Coalesce "Give Them Rope She Said v2.0" CD
[Edison]
As the extended title would suggest, this is a repackaged, remastered reissue of Coalesce's 1997 full-length. Now, I've never been a Coalesce fan, and to this day I'm not that into 'em. The only time I saw 'em live they were terrible and stand as one of the worst live bands I've ever seen in my life. That being said, listening back to this record (even though I'm not wild on it) I would say that they were quite a bit ahead of their time when this was originally released. The sound quality is far superior to most of what was out there, the playing is tight and controlled despite their insanely frantic and chaotic delivery, and as far as extremes go, this is still more abrasive than a lot of what's out there right now. The throat damaging screams alone, as hoarse and nearly blown out as they are, have yet to be matched in this genre. It's basically extremely grinding and intense chaotic metalcore done with a more polished sound and greater sense of professionalism than the vast majority of their 90's counterparts. The reason I never liked 'em is because their music just never grabbed me, and it still doesn't, really. This is definitely their best work, and I can listen to it... hell, I even enjoy most of it. It's just not something that I get that into. The dissonant interactions between thumping basslines, rotund percussion, and rhythmic chord progressions in "Every Reason To" are fucking awesome though - those vocals sound better than ever against a stripped down core of bass and drums. Were all of these songs arranged in this more linear fashion I'd probably be all over this shit. Also notable are the sludgy rhythms and thick harmonics in "I Took a Year", held back only by stagnating staccato vocal patterns. More specifically on the recording, the rhythm section sounds huge, the guitars are warm and heavily textured without getting muddy (retaining plenty of dissonant midrange and grating high-end), the vocals are warm and clear, etc. The mix is perfect as well, everything is loud as fuck and blended right in together without an ounce of wasted air. I definitely respect and admire the production as it relates to this particular style of playing. The layout contains all new artwork with no text on the outer sleeve, just a wraparound painting making the traycard the front cover, etc. I actually really fucking dig the lyrics on this record, because they're a little longer and more involved than average, not to mention infinitely more creative, and completely fucking unabashed. There are definitely a couple of lines on this fucker that take guts, even if the context is definitely one of obvious tact. Even the more bitter personal angles are well done, though. "My throat falls numb from the endless execution of contempt's song. It fails to follow suit in silence even now. I can hear every word. Leave this place. If only you could just be half as hateful if only I could still take you with a grain of salt I could fake some respect and hide the pity. For what I once feared is now somehow down on my level..." So, in the end, while still not a major fan of this band, I do indeed respect their place in history. A shitload of bands have followed in their footsteps, some honing the writing and (for me) improving on the formula, others falling flat on their faces. But even those who've risen above have never replicated some of Coalesce's unique traits. If you're down with this style you shouldn't skip past this disc. (6/10)
Running time - 38:56, Tracks: 11
[Notable tracks: Cut to Length, For All You Are, Every Reason To]
Edison Recordings - http://www.edisonrecordings.com

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