Girth "Living in Truth" CD
[Hector Stentor]
I had no idea what to expect from this instrumental guitar/drums duo, but as is often the case when it comes to duos the music is a little left of center.  In a sense most of the material falls into a math metal sort of style, but the songs range from as little as the 11-second grinding blast of "Hestor Prynne" to the massive 8+ minute epic "The Naked March" - complete with lush clean and acoustic guitars.  Expect everything from thick and chunky rhythms to technical flurries and spacey effects with plenty of discordance, the chaotic juggling of riff changes and time signatures, some really noisy passages that are far more acerbic, etc.  It's an interesting setup where the songs are both caustic and frenzied while at the same time having enough of a structured flow to feel coherent and tangible, so this could probably appeal to fans of Breadwinner the same as it could to fans of Mr. Bungle.  "A Discreet Rendezvous" has one tangible midpaced break that's more straightforward in its heaviness, and the slightly longer "Soul Seduces Body" has some sparse repetition involved but doesn't refrain from wandering all over the place or getting noisy.  "Love is a Battle" starts off sludgier and more abstract to some degree, but it's the beautiful acoustic guitars that really make this one a true gem amongst the other songs, as that side of the band's writing is absolutely awesome.  I'd love to hear more of that seep into this work!  Also impressive is the weird rock meets melodic dissonant brilliance in the back and forth "Taming My Jealousy".  Great stuff there, seriously.  The recording is pretty damn nice as well.  Since they're a duo things are a little thinner than average, but there are two guitar layers (panned) to add some density and detail, and the guitar tone is a solid blend of heavy low-end to make up for the absence of bass and a good midrange crunch to keep things in order.  It's heavy without being overbearing or forced, and there's a dryness to it that works perfectly.  Also nice are the drums, which sound totally natural - exactly as I'd hope.  No gripes there.  The layout was handled by Stephen O'Malley and is a pretty insane and intricate layering of shapes that has a fucked up three-dimensional thing going on.  The text (which is mostly on the back cover - the entire booklet is all artwork) is tiny and can be hard to read, but screw it, ‘cause it looks nice as hell.  I'm digging this disc.  I think streamlining the songwriting could payoff tenfold since some of the slightly more tangible material hits so much harder, but either way fans of the almighty riff should look into these guys.  In my opinion they're a great descendant of this particular niche's well-respected lineage, and therefore deserving of much more attention since this is the first time I've ever heard of ‘em.  The band name is a little misleading as it definitely has some hokey connotations involved when you're running blind, but the cover art and the music definitely reverse and misgivings the name might carry with it.  So... don't be fooled, look into this one. (7/10)
Running time - 42:39, Tracks: 12
[Notable tracks: A Discreet Rendezvous, Love is a Battle, Taming My Jealousy, The Naked March]
Girth - http://www.houseofgirth.com

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