Sunday, December 31, 2006

Saccharine Trust - Surviving You, Always
Released: 1984
Download album by clicking here

Jared:
'80s hardcore got old quick. If you consider the scene breaking with the popularity of Black Flag in 1981, by 1983 with the demise of Minor Threat, you were simply left with a group of teenagers copying each other. Not to mention that at this point you had Greg Ginn's SST basically signing template bands to his label when it came to new hardcore. Basically, the scene was in shambles and if you were looking for intelligent, musically provoking bands you had to look towards groups such as Husker Du and The Replacements, who were taking ideas from hardcore but making the music much more accessible. Saccharine Trust was a diamond in the rough combining a Fear-like rhythm section with the "jazz" influenced playing of later Black Flag. Saccharine Trust wasn't about sticking to a template, they were about advancing it.

"Surviving You Always" is a dizzying experience. Instead of following the typical two-step approach of most of the hardcore in their day, Saccharine Trust was into being varied in the delivery of aggression. While at times it works wonderfully (Opener "The Giver Takes" and "The House, The System, The Concrete"), sometimes it feels like Saccharine Trust is just trying to fuck with their audience ("Remnants"). Still, the bands' unique approach to making hardcore that is basically the equivalent of "free jazz" to "jazz" is incredibly original, especially for their time. While bands like the Minutemen were certainly incorporating technicality into their music, Saccharine Trust was just on a whole 'nother plain. Like most "free jazz" groups though, Saccharine Trust falls into the pitfall of sounding too similar at times, which really makes "Surviving You Always" suffer. Thankfully, the band is at least somewhat aware of this flaw and throws in songs like the cover of the Doors' "Peace Frog", and "The Cat Cracker" which features some excellent saxophone playing.

All in all, "Surviving You Always" is an excellent example of forward-thinking hardcore. While it is rough around the edges, it will certainly be a fan to any fan of hardcore and probably be a good transistor from a jazz fan into the genre. Saccharine Trust attempted to do something different in a genre where fitting a template is usually the norm, and in so created music that is certainly influential as well as timeless.

Rating: 7.0/10

Burton:
Los Angeles outfit Saccharine Trust were associated with the hardcore scene despite their unyielding oddities: similar to other bizarre hardcore acts such as Flipper and No Trend, they were stuck in the scene by virtue of their occasional fast tempos and the constant, steadfast independence that defined punk rock at the time. Thanks to their relation to Greg Ginn, the Black Flag guitarist and head of the pioneering SST Records, Saccharine earned an integral place in the SoCal hardcore scene in the early eighties, and most remarkably of all, their sound was rooted more in jazz than hardcore, with vocalist Jack Brewer spouting verse like a lost beat poet and guitarist Joe Baiza laying down free jazz solos as the rhythm section supports with offbeat grooves. And yet, the hardcore/jazz combination works almost perfectly in the hands of this band on '83's Surviving You, Always.

The cover depicts a woman in recess, which Brewer later claimed was a woman who jumped off the Empire State Building. It certainly goes with the mood of Surviving You, Always, which tends to reside in a gloomy, almost frightening atmosphere, constantly seething with emotion that was rarely so broad in the hardcore scene, at least until the mid-eighties. The beat is rarely fast enough to keep up with hardcore front-runners, but Saccharine makes up for this with their sheer talent. Many bands of this period were young, and made their presence known on speed and raw energy while not having any real musical experience, whereas Saccharine is content to amble along as long as a weaving bass line or frantic solo is accompanying the dirge. This makes it even more amazing that this band was able to hold their own amongst their inclusive contemporaries.

Admittedly, the formula ST has for their songs on Surviving You does grow tedious (especially in the more lengthy numbers such as "Our Discovery" and "YHWH on Acid") but luckily this release is relatively short at under forty minutes and on most tracks they change things up reasonably fast. Despite the small lo-fi sound, you can hear the energy in many of these tracks, with "Peace Frog" being the real mover you could imagine them pulling out for the crowd to get into. It's fortunate that many of these songs are good enough in this regard, as they really put the dynamics of the eighties scene in perspective for a modern audience, possibly even more so than a more typical hardcore act.

Listening to Surviving You, Always, it still remains uncoupled in its oddity and still draws wonder in the band's ability to make their presence known in a furious scene they seemingly had little place in. These factors along with the band's obvious eclecticism and musicianship make the album worth a listen, especially for those interested in atypical early hardcore that was not afraid to push the envelope to the fullest. Depending on your musical preference (hardcore, jazz or both), Surviving You may be Saccharine Trust's best record and their crowning achievement.

Rating: 8/10

Posted by Art School Lameasses at 10:53 AM | | Comments

Saturday, December 23, 2006

Frodus - And We Washed Our Weapons In The Sea
Released: February 20, 2001
Download album by clicking here

Jared:
Frodus was a late '90s hardcore act that is often given credit for spawning the term "spazzcore". As time went by it seemed like the band members overindulged on a bit too much "The Shape of Punk To Come" and Nation Of Ulysses, as their last release "And We Washed Our Weapons In The Sea" clearly demonstrates. Building on the heavily rhythmic hardcore Refused left in its breakup, Frodus is able to build on a progressive idea that was brought to life in the late '90s. While other comparisons could be drawn to Fugazi and At the Drive-in (The other two big names in post-hardcore), Frodus lacks the "bounce" that both of these bands possessed. I guess the main difference I see between Frodus and bands like Fugazi and At the Drive-in is the fact that the music seems a lot more calculated and lifeless. Instead of drawing from the more emotional realms of hardcore, Frodus seems to have been pushing their brand of post-hardcore into the realm of math rock (which is evident in tracks such as "There Will Be No More Scum").

"And We Washed Our Weapons In The Sea" seems to have no real flaws besides the lack of originality. Granted, Frodus isn't playing something that has been played to death like say, Black Flag's form of hardcore, but you can easily relate their music to a few select bands in the realm of post-hardcore and clearly cut their sound into what elements they are borrowing from the other bands. Touches of originality drip into the album in the instrumentals of tracks like "Out-Circuit the Ending", which focus on beautiful clean guitar playing. Also the bands' delving into more electronic sounds is far more interesting than Refused's on their magnum opus as "Hull Crush Depth" clearly demonstrates. Basically, Frodus is a band that had excellent taste and the ability to co-join some of their favorite parts of their favorite bands. It's a valiant effort from a generation that grew up in the shadow of Fugazi and like-minded endeavors.

I'd recommend this album to basically anyone that has any familiarity with hardcore because it is a great perspective on the genre. Also if you do happen to enjoy it, I suggest you check out the band The Murder of Rosa Luxemburg as they've basically taken Frodus's style on this album and pushed it to the brink of what it can be. This is an excellent album and besides its short-coming in the realm of originality it is nearly flawless post-hardcore.

Rating: 7.5/10

Burton:
Frodus is a textbook example of a post-hardcore band who knew what they were doing. They fall almost directly between hardcore and indie, drawing on attacking chords and hoarse vocals as often as they subtly shift dynamics and play with time sigs and atmosphere. This is most noticeable on their swan song record, And We Washed Our Weapons In The Sea; the band is clearly at their peak and seem especially confident here.

It is notable that Frodus is one of those bands that doesn't have any fifth wheel. Every member contributes something interesting on Weapons, and they have good ears to boot. While most would point to the guitars on this record in an attempt to define it, I think the amalgamation of individual efforts here is what succeeds: the bass is always as interesting, if not more interesting, than the guitar work, the singing ranges from resigned to shrill emotional yelling, and the drums lay down rhythms that make nearly every track. The guitar is just as important as all of these elements, effortlessly shifting dynamics and patterns to create even more mood on these tracks.

Frodus' willingness to step outside their boundaries is also worthy of mentioning. One of the most amazing tracks here, "Belgian Congo", is a brooding six minute instrumental that is more than just a post-hardcore song without words, establishing the band's individual and collective talents. Songs like "6-99" and "The Awesome Machine" have excellent climaxes and crescendoes. Though the band's sound can get a bit tiresome on some tracks, the next is usually ready to pick up any slack attributed by ushering in new ideas.

And We Washed Our Weapons In The Sea is gorgeous, thought-provoking, and a testament to post-hardcore all at once. While it does have its relatively minimal flaws, it sends Frodus out on a particularly strong note and is definitely a welcome contribution from a group of seasoned musicians. Anyone interested in indie, hardcore, and especially post-hardcore should give it a listen, as it is definitely worth that much.

Rating: 8/10

Posted by Art School Lameasses at 8:44 AM | | Comments

Wednesday, December 13, 2006


Inade - The Crackling of the Anoymous
Released: 2006
Download album by clicking here

Jared:
"The Crackling of The Anonymous" by the German group Inade is the latest treat my blog has served me. Let's just say, I don't even think this album is worth talking about so instead I'm going to talk about what I served myself tonight. It was an eight oz flank steak, and I was really lazy from the eight hour shift I had tonight so I just grilled it straight out of the container and used no sauce or anything. So, as is predictable, the steak was pretty bland and typical. But, I really can't fault it that much, I mean I was in the mood for a steak and it suited its purpose. It certainly won't go down in my memory like some steaks have--the certain filet that I indulged in South Dakota was utterly delicious, or the completely raw chuck cut my father grilled me for my 12th birthday that left me with food sickness for a couple of days. No, the steak tonight was neither good or bad, it was just.. a steak.

Perhaps, if I would've taken the time to flavor my steak with some unique ingredients such as sauce or spices it would've stuck out in my memory. Perhaps, if it wasn't simply a completely overdone version of a steak, it would've at least perked my interests. But no, it was a typical bland steak. Is there anything wrong with that? In my opinion at times, no. A good plain steak can be good for some situations. Tonight, I was tired and just resorted to something easy and mindless to eat and it did its job.

Well, I mean that was one of the lamest ideas I've ever had. But basically, as you can pick up Inade is like my steak. Its typical ambient music which I mean can be good at times, but it'll never be memorable. "The Crackling of The Anonymous" has been done so many times before it's almost funny that Inade thought they were doing something interesting when they made the album. Waves of sound, sampled voices, drones of noise…god it's like a textbook example of what the ambient genre is. The point is if you're into ambience, this album may spark some interest in you, but otherwise don't even bother. It's not like Inade did when making it.

Rating: 3/10

Burton:
In my eyes, ambiance is a relatively hit-or-miss idea. Bands catering to an entirely ambient demographic sometimes have a lot to offer and sometimes have one or two soundscapes that they tweak at length for a good sixty minutes (or possibly much longer if it's a discography-lapsing habit). In the so-called "dark ambient" area, the latter seems especially prevalent: many of these bands do their best to create atmosphere, but when their only intent is to make it sound ominous, that atmosphere is expected to fall flat within a relatively short amount of time as the "band" reuses the same ideas in a vain attempt at establishing mood.

In some areas of Inade's offering The Crackling of the Anonymous, they seems prone to this syndrome, and in others they haplessly fall victim to it. The ten songs here are indeed intended to stir a very dark and sinister feeling within you, doing so through the use of airy, choir-like tone clusters, what sound like shifting string arrangements, reverbed and heavily filtered noises and in a few cases, voice samples. The way they utilize such sounds changes from track to track (though the windy emptiness seems to always be in the background), so in a way they steer clear of keeping things too similar. The only issue is that most tracks are around six and a half minutes, and they don't expand too much on their formulas, they simply mix the same elements in different ways over time. This does tend to get tedious, and luckily the next track usually changes things at least slightly.

Overall, there isn't much to say about The Crackling of the Anonymous. Inade shows a typical offering of ambient music; it is appropriate listening once in a great while, but it can get dull quickly. It is at least admirable that Inade create something interesting in a field that is over-saturated, but it is definitely not anything spectacular. Nonetheless, anyone interested in this sort of music could go for a listen.

Rating: 6.5/10

Posted by Art School Lameasses at 8:17 PM | | Comments

Wednesday, November 29, 2006


Comus - First Utterance
Released: 1971
Download album by clicking here

Jared:
Comus’s “First Utterance” proves that indeed, the ‘70's were an experimental period. Pinning together the mindset of folk with the constantly evolving nature of progressive rock, Comus was able to release a record that experimentally will, in my opinion, never be dated. “First Utterance” exists in its own realm of music, because that’s what the members of Comus wished to do when they set out to make the album. Often critics compare the release to the melodies one would hear around a “witch’s brew”, and this reference is completely true. The ethereal and almost primitive feel of “First Utterance” is partly due to the fact that the only electric instrument found on the album is the bass; other than that we have acoustic guitars, bongos, violin, and extremely layered vocals.

I have a cassette tape recording of “The Hobbit” I bought at a flea market when I was younger. It was originally played on the BBC and its soundtrack is just gorgeous. Whenever I think of Comus, that recording always pops up because they both have the same atmospheric effect on me. Both recordings remind me of mountains, and issues associated with fantasy. “The Herald” on “First Utterance” is a perfect example of the atmospheric power of Comus. There is a long instrumental bridge in the song and it’s absolutely image-inspiring. Where other bands are concerned with emotional impacts, Comus has rather side stepped that motive and is instead focusing on transporting their listener to another plateau. While bands like Pink Floyd and Yes were attempting this in the ‘70's, none of them did it as well as Comus. “First Utterance” is not so much a record as it is a vessel for transporting the listener to the artist’s own realm of violence, fantasy, and nature.

While “First Utterance” is flawless in its execution instrumentally, the lyrics leave something to be desired. They words to the music do suit the music, but they just don’t reach the level of excellence the instruments behind them do. While my opinion should be taken lightly since lyrics are one of the main reasons I listen to music, I do feel the band could’ve done a more appropriate job writing lyrics for the album. Even with this small nitpick, Comus’s “First Utterance” is an incredible record, especially considering the period of time it was released in. For fans of the avant-garde and progressive rock genres, “First Utterance” will not disappoint.

Rating: 8.5/10

Burton:
Comus' first effort, First Utterance, is a notable plunge into an odd pocket of the 1970's progressive music field, namely progressive folk. Comus takes some of the ideals of progressive greats of their time such as King Crimson and mixes it into something entirely original, utilizing tribal percussion, violin, and gorgeous acoustic arrangements in order to pioneer this sound. It is almost unyieldingly promising that this album was released in 1971, because it is obviously far ahead of it's time.

Admittedly, Comus' debut starts on a rather sour note with "Diana". The track showcases the band's primal percussion work, but it is rather bland and uninteresting for a track that's almost five minutes. Luckily, follow-up "The Herald" is twelve minutes of relentless beauty: it begins in earnest with a typically folky backdrop under drifting female vocals, but really takes off halfway through, with amazing heartfelt acoustic guitar work and somber flute and violin arrangements under the same afore-mentioned vocals. "Drip Drip" is more of a step into the surreal, almost seeming like a rock song with heavy percussion work and dynamic build-ups using violin parts, and yet it consistently has an air of strangeness to it that shows why the band is truly unique. It is hardly unexpected when this track also becomes stripped-down near the end, with the entire band playing off odd instrumentation placement.

"Song to Comus" is just as adventurous, focusing heavily on dynamic interplay, most notably in the vocals, as leads slowly drop under backups and give way to climaxes, and "The Bite" continues to display the band's skill for interweaving vocal and instrument work as well as their ability to drive a song with only a few elements. After the mood track "Bitten", "The Prisoner" is a fine enough ending to a great album, although my version has a few tracks tacked on from an EP that do even more to compliment the band's songwriting skills.

Comus' debut hardly feels like fifty minutes, as the songs flow together so coherently and it is so easy to get lost in that it will seem to go by in no time. Many people interested in this sort of music will undoubtebly listen again and again, however, as it has a tremendous amount to offer on repeated hearings. "First Utterance" is a clear representation of a band far ahead of their time; even with the obvious minus in "Diana" it is definitely worth a listen from anyone interested in early progressive or psychedelic/folk rock.

Rating: 8.0/10

Posted by Art School Lameasses at 10:52 PM | | Comments

Wednesday, November 22, 2006


Upsilon Acrux - Last Train Out

Jared:
Punk has certainly come a long way from its beginnings. Upsilon Acrux and bands like them (Ahleuchatistas, Yowie, Sleeping People) are a group of kids brought up on punk, that are trying to form their own version of what progressive rock is. Basically, their method of doing it is by playing extremely fast, oddly melodic, and oddly-timed instrumental music. While usually the bands in this brand of music rely on the common trio of guitar, bass, and drum, Upsilon Acrux has added moog synthesizers and a second drummer to their mix. Even with these subtle differences, Upsilon Acrux does little to differentiate themselves from the pack of "math rock" bands that have formed in recent years.

Basically, hearing one track on "Last Train Out" is like hearing them all. They all rely on oddly-timed, confusingly melodic instrumental rock. Where bands like Ahleuchatistas implicate the ideas of shifting dynamics into their brand of math rock, Upsilon Acrux basically sounds the same the entire way through "Last Train Out". There are a few highlights, such as "Propeller", a harmonic based piece which is very soothing in comparison to the rest of the album, and "45 Seconds (Beez Kneez)", a summary of Upsilon Acrux's sound in 55 seconds. Yet, besides these two standout tracks, the rest of the album is full of what one would expect from a math rock album. While this may be acceptable to some listeners, I feel that if a band is going to subscribe to a genre they should at least embellish slightly on the prescribed sound.

In conclusion, if you are looking for a straight forward math rock album, "Last Train Out" is a fine choice. Upsilon Acrux isn't really a forward-thinking band and that is my main complaint with them. They put on the appearance that they are progressive thinkers, but in reality they are just copping out and playing a style of music that has already been played to death. If you enjoy Upsilon Acrux, I suggest you take a look at bands like Ahleuchatistas and Sleeping People, who take the formula Upsilon uses to make their music, but vastly improve and experiment with it, in turn making it something unique and interesting.

Rating: 4.0/10

Burton:
Though Upsilon Acrux often states their biggest influence as King Crimson, you'd be hard-pressed to notice it through listening to them. The San Diego trio, consisting of Jesse Klecker (drums), Paul Lai (guitars/moog) and Cameron Presley (guitars/moog), are math-rock to the core, invoking artists like Hella, Don Caballero and Orthrelm, and yet for some reason they are often pegged as prog. Their sound is usually consistent with two things: tonal guitar-play over spastic, quirky drumming, and atonal guitar play over spastic, quirky drumming. I much prefer the former to the latter, as do most seasoned math-rock bands; in a way, Upsilon Acrux feels out of their league on their sophomore release Last Train Out.

Generally, Upsilon's ideas are obtuse; the drumming will start oddly enough, and the band will likely back it with either exceedingly odd melodic ideas or guitar noise. On some albums, I don't mind guitar noise if a lot of work is put into it, but here it sounds clumsy, with pick scraping, dead notes, and all sorts of other techniques generally relegated to the "screwing around" category. At its worst, Last Train Out sounds like just that: three guys screwing around, with not a lot of actual ideas coming into the mix. This makes about half the songs rather generic and forgettable.

Yet sometimes, things come together. "Propeller" and "If Only the Freight Train Could Join the Band" in particular involve some sense of melody and make for more interesting listens. When the guitars are actually playing something technical, it is usually at least a bit thought-provoking, barring any stereotypical math-rock throwbacks, such as the end of "Intronics" which gives way to the band stuttering on the same chord in different multiples for a good thirty seconds. It's supposed to be amusing since the band is obviously counting all the times they're playing the chord, but despite that, it's one chord, and one repeating noise for thirty minutes can often get tiresome.

Overall, Last Train Out rates just above average and just below relative greatness. There just isn't enough memorable here to warrant repeated listenings; it all feels generic and formulaic in comparison to many of Upsilon Acrux's math-rock peers. At their best, they manage to create something mildly interesting given a typical idea, and at their worst they seem like a chore to listen to. With so many other bands doing this sort of thing more creatively and interestingly, it's hard to say whether Last Train Out warrants attention or not.

Rating: 6.0/10

Posted by Art School Lameasses at 7:53 PM | | Comments

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

Flying Lotus - 1983
Released: September 19th, 2006
Download album by clicking here

Jared:
To the timid or slightly uneducated music listener, Flying Lotus would be an easily cast-aside "electronic" release. I mean really, someone that is not cultured in the sounds of Aphex Twin, Madlib, and other such premier "electronic" producers would in no way be able to comprehend the beautiful mishmash of genres that is present on "1983". Steven Ellison (The individual behind Flying Lotus) is a master of his craft, subtly combining the pulsing ambience of Aphex Twin (think "Melodies of Mars"), the jazz slant of Madlib's "Shades of Blue", and finally a bit of his own touch.

Reviewing various tracks on "1983" in my opinion seems pointless. It's a plodding soundscape for its entirety and all of the songs seem to work off each other furthering the previous ideas. When discussing Ellison's music, it'd be important to note that it seems he likes to experiment with the bare minimal. Synths, drums, and samples are all that is found on this album and most of the time, they're very sparse in their delivery. The layering and sequencing on "1983" isn't cluttered in the least; every gorgeous tone Ellison has crafted in this album comes out perfectly, and that's really the main strength of "1983", it sounds ridiculously good.

In its essence, "1983" isn't meant to be fully appreciated by someone that isn't familiar with its content or genre. The innovation on it is subtle and modest just like its delivery. Ellison isn't showing off his brilliance in sequencing like say, Aaron Funk of Venetian Snares. No, Ellison's beauty and intelligence lies in the minimalism of his compositions. Whether it is in the off-rhythm of "Orbit Brazil" or the easily accessible "Unexpected Delight", "1983" is able to jump through an array of subgenres in just under forty minutes, but not by forcefully showing you, instead by subtly leading you.

Rating: 9.0/10

Burton:
Flying Lotus is the pseudonym of Steven Ellison, who has done composition for Adult Swim, a program on Cartoon Network. Hearing his work, what many are calling "instrumental hip-hop", that isn't hard to imagine; this is the type of music you would hear running behind Adult Swim's white-text-on-black-screen adverts, reminding you it's the middle of the night and you're lucky you're not stuck in an elevator or watching the Weather Channel. Maybe that assessment is a bit harsh, but that's the typical taste Flying Lotus leaves in my mouth: the repeating melodies running over the repeated beats are pleasant enough, but when I get bored of it a minute into a song it becomes obvious that this sort of thing isn't for me.

And to be honest, "electronica" has never done it for me (I quote because most fans of this style of music see the term as a ridiculous catch-all misnomer). Sure, a lot of people will call and are calling this stuff "instrumental hip-hop", but to be honest, a lot of hip-hop is simple electronic dance music sans vocals. In actuality, this doesn't even remind me of hip-hop instrumentalism; even without vocals, hip-hop beats tend to change constantly. I'll admit wholeheartedly that I find most hip-hop instrumentation amusing or at least interesting.

But I don't find Flying Lotus that interesting simply because Ellison does what so many other loop-crunchers and sample-shifters do in his field: they take a simple beat, add a sample and proceed making extremely minor changes to the formula for minutes at a time before (usually) having the whole thing blow up. This has never been that exciting to me, mainly because all those minor changes (which are slow to come about anyway) don't change the fact that the same exact beat is going for three to five minutes at a time. That is what makes or breaks electronic music for me, what decides if it is moving or emotionless.

Admittedly, most tracks on here are pleasant enough, they just don't do much of anything. Ellison apparently has a passion for phasers and flangers with his samples, and these are put to great effect in most tracks, most notably the latter half of the record in "Pet Monster Shotglass" and "Untitled #7". The big track is the last: with Laura Darlington giving a beautiful performance over the steady beats, it actually feels a bit emotionally resonant. Despite that, none of these plusses are enough to overcome mediocrity on Flying Lotus's 1983 for me. It has been suggested that perhaps I just don't understand this sort of music or that I expect too much of it, but I beg to differ. All I ever expect from music is to hold my interest in one way or another, and 1983 can't do that.

Rating: 5.0/10

Posted by Art School Lameasses at 1:42 PM | | Comments

Wednesday, November 08, 2006


Callisto - True Nature Unfolds
Released: May 5th, 2005
Download album by clicking here

Jared:
Callisto’s sound is lumbering. It’s like watching a movie clip on repeat. While metal tinged with a slow dynamic build up is something Isis and Neurosis perfected, Callisto is a band that’s willing to take the rule book their influences written for them and add a few new regulations. With the inclusion of subtleties such as saxophone playing and female vocals, Callisto helps step outside the lines of what is a pretty tired genre. Markus Myllykanga, lead vocalist pretty much sounds the same as every other vocalist in his brand of metal, but at times he does show the influence of black metal in his growls. Basically, Callisto is able to take the basic sound of their genre and add enough new elements to their sound to help them sound fresh.

“True Nature Unfolds” is a mix of prolonged progressive epics, atmospheric interludes and the occasional just plain metal song. While the album is obviously designed to work as an organic unit, the quality of the tracks lend the listener to be able to listen to them completely with drawn from the album’s context. In essence though, like their contemporaries, Callisto’s work sounds very much like one long stretched out track. The riffing and tones on the album are all very similar and gorgeous, and it’s tough to pick a highlight, but if pressed, I must say the beauty that the track “ Caverns of Khafka” possesses is significantly different from the mood of the rest of the album. Most of the time when I find Callisto’s brand of sludgy metal beautiful, it’s because of the intimate relation between the detuned rhythm section and an airy guitar part (Mare’s “Tropics”), but Callisto’s sound is much more reliant on the epic build of post-rock, which is clearly evident in “Caverns of Khafka”.

Important to note is the production of “True Nature Unfolds” which is overseen by Nasum guitarist, the late Miesko Talarczyk. Callisto’s sound could’ve easily been botched had Talarczyk chosen to take the route of over produced progressive metal, or the route of the lo-fi grindcore sound he is known for. Instead, Callisto’s sound is giving just enough leverage to make room for the barrage of vivid and aggressive tones, while still not having the typical sheen of most modern metal. Because of the expert production, Callisto is given the chance to be extremely heavy when called for, as well as being very subtle and beautiful when it is called for.

Although, “True Nature Unfolds” hypnotic and repetitive nature is a clear mark of its genre, it certainly can be a bit underwhelming at times. Had the band chosen to experiment with some different genres, or perhaps even some different styles of riffing, they could’ve created in my opinion, a flawless record. While this is certainly part of their genres’ sound, I do find at times bands like Callisto are more willing to sacrifice substance for style. Despite this, repetition issue Callisto is definitely an interesting and provoking band in the genre of “post-metal”, with a bit more fine tuning and a little more eagerness to experiment, they could in my opinion rival the sounds of the other two legends in their genre, Isis and Neurosis.

Rating: 8.0/10

Burton:
Perhaps Callisto isn't a top-tier post-metal act; going up against pioneers like Isis and Neurosis is no small task when said bands have exceedingly big shoes to fill. At least Callisto has the formula down pat: moderate to slow tempos, churning, sludgy guitars and stylistic shifts whenever it all starts to feel monotonous. On True Nature Unfolds, they offer up a promising slice of post-metal that is, if nothing else, a small acheivement in a growing musical field, in that it secures them their own foundation to build on. Whether that is good enough to merit them the status of their heroes is open to interpretation.

Where Callisto seperate themselves is their willingness to break out of the commonplace every once in a while. True Nature Unfolds finds them utilizing clean vocals in (very) small quantities, female vocals, horns, and occasionally, double-timed chugging, which is often seen as forbidden in this genre by their peers. These techniques certainly aren't common, but they at least break away from the lingering distorted crescendoes that the band unerringly falls back on. These changes of pace are a welcome addition to their sound for the listener, and the droning guitars themselves are certainly effective and appropriate.

The only issue lies in Callisto's unwillingness to completely break the mold. Acts in this genre are certainly treading a small amount of new ground, but the truly fantastic ones are creating something wholly their own; the change-ups that Callisto allows on True Nature Unfolds are appreciated, but it seems like they are there because they have to be, as if the band knows that otherwise there is not a lot of novelty here. If the band would break form more often and to greater effect, I wouldn't put it past them to compose much greater and original arrangements; there is a lot of potential as is, but to some degree that seems a downfall.

True Nature Unfolds is an excellent showing from Callisto, but it would seem that there is much more this band can do with what they're given. Flashes of this are dotted throughout this record, which is decent enough in its reliance on the genre's originators, but only made better by the band's willingness to put their own spin on things, to make something that is theirs and not their influences'. It is at least a good sign of things to come from a skilled and seasoned act like Callisto.

Rating: 8.0/10

Posted by Art School Lameasses at 11:40 PM | | Comments