"Omnivore" is the second full-length and third release overall from Poughkeepsie, NY's Robots and Empire (their first on Trip Machine Laboratories), though I had never heard of the band at all until earlier this year. I'm not sure why that is, but to be completely, brutally fucking honest with you, I've gotta wonder whether or not terrible artwork has been a contributing factor to the band's less-than-focal position out there? No offense intended whatsoever, but god damn, man... I really don't dig the visual aesthetic here at all, and a quick glance at the prior CD covers posted on their MySpace page just leaves me shaking my head and wondering what the hell these cats are thinking!? Because this is a great record! You'd never expect it based on how it looks, but... shit, I mean, the band delivers!
The succinct "bio" on their MySpace page also touches on the general basis for their sound:
Robots and Empire is the ferocious result of four kids from Poughkeepsie, NY who spent time amassing days upon days listening to a ton of post-hardcore records that came out of the east coast in the mid- to late-90's (Quicksand, Into Another, Orange 9mm, Cast Iron Hike, Unsane, Giant's Chair) and a ton of "space rock" from that same time period (Failure, Hum, Chavez, Shiner, the Deftones)...
And you can definitely pick up on a number of those influences throughout the disc, but it's more than that. It's... weird, and, well... much heavier. There's an unexpectedly dense, dingy sort of stoner/sludge factor hovering over the recording, which definitely adds a unique touch to the range of dissonant textures and melodies that would indeed be otherwise more linked to that "post-hardcore" realm—therefore twisting up the end result into something darker and more menacing that truly sounds like a beast of its own. But it's a wild ride overall: 14 generally short tracks (most are two or three minutes apiece) in 45 minutes, traversing churning heaviness and pulsing basslines, borderline catchy hooks, stripped down power chords mashed within odd time signatures and oddball structural shifts, noisily fuzzed-out lead drones, and an array of vocal techniques that rather effortlessly sweeps across all kinds of dynamics without ever shedding its backbone of actual, quality "singing".
I don't know, man... when all is said and done I guess this is another one of those perfect examples of the whole "don't judge a book by its cover" argument, 'cause this shit kicks ass. I really do think that a lot of the people who read this site will dig this record quite a bit. I hope so, anyway!
Robots and Empire "Gamma Ray"
Robots and Empire "Pure Shit"
Comments
Sounds pretty cool indeed.
12.11.2007 | By Pim
Definatly one of the coolest things i’ve heard all year, thanks for the tip!
12.11.2007 | By Christian
I’m glad I hung in there through the entire length of “Gamma Ray”. Just when I was wishing it would get a bit more harsh and noisy, it did. Nicely done. As usual, a good post and nice find.
12.12.2007 | By Karl J
please put more random words in italics
12.12.2007 | By timmy mctimmerson
i love this sound, and the dude’s got a great voice. probably the best discovery in a long time, drew a smile to my face as i was listening.
“hum”? ahhh… *sighs*
by the way, whoever’s calling the shots on cover art needs to get their shit straight - this looks more like some whacky bullshit a la the locust, would’ve never picked it up based on the visuals.
12.13.2007 | By chris
“Timmy”, it’s called emphasis, buddy. I write how I talk, if it doesn’t read that way to you, well… congrats on being the first person in eight years to have seen fit to complain about it.
12.13.2007 | By Andrew Aversionline
I think timmy did the artwork ;)
12.13.2007 | By Pim
BUY THE CD PEOPLE
12.13.2007 | By TRIP MACHINE
i think these guys sound like a mixture of newer style Cave-in and Brutal Truth towards their tail end.
6.17.2008 | By Yay