The Binding "s/t" CD
[Imagine It]
Whoa, this is really quite fucking good for caustic and chaotic metalcore, so even though it falls into that category I want to stress this right now: Keep reading, because this band has a lot to offer and they shit all over 95% of their contemporaries in this field. Expect your usual dose of blasting speeds and churning midpaced breakdowns, as well as acerbic flurries of notes and dissonant chord progressions or noisy picking patterns, but with plenty of melodic intensity and fucked up time signatures that require a little more aptitude than most such bands - while vicious female vocals scream, shriek, shout, and growl relentlessly overhead. Despite the unhinged and frenzied nature of the compositions, the songwriting is actually pretty damn powerful, and a lot of that comes from the fact that not only are these folks competent musicians who play their instruments with precision, but you can tell that they've actually put a lot of time into piecing things together. There are tons of dual guitar riffs that have a lot of intricacy involved in how the instruments layer together over the rhythm section, and the songs do ebb and flow, building up and growing but still repeating and referencing themselves rather than jumping from riff to riff to riff until three or four minutes have passed. "Keep Walking, Empty Eyed Man" opens on a strong note with lots of stuttered rhythmic shifts and energetic performances that tend to grab hold and exceed the remainder of the EP in terms of overall impact, while "A Man, a Plan, a Canal, Panama" most effectively blends melodic undercurrents with post-hardcore textures and shitloads of changes within a fairly tangible framework. And just check out the eerie clean guitars over pulsing distorted bass in the instrumental "Addenda", lending more of a streamlined indie rock twist to an otherwise in your face assault elsewhere on the EP - and the melodic distorted chords and chunky picking patterns that surface later in the piece aren't to be ignored either! "Insanity in Numbers" hits on some Botch-esque pull-off runs and slides, but also tosses in a technical death metal vibe with some of the slick alternate picking riffs, some of which continues into "Shoot the Shooters" and becomes even more complexity on occasion. The recording is pretty fuckin' nice to my ears. I think the vocals sound superb, the guitars are heavy but still have enough of a bite for the noisier elements, the bass adds a lot of density, and the drums are crisp and full. If I could change anything I'd give the basslines a hint more definition and clean up the guitars just a touch so that they'd drive the material a little more (along with the percussion, which is slightly dominant at times). But like I said, this thing sounds pretty damn nice to me, so they're basically good to go as is. The layout keeps it simple with dark, minimal imagery and handwritten text, which I'm certainly a fan of in this case. I like the lyrics as well, since they're abstract enough to where you're not sure what they're going for, but it doesn't seem forced at all: "They scream status, where do you rank? Does it matter? It can be taken away on a cool, clear, calm night when you're all alone. But this is a chance worth taking. Don't lead, don't follow. Don't ask questions. Check your pulse at the door." In the end I have huge hopes for this band. Some of the riffing is definitely a little overly typical, which can cause 'em to lose some steam during the longer tracks, but as writers they're far superior to most of their contemporaries, and this EP is one of the brightest stars I've encountered lately in an otherwise stale and tired genre. These kids definitely have more talent, more creativity, and more vision than most of what's out there, so... I'm guessing (and hoping) that their next effort will be the big one. Not bad at all. (7/10)
Running time - 17:35, Tracks: 5
[Notable tracks: Keep Walking, Empty Eyed Man, A Man, a Plan, a Canal, Panama, Addenda]
Imagine It Records - http://www.imagineitrecords.com

This review has been displayed 1180 times.