These guys manage to blend hard core with sludge and don't rip off Neurosis in the process. Like a lot of other music out there other subgenres can be tagged on to them depending on what section of what song you are on but the bottom line is they are making good music.
The first forty one seconds opens with an outburst of hardcore which is followed by the song "Awaken" whose drumming at the end could be compared to a similar break on "Enemy of the Sun" but thats pretty much where thos comparisons end, I think Converge is a better frame of reference. Though they are more poised in the shadows with none of the spastic tantrums. They give the songs room to breathe and then explode back into, the sort of dynamics I'm all about.
"Unrelenting Storm" almost seems like an extension of the previous , it like they took elements that existed in the songs end and let the next song reflect it as a movement, when "Awaken" built into its explosions this song recedes from its. It's the rapid cycle nature of this dark bi polar exploration that makes this album a compelling listen from to front to back.
There could be too many hard core elements for some diehard metal kids, but close minds will miss out. It's like this is the depressive suicidal version of hardcore. "Offer" starts with harsh heart ripping screams,that I believe more than if they employed death metal growls as I feel black metal and hardcore vocals are often capable of expressing more emotion than a gurgle or bark. The blastier sections while executed well don't do tons for the song though they are sparse.
"To the Sky" comes in two parts, the first strummed clean guitar and vocals with Ambiant noise in the back ground, while it doesn't sound like Joy Division it has that sort of feel to me. The sequel is this time they are back and out for blood, the heavier section this call and response same notes just beaten to a distorted pulp. It still keeps some of the creepy beauty intact.
It wakes back into the darkness on " Where do they go?" it's an clean minor key jangle, with the funeral croon vocals pondering before they raise into a more melodic build. There's a slight post rock feel but it's far more down trodden before it hits the gas into hardcore. Some of the hardcore riffs are of the more straightforward variety leaning towards a blasty nastiness, while they touch on sludge elements I'd say their hearts are still I the hardcore. Which there seems to be a rising trend of ex hardcore kids growing out of the breakdown and finding Nick Cave albums. These guys aren't afraid to use the drone, they let it blend them over into the more powerful sludge section in this songs second act. It also should be said that t no time do i feel like they are defaulting by the alternating vocals into the good cop/ bad cop thing , I think Becuase they steer away from what has already been done along those lines rather than the big Atreyu chorus.
There's a certain emotional flatness to the clean vocals at the beginning of "Unknown" until it makes me think this is hard core for sociopaths. The clean guitar build is really cool and effective in the transition back into the heavy.the riff at the three minute mark is a monster. The break down at the 2:25 mark is very original sounding in its execution, drop out every thing but the drums and scream has been done but it way it's layered with atmosophere takes it somewhere different. If this is in fact the new screamo then I'm o.k with it though I tout bands like. La Dispute already pave that way and this nothing like them.
I will give this a 9 out of ten, as some of the blastier hard core parts didn't sound like they were constructed with the same creativity the rest of the album was and the band already displayed to me they are capable of painting my ears with dark and beautiful pictures with more depth than blast default, I am glad I heeded Cvlt Nation's advice and finally tracked this one down. Recommend for ex hardcore kids who have crossed over to the dark side and broken edge.
