Descent

The mere mention of the term "post-metal" is probably enough to turn many readers away. My love-hate relationship with post-metal has already been documented on this site. For every god-like Isis or insanely brilliant Neurosis, there are probably a dozen flightless Pelicans or poorly drawn Russian Circles. That's probably because they're all trying to copy the greats. But for once, there's a post-metal band that's forging their own path.

Chicago's Bloodiest does not sound anything like Neurosis or Isis. They also sound nothing like vocalist Bruce Lamont's "main" band, Yakuza (whom I don't particularly like). There's a lot more going on here than your typical post-metal, as you might guess from the fact there are seven people in the band. The atmosphere is paranoid, the vibe is dark Americana. It's not unlike what could have happened if Acid Bath tried their hand at post-metal.

The songs are constructed of trance-inducing riffs made from guitar, bass, piano, and drums. The guitars could be sludgy, or they could provide high-pitched leads; likewise, the full range of piano is used. But the instrument that really shines is the drums. The patterns are unusual and fairly complex, and they drive the seriously engaging riffs forward, all but forcing your body into the rhythm. The vocals, too, are superb. Lamont channels Dax Riggs in his more paranoid clean singing voice, and he serves to further induce the trance.

When the trance is in full effect, they let the song climax. All of this seems to happen organically, as there have been minor variations throughout the song. The song lengths are varied from three to eleven minutes, but none of them seem rushed or drawn out longer than necessary. Each song is memorable, and clearly distinct from the others, from the western acoustic fare of "Coh" to the heavy sludge of "Dead Inside" to the Tool-like riffing in "Slave Rule". And the whole thing finishes just under 40 minutes, though it has an impact lasting much longer.

The Verdict: This is the one of the most exciting post-metal bands to come around in a decade, and easily the front-runner for debut of the year.

originally written for http://fullmetalattorney.blogspot.com/

I think I’ve finally found a replacement for Dax Riggs in the “favorite metal vocalist” part of my life. That man is Bruce Lamont. I first heard him sing on that Nachtmystium track, “Every Last Drop” and thought it was Blake Judd pulling a fast one one us, saying “HEY LOOK GUYS! I CAN SING!” but alas, it was Lamont. Now, I’ve never been one for Yakuza, just too jazzy for me, and I haven’t listened to Lamont’s solo stuff yet, although I hear it’s in the same vein as Yakuza so I’m not to keen on that. Then I discovered Bloodiest, and I immediately fell in love. Out today, Descent is the Chicago seven-piece’s debut, and it’s giant.

If you want happy music, stop reading right now. The atmosphere created by Bloodiest through the six song monster is one of melancholy and rage. The six minute opener, “Fallen” is held together by the drilling guitar and slow, minimalistic drums. This is obviously a Bruce Lamont project, and his vocals are the main attraction here, from the haunting wails of “Coh” to the screams at the end of “Pastures” Lamont is not afraid to show what talent he has. Although “Pastures” is one of the shorter tracks on Descent it is easily one of my favorites, starting quietly in the shadow of Jesu it quickly grows into a melancholy monster, taking everything with it into the dark.

“Dead Inside” is the longest song, and makes up for its cliche title with some excellent musicianship and vocal work (this is getting redundant). Bloodiest aren’t about creating movements with the technical prowess of their music, it’s all about the atmosphere. Most songs are just Lamont cooing, the guitars playing a simple yet effective riff, and the occasional piano interlude to bring you back down in case you were starting to smile again. “Slave Rule” was released early, and actually blew my mind when I first heard it, the whole 9 minutes are just one giant build-up, and as far as I can tell this is the only song on the album with an actual chorus, not that I can understand anything Lamont is saying. The energy is subdued at first, and by the time the song is over it’s directly in your face, screaming and writhing as it breaks from its shell. The album closes with “Obituary” which follows a similar pattern and sound as “Fallen”.

This is another one of those albums that you just can’t put into words. You have to listen to it, you have to feel it. Writing a review about it seems so wrong, hell, “Dead Inside” is playing right now and I just want to get on the floor and curl up in the fetal position