIST- EXOPLANET ALBUM REVIEW

When you think of the term 'concept album' within the context of progressive rock and progressive metal, albums that may immediately spring to mind could include Pink Floyd- Dark Side of the Moon, King Krimson- In the Court of the Crimson King and Dream Theater- Metropolis pt. 2: Scenes From A Memory. These are just a few great pieces that showcase the power and captivation that a concept album can produce and they present their themes, musical motifs and structures in unique ways. Having said that, we can deduce some common characteristics typical of this form of album structuring.

It is almost a given that concept albums are going to be long, complex musically and structurally, dynamic and have a certain awareness of predecessors who have used this style of writing. So, how does a concept album work within the confines of deathcore and ‘djent’? In the case of The Contortionist and this, their debut full length 'Exoplanet', they manage to execute an extremely enjoyable album that seems not to be stuck within the confines of its labels at all. 

While it is traditional for the songs to run seamlessly into each other, Exoplanet successfully manages to present nine strong songs which can be enjoyed equally as separate tracks as well as a single cohesive piece. Whichever perspective you decide to take when listening to these tracks, it can't be denied that this LP is able to progress the narrative powerfully with each song, climaxing with the the three part title track at the end of the album. It is a tale of the birth, expansion and eventual demise of the human race with the latter half of the album detailing a plan to colonise another planet in the hope of continuing our legacy. Along with the heavy, dissonant guitar work and slow heavy sections, melodic guitar passages and sci-fi sound effects are interwoven throughout in order to bring this story to life. The overall result of such a combination is an album full of mosh friendly but interesting breakdowns mixed with amazingly beautiful sections capable of satisfying a wide metal audience, all the way from deathcore to progressive metal. 

This blend of musical approaches is strong in the opening two tracks, Primal Directive and Flourish. Colourful guitar leads are scattered across these songs to showcase the technical proficiency of guitarists Robby Baca and Cameron Maynard as well as creating breathtaking, soaring passages that prove that beauty and brutality are not mutually exclusive in extreme metal sub-genres. Nor should they be, considering how well they are integrated, especially on Primal Directive, Flourish, Vessel and Oscillator. The contrast of Jonathan Carpenter's vocal styles further emphasises the strengths of merging styles together. The repeated mantra of the opening song, Primal Directive, is a good example of this:

You. Have. Been. Defined. 

At the midpoint of the song, this line is  delivered delicately while at the end, it is presented through Carpenter's deep growls. When you look at the overall concept of the album, this could be seen as a stylistic way of presenting the turbulence experienced by the human race during its inception and evolution as shown in the opening two songs. It could also be to show the turbulence that is inevitable to the human race. We are damned by being 'defined', bound by mortality and unable to survive the oncoming collapse of our solar system, an idea presented in Expire and the songs that follow. Pretentious reading or not, I believe the music truly reflects the narrative in an engaging and appropriate way due to the attention to detail in the vocals and more melodic passages. 

Having said that, the attention to detail does not stop at the guitar leads and melodies. The riffs and breakdowns throughout the album are often offset with interesting time signatures and syncopation, allowing for the comparison to 'djent' or modern progressive metal. However, these inventive rhythmic ideas are augmented with muting, dynamic sensitivity, natural and artificial harmonics, tapping, layering of distorted and clean guitar tones among other techniques which seem to appear in exactly the right places at exactly the right time. This vast sonic palate not only allows The Contortionist to escape from being pigeon-holed to a specific genre but also makes it obvious that this is a band capable of mature song writing and structuring; a band that is interested in exploring and creating broad soundscapes outside of the norms. Particularly good examples of this include the riffs that begin and conclude Flourish as well as the sporadic and intricate passages that open Advent and Oscillator in a devastating manner.

All of this colourful musical expertise culminates and reaches another level with the three part closing title track- Exoplanet I:Egress II.Void III.Light. Not only does this solidify the flow of the album, it also acts as the perfect closing suite, tying the concept together musically and thematically, reinforcing the tie between the crushing and melodic. Perhaps the most powerful moment of this three part song is the very ending, with the sound of the space station pulse slowly fading away into the swallowing black of space. To me, it sounds like the last lonely pulse of the human heartbeat as the hope of colonisation and survival dies. 

Like so much of the extreme music that exists, this is an album that on paper will either immediately intrigue or repulse potential listeners but it can only be fully appreciated and understood if you give it a chance and listen to it in its entirety. Descriptions and flowery, obsessed personal ramblings can only go so far in promoting this piece of music haha but for those of you who do decide to give this album a shot, you are in for a real treat.

In short, if you are into any form of extreme or experimental metal, Exoplanet is worth your time. The stellar production and mixing, the song structuring, overall album flow, dynamic sensitivity, and musical ingenuity makes this, for me, a stand out album of the last decade. I'm convinced that this album will face and survive the test of time and emerge as a timeless concept album in the years to come. Can it be seen as being on a par with some of the classic concept albums from the pre-2000's? No, but that's ok because this is a whole new beast. This is The Contortionist- Exoplanet. 

The Contortionist finished recording their third full length album on April 23rd, expect some more sci-fi, eargasmic transcendental metal later this year! 

Rating- 10/10

Favourite songs- Primal Directive, Flourish, Vessel, Oscillator and Exoplanet.

Least favourite songs- Contact.


Check out their Facebook page and buy their album and merch here:

https://www.facebook.com/thecontortionist?fref=ts 

http://www.goodfightmusic.com/artists/thecontortionist.php 

HUMAN INFECTION- CURVATURES IN TIME ALBUM REVIEW

After nearly three decades of death metal and the various sub-genres that evolved out of the metallic cesspit of the 80's, it is still going strong and shows no sign of relenting. However, with all of the amalgamations and seemingly endless stream of 'cores' that spawned in the 90's and early 2000's, it can sometimes lead us to question the relevance and impact of bands who stick clearly to their roots. Do the young, innovative acts who explore new territory outweigh the artists who retain the sound and spirit of their forefathers? In a world where slam and deathcore exist, can we even consider death metal bands with an old-school vibe as heavy in a contemporary setting? Do any of these questions actually matter? That's for you to decide but one thing is clear: when it comes to the new Human Infection LP, it shows that powerful, old-school death metal can still be crafted, and can still be crafted tastefully. 

This is the sophomore full length from this Virginia based band, released this February via Blast Head Records. While it can not be said that much new ground is explored on this album, it creates a brutal, pummelling sound akin to their influences such as Dying Fetus and Cryptopsy, while simultaneously challenging them. Standing at just over 30 minutes and 10 tracks in length, this is a dense, compact statement of death metal which successfully incorporates elements of thrash and grindcore for a fresh end product which is a joy ride from front to back. 

The first track after the intro, Celestial, introduces many of the strong characteristics that can be expected throughout the album. The blast beats that open this song are tight and puncturing, leaving no room for foreplay and getting straight to the point. However, it's nice how the blasts are not the dominating force in the drumming on this song, or the rest of the album for that matter. Slower sections are interwoven in this song as well as Devastation, In Vain and the title track Curvatures In Time for a delightfully heavy impact and the overall bass heavy mix on this LP emphasise these sections. And to round it off, the fast skank beats in this song are reminiscent of 80's thrash metal and also capture a  sound that wouldn't sound too out of place within hardcore punk or d-beat.

If there is one thing above all else that makes this album stand out, it would be the consistent guitar work. This album is an absolute riff fest, full of infectious grooves and syncopated rhythms which help make a lot of these songs memorable and make the replay value of the album very high. Some of the trills and harmonised riffs in songs such as Devastation, Ex-Nihilo and Decay Inheritance produce a dark, evil atmosphere which could be likened to Slayer. Furthermore, the way in which a lot of these riffs interact with the diverse display of drumming help to prevent the song structures from feeling burnt out and recycled which can sometimes become an issue in this genre. 

 

I'm particularly enjoying Decay Inheritance. I love the slow riff which is repeated a few times throughout the song. The thunderous half time kick drum and ride cymbal which accentuates the saturated, thick rhythm guitar makes this one of the most crushing spots on the album. The vocal style is very complimentary for this style too, appearing harsh and guttural yet noticeably more decipherable when compared to a lot of death metal vocalists throughout the last three decades. 

An issue I have with this LP is how a few of the songs towards the back end of the album seem to blaze by without making much of an impact. While in some cases the succinct, wham bam fuck you ma'am nature is a major strength showcased by Human Infection, especially in the case of Decay Inheritance, this quality begins to wane slightly as the album progresses. On top of this, the way in which the closing title song ends with a fade leaves a slightly bitter taste in your mouth and, to me at least, does not seem to do the album justice, especially when you consider how powerful some of the riffs in this song are. For such a heavy, hard hitting album, surely a more decisive, emphatic ending would have been more suitable to round it off in style.

So if you're wondering about the relevance of old-school death metal in today's musical climate, or if you're just looking for your next fix of powerful song writing to satisfy your death metal cravings, this is an album you should check out. It shows that not only is this style relevant, it is as, if not more, potent than it was around the time of its inception. Sometimes all it takes is some new blood to inject some life into a genre which is gaining a few grey hairs and this album is a fantastic example of that.

Rating- 8/10

Favourite songs- Celestial, Devastation , Decay Inheritance and In Vain.

Least favourite songs- Impending Purification.

Check out Human Infection's Facebook page here:

https://www.facebook.com/HumanInfectionband?fref=ts

Check out the Blast Head Records Facebook page here:

https://www.facebook.com/blastheadrecords?fref=ts

Show these guys some love by visiting the Blast Head store here:

http://blastheadrecords.com/store/

WORMED- EXODROMOS ALBUM REVIEW

This is an album that I first discovered around late spring/ early summer last year with a good friend of mine and fellow music enthusiast. He let me borrow this LP but for whatever reason, I just did not get around to giving it the full attention it really deserved... until the beginning of this year. So, we are a little over a year late now but better late than never right?

I'd like to preface this by saying that I made my "Top 10 Albums of 2013" list before I got a chance to dedicate some time to listening to this album (you can watch the video of my selections here). Obviously it would be a bit pointless re-doing this list... BUT if I could go back and change it, Wormed- Exodromos would, without a doubt, be in the top 5 bracket of the list.

As a big death metal fan, I have found, as time goes on, that in some ways it becomes slightly harder to find death metal albums that are able to give you same thrill and have the "wow factor" of your first exposure to the genre. Initially it can take some getting used to the very guttural vocal style, the intense, fast paced, intricate guitar work and almost ridiculously fast blast beats on the drums, especially in modern death metal and technical death metal. But once it "clicks", these traits become exhilarating and leave you thirsting for more, putting you on the insatiable quest for more rapid double kick drums and sick riffage. As time goes by though, that initial thrill begins to wear off and, in order to enjoy albums within the sub genres of death metal, you need to look beyond the face value instrumental characteristics. Yes, you can play me a blast beat at 280bpm but if it is not doing anything in terms of progressing the song or emphasising certain passages within the song, then it can come across as a bit gratuitous occasionally. I also find that as time has passed, I am now less enamoured with shredding/soloing/general high register fretboard wankery in death metal (Necrophagist for example). While there are times where it does work exceptionally well, I do not think it's necessary or mandatory at all times within the genre.

So why am I saying all of this? Well, Exodoromos, the second full length LP from this Spanish death metal behemoth managed to successfully incorporate the speed, technicality and sheer brutality that would be expected in death metal while presenting it in a unique way which can't help but catch your attention.

It is obvious right from the outset that this is an LP which is far more focused on the rhythmic and technical side of death metal, rather than being a guitarist's showmanship. I'm loving the detailed, heavy guitar work and the erratic structure introduced on the opener Nucleon and this is a constant feature throughout this LP. The shifts in tempo, time signatures, rhythms and breaks keep you guessing, making each new song that passes as fun and unpredictable as the last. Even beyond your first listen of the album, this sporadic nature keeps Exodromos fresh and also gives it a structural quality which could be likened to grindcore and deathgrind. For this reason, a band that instantly springs to mind when it comes to comparisons is Origin. The only real changes of pace on this album are Solar Neutrinos and Darkflow Quadrivium which in a way act as a necessary breather from the unrelenting nature of the songs as well as maintaining the atmosphere of the album.

Even more importantly than the structuring, the instrumentation and sound choices really help sell this album. The intermittent gravity blasts on the snare that appear on Nucleon and are scattered on a few other songs make a heavy impact. Their appearance in short bursts puts emphasis on the power of the music. It is great that this technique is not overused because, like fast double kick drum and blast beats, it can become stale very quickly. Also, the guitars sound fantastic. Overall, the sound produced is quite ambiguous and atonal with the exception of a few riffs on the album which produces a nice tonal contrast. While this could initially make it difficult for new listeners to grasp the album, this contrast helps to keep the album engaging throughout.

On top of this, the futuristic, almost sci-fi vibe this creates is perfect when you take into account the lyrical concept of the album, focusing on the idea of the death of our solar system and an advanced human race (more information on this lyrical concept and story can be found here). Although it is not apparent on the first listen, the structure of the album is also particularly powerful  in presenting this concept. Musical motifs, most notably from the songs Tautochrone, Multivectorial Reionisation, Spacetime Ekleipsis Vortice and Stellar Depopulation reappear in the closing song Xenoverse Discharger. Although it takes a few listens to grasp, this acts as the perfect way of rounding off such a busy, intricate set of songs and it goes to prove that it really is rewarding when you dedicate some time to an album of this level of musicianship.

Definite highlights for me include the atmospheric guitar break half way through Tautochrone and the squealing, bending harmonics that appear shortly after this. I absolutely dig the ending sections of Stellar Depopulation and Techkinox Wormhole. The strong galloping guitar chug over the top of the drums fit together perfectly on Depopulation and the fast staccato, odd time hammer blasts on the drums that slowly fade on Wormhole really takes you by surprise.

One thing that is worth mentioning is the vocal style which there seems to be a polar reaction to. For some, it really makes the album, for others, they have severe difficulty getting past the sound. If you had to describe it, it's somewhere in between an undecipherable low guttural and pig squeal. In the context of the music, in some ways it is safer to view the vocals as another percussive device and, to me at least, it aids in the futuristic aesthetic created by the concept and the guitars. If you close your eyes and concentrate really hard while listening to this album, you could imagine Predator singing these songs......

If you are a fan of death metal, this is an album that needs to be in your collection. It is as unrelenting and brutal as it is intricate, diverse and sporadic which is a welcome change in the vast sea of technical death metal. It is certainly one of my favourite death metal albums. If you've listened to it, let me know what you think. What are your highlights? Is this album really as innovative as I'm claiming it to be? Do you prefer this style over a more old school traditional death metal sound?

 

Rating- 10/10

Favourite songs- Nucleon, Tautochrone, Multivectorial Reionisation, Stellar Depopulation and Xenoverse Discharger.

Least favourite songs- Spacetime Ekleipsis Vortice.

On a side note... check out those damn song titles: The Nonlocality Trilemma, Multivectorial Reionisation, Darkflow Quadrivium, Techkinox Wormhole, Xenoverse Discharger... is it just me or are those titles fucking cool as hell? 

Links to their Facebook page and Youtube channel here

https://www.facebook.com/wormed?fref=ts

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPinEz4LGoq_N-3zUhBjbhA

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!