Another progressive Norwegian metal band that I really expected and wanted to love, but just can't totally get into. The lineup initially piqued my interest, as Hellhammer handles the drumming, and some of the other members have been involved with Solefald, Khold, and a few others. But this just isn't doing much for me. The main thing holding them back in my opinion is the vocals, as the singing just isn't very powerful. The vocalist's range isn't that wide, and his singing style is a little bit plain and lacking in feeling/emphasis. Next to that, the songwriting isn't as interesting or moving as I had expected either. The guitar parts are generally quite simple chord progressions... at times a little groovy, but barely, just rhythmic and basic. The keyboards and occasional bursts of flashy, jazz-esque drumming handle most of the leftfield creativity, mostly the keyboards, which are somewhat strange, yet tolerable. Some of the vocal arrangements definitely have an off kilter prog rock sort of thing happening, with tons of layered harmonies and such, but again, the fact that the vocals aren't all that forceful definitely holds back those elements. I also think the tempos are too slow and similar between songs. Portions of "The Green Office and the Dark Desk Drawer" make excellent use of synths along with droning guitar notes and consistently slow pacing, but the slightly faster riffing on the record is often rather ineffective, and the midpaced feel isn't one that really conveys an impactful atmosphere. This is definitely not an overly technical record though, experimental undertones and progressive influences exist, but layering and subtle compositional tactics represent more than any overt complexity to the musicianship. Also a mild yet still unfortunate setback is the mix, which takes a solid set of tones and clouds the end result. The drums sound far better than average, significantly more robust than Hellhammer's usual rigid tones, but the basslines are quite hard to make out, and the guitars and keyboards fall together in a blur. This leaves the vocals leaning out in front, with a lot of hollow spaces in the mix because vocals dominate and the other instruments clash together without creating a unified front. Mixing the guitars and bass louder, making sure to balance the synths and drums in the same breath, would make a positive difference. It's conceivable that the vocals would work better if they weren't overpowering in volume level. The seven-minute "90? Angles" brings in acoustic guitars and mixes the vocals lower for a softer approach, which I love... the brief bluesy solo that leads into the distorted buildup is great, and the dynamic shifts in this track are definitely more pronounced. Acoustics continue in "I No Longer Know if I am Mad", with spoken vocals, for a far shorter track at 2:28, bringing in resonant piano but keeping it stripped down and never using percussion... very nice. The packaging looks quite good with a consistent color scheme and style of imagery that combines photographs with worn, collaged textures and a film-like image quality that seems to be narrative. Lyrically things can get sort of abstract, but there are definitely some interesting passages: "Pain is always more real than bliss, It's greater in supply, It's the warm, familiar womb in which your mind can hide..." All in all the visual presence is strong here. I find this to be promising, but not as good as I had hoped. There are some great ideas in place, well executed in a few compositions, but the big picture is lacking a little something more. If they continue to push forward I think they can win me over down the line.
[The End]
Running time - 45:07, Tracks: 10
[Notable tracks: The Green Office and the Dark Desk Drawer, 90? Angles, I No Longer Know if I am Mad]
The End Records - http://www.theendrecords.com
