The End of the Universe "You're the Disease" CD
[Chainsaw Safety]
After a brief ambient intro these guys dive right into nine tracks of caustic, frantic metalcore, but before you get the wrong idea and start thinking that "caustic, frantic metalcore" means a million changes and wacky heavy metal noodling clashing with chugging mosh parts, think again. This stuff has a lot more in common with the mid-90's take on the style, ala Deadguy and bands that had a little more influence from the Amphetamine Reptile sound when it comes to overall artistry, though of course the heaviness of the recording and the acerbity of the screaming vocals, not to mention some flat out chunky metal riffs, definitely give the band a more contemporary edge. But several of these cats have been around this kind of sound for awhile, formerly serving time in Channel, Jesuit, and even Converge. The aptly titled "Wreckage" wastes no time pushing through lots of noisy riffing and pull-off runs with slower chords progressions that are no less angular or shapeshifting; but when they slow it down? Look the fuck out, because "I'd Like to Think I Was a Violent Drunk" is a real bruiser, chock full of churning midpaced dissonance and more breathing room for the rhythm section to do its thing (notably in the first chunk of the piece); and "Let the Gun Do the Talking" is just under three minutes of crushing midpaced mastery alternating between chugging power chords and feedback textures with prominent basslines and either spoken vocals or absolutely maniacal screaming in the distance that's totally indecipherable. "Eleven Hours to Val Verde" is an energetic burst in less than two minutes that quickly jumps back and forth between memorably discordant chord progressions and post-hardcore textures that actually create a surprisingly catchy little number. Some of that continues in "Play-by-Play at the Prison Riot", which is the longest track at just over five minutes, and actually blends more dynamic shifts into the mix with some spoken vocals and lots of fluid tempo changes for a damn powerful composition. The other longer cut, "Remaining Men Together", lets up on the gas a little more often and tosses in a couple of rocked out runs that actually make for a nice changeup. The recording's not bad at all. The vocals are nice and crisp, the rhythm section sounds natural, and the guitar tone kicks ass. The fact that the instrumentation is a little thick and somewhat rough around the edges makes the vocals lean out front a hint much, but the mix is fairly clear and I don't have any significant complaints. The bass could probably stand for a little more differentiation, but you can still hear the basslines roaming around and thickening things up, so screw it. I'm a definite fan of the drum sound, and the guitars are oddly perfect whether they're working with staccato palm-muted rhythms or noisy winding textures all over the neck. The layout looks quite nice as well, printed entirely in metallic silver ink over white panels and layering faint textures of bones beneath odd illustrations of half-man/half-beast creatures - some of which are morphing into bone structures as well. Unusual, and not necessarily correlating to the content per se, but it does look nice. A lot of the lyrics are abstract or hit on over the top imagery, but there's enough insinuation involved to offer suggestions at deeper commentary buried in there: "We are all to die, we are all stolen lives and shattered potential, Broken possibilities, regrettable decisions and the looming inevitability of the years to come, There is no enigma to the cloud between my eyes, There is no enigma to the cloud between my eyes... Cut out the heart, and free the life from its breath, Some say it's homicide, the only constant is death, The only crime is the human condition, No excuses, you'll never need them again, You'll never need them again." If you liked Rorschach and Deadguy, but think that a lot of the modern bands taking a stab at that whole niche lack feeling and vision, then this is definitely the record for you, because these guys can not only play their instruments and hit you in the face with some abrasive material, they can also write strong songs that possess some actual emotion - and they do so without sounding like a carbon copy of their influences or their contemporaries, which is no easy task. That's not to say it's terribly original, but what's important is that you can tell they're striving for something more, and to a large degree they've succeeded. Very nice. (7/10)
Running time - 37:14, Tracks: 10
[Notable tracks: I'd Like to Think I Was a Violent Drunk, Eleven Hours to Val Verd, Play-by-Play at the Prison Riot]
Chainsaw Safety Records - http://www.chainsawsafetyrecords.com

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