The Apparatus

 Sunday, 25 May 2008 The UK has its heavy music history rooted in grindcore, and Reth is concerned with preserving what made grindcore great in the first place while throwing in some modern sensibilities in the process. This debut EP is rather short, but it is primed to satisfy fans of many kinds of metal. The music that Reth plays, direct from the band, is "very tech-grind-sludgey-groovy-death metal, now with added black metal and slam influences as well in the new songs."

They aren't wrong. At its core, Reth is a grind band. The vocals are high and screeching, there is an undeniably punk sound and feel, only with a bent towards technical death and sludge. It's not rare for bands to change it up or add more than one genre into their music, but Reth has a good attitude about it. They don't have their heads up their asses and aren't trying to be something they're not.

In fact, this record is one of the most pleasing grind concoctions in recent history. Most of the time, a modern grind act is strictly bipolar. You have bands that blend extreme grind with extreme sludge, grind with death, grind with electronics, or grind with extremely technical stuff. Reth, not a band to limit, seems to do all of these things tactfully. Sometimes compromise bothers me, because it gives me mixed feelings on what a band is trying to do with their sound. With Reth, the blending of a lot of ingredients is very natural and clear. This album won't alienate any person that likes one style over the other.

To that end, Reth ceases to be a compromise. Rather, it is a wholly new and confident venture in the grind genre. The music they create is not pleasant, but the sheer intensity, attention to detail, a total control of tone, and degree of balance is sure to differentiate and establish Reth as a defining grind act to watch.

 Monday, 07 April 2008 After over 20 years of existence, six original full-lengths, five EPs, a compilation, and a remixed album, Meshuggah has shown remarkable perseverance in delivering quality, groundbreaking technical metal. 'obZen' is undoubtedly the band's most diverse outing, yet is very focused in its delivery. The trademark Meshuggah sound is still there -angular melodies, complicated time signatures, off-timed breakdowns and aggressive vocals- but it is far more refined than any of their other efforts.

Taking a cue from their decade-old (and my favorite) album 'Chaosphere,' Meshuggah opts for more outward brutality through heavy, crunchy power than the swirling experimental releases such as 'I' and 'Catch Thirty-Thr33.' It's the most logical progression that the band has come since transitioning from 'Chaosphere' to 'Nothing.' 'obZen' is the spiritual successor to those amazing albums. It makes the spaciness of their last two CDs seem more oft-putting and orphaned.

The biggest change is in the band's performance. Most notably, drummer/lyricist Haake is back playing drums instead of relegating the job to both his band mates and his electronic drum kit. He has also grown in technique. For instance, he utilizes far more toms and cymbals; it's no longer a predominantly snare/kick/China cymbal extravaganza. Bass is turned way up, and the crazy, filthy-sounding guitar tones permeate the mix with disturbing clarity. Kidman's vocal performance shows a remarkable growth in range, and his delivery has never been better.

Within seconds of hearing the first track, I noticed something funny: the opening guitar line sounds a lot like what Adam Jones of Tool would do. Funny, because the two bands shared the stage together several years ago for a tour of their new albums. Conversely, Tool commented that while writing their last effort, '10000 Days,' that they listened to a lot of Meshuggah for inspiration. Now, it's like the other way around. There is only one thing I can complain about: the overall sound of the record is not unlike their newly-remixed version of 'Nothing.' Not a bad thing by any means, but each of their records sounds so strikingly different. It's a shame that 'obZen' comes across as a 'Nothing'/'Catch Thirty-Thr33' tonal hybrid. The records couldn't be more different, but I welcome any and all output from this band.

The overall production of the record is very clean. A ton of care to make sure everything sounds very smooth and nuanced. Guitars sound very organic and thick, and the drum hits are full and sharp. They spared no detail when it came to mixing this record. On top of that, the amazing artwork caps it off. The three-armed figure, covered in blood, has a disturbingly serene look on its face. Combined with the fact that it's both male and female in composition, the infamous banned cover is certainly just as intelligent as the music herein.

The lyrics are also highly intelligent, yet are also very violent. The images of blood and the color red are highly prevalent. The lyrics are about the fixation of humanity on the human body and the bliss they get when it is destroyed. The climax of the album takes place in track seven. Here are the lyrics to "Pineal Gland Optics":

"How come I shiver, hurt and bleed,
if in dreams I cannot truly feel
who would dare say, who would claim
this hallucination isn't real

synaptical glitch looking glass
so enticing, real and free of lies
prodigious, omnifarious
in nourishes, it feeds my starving eyes

artificial the catalyst. organic its progeny
voracious spectral offspring - so sweet in its hunger
unbound this new vision. optical regenesis
threatening, so complete in beautiful deformity

these authoritive visions order my collective senses,
my questioning, doubtful, rigid self to kneel
a judas syndrome in effect - former self the deceiver
its denial the wretched kiss that kept this in disguise

cast off - the concealing veil, the rational cloak of doubt
torn off - the restraints, the blinded's shackles
burned away - the agony, the fear, the grief
a new set of eyes cleansed by a new belief"

Listening to 'obZen' is a very deep experience. It's one of the most menacing journeys into sound that I have come across in recent years. Making sure that the music is just as controlled as the lyrics, Meshuggah has undoubtedly made their true masterpiece. This is what they have been building to all this time: a true synthesis of intent and execution. Nothing is out-of-place and nothing is unnecessary. It is a complete journey that fans of forward-thinking music should experience at least once, because this band is expert at the craft. Combined with thought-provoking lyrics and delivery, there is no reason why this album shouldn't be one of the must-buy records of the year.

 Sunday, 06 April 2008 "We are not trying to bring anybody down...its life metal...think happy thoughts. We want to make you kids happy...we rock and rule with The Message of making good choices. Good choices = Good life. Punishing Metal with up-lifting lyrics and a postive message... kinda like Disney land meets Cannibal Corpse......and the Partridge Family at the same time....."

That blurb taken from this WA-based metal band pretty much sums up what to expect. Judging from the silly song titles, ridiculous cover art and homemade CD, SHSTL is still trying to find their way. The band's cuddly image mixed with death metal is pretty played-out and silly, but the band members are competent musicians. However, they do have a ways to go in order to help solidify their creed.

The first track is made up of a lot of children's giggles and a nursery rhyme, and then it is followed by the second track: a brief metal cover of C+C Music Factory's "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)." If that sounds like your thing, then go for this. The music of SHSTL is essentially death metal, but it ventures into melodic death more often than not. Most of the songs on this release follow this similar formula.

The five total tracks -barring the two bookends- tend to go on way longer than they are supposed to. For instance, a creative riff or chunky bit will go on for many minutes. The songs wear out their welcome just as I'm getting into it. Ideas are there, but the law of diminishing returns happens as soon as the second track begins. The band plays the instruments well, but from a composition standpoint, I want more.

If paradoxically-themed metal is your thing, then SHSTL may be your band. They do have some time to get better, but this EP is a harmless experiment before the real stuff begins. They're not trying to out-do anyone. They're not pretentious and like what they do, and that's good enough for me. I only wish they tightened up the flow.

 Saturday, 15 March 2008 California is becoming a hotbed of technical music! This incredibly young band shows enormous talent and a pretty controlled sense of musicianship in this short debut EP. What does the band sound like? In all fairness, it's no secret that the band loves The Number 12 Looks Like You and Fall Of Troy. They have a dual vocal attack, lots of clean-sounding guitars, a heavy post-rock influence, and a generally overwhelming sound. The are also a very DIY band, and their work ethic pays off greatly.

This self-financed/produced/etc. outing is 20 minutes of enjoyable post-rock technical metal. While the comparisons to other bands is warranted, this band undoubtedly has their own sound. I must say how much I love their breakdowns! They are classy, very crunchy, and they don't overstay their welcome. There are also plenty of breaks to let the alternative rock/post-rock influence seep through, and this is usually the time when the two vocalists play off each other. There is usually a deathy, hardcore singer and then an indie singer at any given time. The vocals -while dynamic and effective- sound somewhat like a drunken open mic nite at a frat party sometimes. The guitar work goes all over the place, reminding me of The Crinn or Orgone techniques. Bass plays off very nicely with the guitar, and the drum section is pretty fluid and very interesting.

The flow of the EP is also something of note: it gets more serious and somber as it goes. The CD starts off with a nursery rhyme, and while I thought that was really cheesy and played-out, the actual music following it was pleasing. Everything sounds very punchy and full; no instrument is left behind. "Seapeas" gives the listener everything the band has to offer in a few minutes, so there will be no surprises as to what the band will give you. "He's A Fun Guy" is the longest track on the album at six minutes and shows the most diversity of influences. The intense burst of "The Comforting South" followed by "Elden Features" to close out the album makes it resonate quite well. There is a one-minute noise track in "Welcome To..." but it hardly takes away from the album.

For such an indie effort, a lot of care went into this release. In this band's case, there is a very intense drive to succeed and deliver a quality product, and the energy and intensity comes through. Watch out for this band. If they have the same amount of class and work ethic found on this EP, then we'll be hearing more from them in the future.

 Thursday, 06 March 2008 This band is an act to take very seriously. Having members sprung out of two previously-successful acts - At The Drive-In and De Facto - prog rock savior The Mars Volta has delivered their finest album to date. The most serious, aggressive and heavy album, the songwriting skills have come a long way and have even managed to work in a ton of jazz fusion and wild experimental tactics for such widely-marketed music.

At a packed 70+ minutes, this record doesn't give itself time to slow down. Gone are the lengthy jams of 'De-Loused In The Comatorium' and the slow soundscapes of 'Frances The Mute.' 'The Bedlam In Goliath' has the most amount of sheer music ever heard from this band. For instance, the transition from tracks one to two comes so abruptly, yet is very natural and organic. If I wasn't looking at the track number, I'd assume they were the same song. The musical progressions in flow and different songwriting textures happen sporadically, but don't lose sight of what's important.

That being said, this is not the easiest TMV album to get into. Stick with the first two albums if you want a relatively safe, easy ride. The album-in-question personifies its story: a possessed Ouija board cause great misfortune and torment and seems to take on an id of its own. It's not light material, and this is not light listening. The band is at its most experimental, not only improving upon their previously-employed trademarks, but adding new ground. Sax playing is a major character, as is the insane drumming by Pridgen. Keyboards swirl around the equally-as-insane guitar. Guitarist/band director Rodriguez-Lopez is as interested in bridging a bunch of bizarre tempo changes as he is in creating a feeling that matches the emotions of the story. The creepy Ouija board thing happened for real and almost broke the band up from the inside, according to early reports. That feeling seems to be replicated here.

The imagery of this record -both lyrically and visually- are almost worth the purchase price. The brilliant sleeve art matches the sound of the album perfectly. For example, there is a theme of things appearing normal but are proportioned wrong. The fruits on the back of the case are unnaturally huge, while a giant walks among smaller-sized humans in a pseudo-visual illusion. Note the strange bits of technology strewn around a biblical landscape. Lyrics are also made up of various sounds and ideas that do not come from any language I'm familiar with. Many song titles and lyrics are gibberish that reportedly materialized during various seances with the board, and that disorienting construct takes hold in both rhythmic and tonal vocal lines.

It's easy to get lost in this album. I don't pay attention to what track this thing is on, nor do I skip around. It's meant to be one cohesive listen, and it achieves that beautifully. As a fan of this act for many years, I have to lend a big sign of support here. TMV are making progressive music that's not necessarily accessible to everyone, but a lot of people seem to be enjoying it for one reason or another. The music sounds like nothing else on the market from past or present. It's completely unfettered progressive rock music that goes in directions that humans should have been getting around to a long time ago. I am glad this band exists, and you should, too. Buy this album and support a vision that's been a long time in the making.