I hate to fall back on the lazy Neurosis/Isis comparisons that seem to befall this band at every turn, but it's almost impossible not to. Sure, they toss in more of a doomy "stoner" (god damnit I hate that term, but you know what I mean, it works as an indicator) or sludge vibe to what they're doing (probably due in no small part to the fact that the band was formed by ex-Rwake guitarist Chuck Shaaf), but there's absolutely no denying the fact that the dominantly crushing power chords and gruff shouts (which occasionally shift into a bit of a strained, raspy singing) do generally tend to bear likeness to Neurosis via Isis' earlier interpretations of that vein. Tracks like opener "Sadness Distilled" even quickly display a sample or two for added texture - though never to the industrial tinged degree of the aforementioned forefathers. But there's nothing wrong with that. Okay, admittedly sometimes those "singing" types of vocals are a little too Neurosis-esque to simply let it slide, but other than that I'm perfectly fine with the band's chosen path, if for no other reason than they do what they do well, and with enough of an edge to differentiate themselves from copycats. And it takes a few songs for things to really start to sink in and develop into more of Deadbird's own niche with regards to crafting something new out of the old. Some of the faster tremolo picking and guitar harmonizing in "Mount Zero (Is Burning)" isn't really working out within the context of the song, nor the EP or on its own, due in no small part to the fact that it just sounds too Swedish, and I really see little room for that tired influence to exist within these otherwise bleak and oppressive landscapes of desolation. Thankfully those moments are pushed aside rather quickly, and the acoustic break coupled with distorted basslines and distant singing that builds back into a dingier set of dual guitar runs and churning chords makes up for it. And the acoustic guitars and ambient hums that make up the succinct instrumental "1332" are even better! This leads into the unexpectedly rocked out march of "Illuminate the Decay", however, which outright rules: Heavy as fuck, but just energetic and rocked out enough to where it's immediately memorable and catches the ear right off the bat before tossing around some bluesy clean runs over yet more acoustic guitars later on. Tempo variation is certainly a good thing, but again they should watch how they handle the speeds, as some tremolo picking once more starts to build in towards the tail end of "Eclipse of the Rye" and kind of deadens the blow of the otherwise necessary tempo increase. "See You in the Hot Country" runs a little under seven minutes and takes the same path molded elsewhere, efficiently bouncing around between pounding distorted rhythms and atmospheric clean breaks with a strong sense of transitions and contrast throughout. This one damn sure marks another crushing standout. More of that continues in the surging slides of the equally diverse 11-minute title track, but what's up with the near black metal vibe of the tremolo picking that creeps in for a bit? Yeah, toss that shit, guys, it ain't workin' out. Anyway, I don't know who recorded this fucker, but they did a fine job of it. On rare occasion the grit of the guitar tone can make some of the picking patterns seem a touch sloppy, but when it comes to the slower pacing everything sounds basically dead on. It'd be tricky to pull off making more room for bass behind those massive, fucking nastily distorted guitars (and I mean that as a compliment) - especially considering the thundering warmth of the percussion and the vicious attack of the vocals - but were they able to do it I'd be a fan, because the fact that the basslines are almost impossible to decipher most of the time is my only minor complaint. Visually there's a lot of black, a lot of consistent text, and a little bit of high contrast imagery, so it looks nice and tasteful. The lyrics are open for interpretation but definitely hint at specific ideas being in place, and I dig that: "This tomb we live in takes our breath and steals our hope walk down twisted path with no way back this time must push forth following the moon seeking truth from the ancient secret buried deep inside our blood." At the end of the day this is a good record that should definitely appeal to those who like it thick 'n' sludgy. I'd recommend the band stay away from the tremolo picking, but other than that I'm cool with what they're doing and very much expect them to naturally progress with time, and as that growth transpires my guess would be that some of those pesky "-sis" comparisons will go away.
[Code:Breaker]
Running time - 45:37, Tracks: 13
[Notable tracks: Rorschach Sky, Illuminate the Decay, See You in the Hot Country]
Code:Breaker Records - http://www.earache.com
