Seems to be band's first proper full length. Caught my interest as it's a Swedish post-punk project that features members of In Solitude. It is more up beat and user friendly than I thought it would be going into this. While I have read reviews slagging the band for wearing their influences on their sleeves, I can't really hear that. In fact they are a welcome relief from the flood of post-punk bands just wanting to Joy Division, which is my main gripe about the way this movement is going.
The album is plenty dark enough. The bass tone is gnarly and is one of the main contributing factors to it's shadow side. It opens with a fuzzy and taunt take on modern punk. The vocals are screamed in rather typical faux British . There are some almost doomy riffs lurking around like troll under the bridges in this song. The lyrics take some effort to make out, there is something about revolution in there, so I suspect anti-establishment and disillusionment seem to be the topic.
The album feels less punk as it takes you deeper into their cave. The jangle of the guitar in "Black Path, Clear Spot" wants to make it know that it's not metal. The vocals take a more melodic moan to them and finds us closer to goth here. The guitar tone is really chilling here. The woobly effects are right where they need to be.
The guitar tightens up on "Up the River" to create a very Fugazi like groove. The bass and drums sync up right where they need to be to give the song the push it needs. At seven minutes this instrumental is doing something right to keep me engaged. Though I prefer songs like "Silver Dad", where the crazed spewing of the vocalist adds a chaotic narrative. As the song builds it sounds he is having a nervous break down.
On "Warlord" it sounds like the band recycles one of the riff's from "Sister". Its a good song but the fact that element figures in so heavily is somewhat a distraction. The "Edge of Seventeen" feel makes this one of the most straight up rock n roll songs on the album. The album closes with the pt. 2 of "Up the River". This is also the first song that bears any likeness to Joy Division. Some of this is in the monotone drone of the vocals. The same doomish vibe coats this song.The drums take a lingers pulse rather than establish more of a beat as the song hypnotically drives the point home.
Not what I expected this to be but an album that is going to get a lot of repeat listens as it is very dark and encompasses most of the elements I like for in this type of thing even if some of the rock n roll elements can at times be heavy handed.I'll round this album up to a nine point five as every other element aside from that recycled riff should grow on me. As for fans of In Solitude, this is more along the lines of "Sister" than their more Merciful Fate slanted days.
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