Irreversible “Sins” CD

Having never heard of either Atlanta's Irreversible or their label Hero Entertainment before, I honestly didn't expect much from their debut full-length, "Sins". I don't know why, there's no particular reason, really—that's just how it goes sometimes. So that probably has a lot to do with how stunned I was when I first checked out their music. I was probably expecting something a little more standard and/or geared towards Swedish-y sounding metalcore... I don't know, I just wasn't expecting this: More than an hour's worth of pulsing, pounding, crushing, "Neurisis" styled bludgeonings over the course of 11 tracks that range from minute-or-two-long experiments in shimmery "post-rock" clean passages and electronics to 10+ minute bruisers that beat you over the head with plenty of burly, doom-laden power chords and subtly sludgy, southern-tinged textures. You'll of course notice that I've already dropped the dreaded "post-rock" term here, but such influences are a touch more streamlined within the confines (or lack thereof) of this material, which creates a greater sense of balance than usual and plays out rather nicely—plus, the powerfully dense yet impressively crisp recording certainly helps things along in this regard. It all amounts to a surprisingly sinister and oddly emotional jaunt that seems to atmospherically connect with the band's concept-driven approach. After all, their bio begins:

In less than six years, the Earth is due for a radical change. According to the Mayan calendar and the incredibly accurate Timewave Zero software, in the year 2012, the planet will reach a point of great awakening—a new permanent shift of consciousness. The collision between human nature and the human ego is already taking place, bringing the entire human race closer to an omega point that cannot be undone...

Irreversible "...And Beyond the Infinite"
Irreversible "Blackness That Spread"

This one only seems to be available from the band and the label through their MySpace pages for the time being, so check those out for ordering options.