From Darkness

Every time a band attempts to fuse styles together, it’s an opportunity for something interesting and fresh to happen. In the case of Australian sextet I Exist, the fusion of genres has resulted in something unflinchingly groovy and heavy. Prosthetic Records’ press release hails I Exist as an “abrasive mix of doom, sludge and blackened hardcore”, which rounds up to be one adjective and four genres, or two adjectives and three genres depending on the way you want to look at it. Regardless, I Exist are onto something with their latest album. From Darkness may often feel surprisingly samey, overdrawn, and familiar-sounding considering the variety of influences they’re apparently drawing from, but a heavy tone, pleasantly filthy production and firm grasp of groove make I Exist greater than your average stoner metal act.

Admitting my reviewer’s bias, I’ve never been much into what people usually label as ‘stoner metal’. I’m a fan on Al Cisneros’ Om, I appreciate the importance of Sleep’s Dopesmoker, and there are days when you’ll find me listening to contemporary heavyweights like High on Fire or The Sword, but far and often, I could only ever consider myself a casual listener of the genre. I Exist’s music doesn’t give the immediate visual image of frothing bongs and smoke-filled basements like some stoner metal bands do, but their blues-tinged love of groove and the almighty riff land them in the relative neighbourhood. As if a heavy blues rock album from the 70s was filtered through the depths of hell, From Darkness sounds like it is putting a modern spin on older conventions. The riffs themselves are ones we’ve heard many times before, but the intensity and timbre has been amped up to monstrous proportions. Even played at low volume, I Exist sound loud as hell.

Although I Exist keep their sound fairly primal, they earn their enthusiastic, multi-genre marketing pitch through dips in the song structures, where the music will take a break from the heavy-as-rocks, punk-infused aggression for something more atmospheric. You shouldn’t expect an exercise in detail and subtlety by any stretch, but it’s a welcome move for the band to spread their wings, if only a little bit, and incorporate fresh ingredients. The song “Ride to Hell” comes to mind, which starts off in an expected fashion, and ultimately evolving into a clustered exercise in psychedelic doom metal. The atmosphere remains exactly the same, but the change of pace is noticeable all the same. Although the band’s degree of musicianship is never outwardly apparent, they play with aggression and force, which is all that the music needs. Jake Willoughby’s aggressively harsh vocals don’t suit my personal taste and don’t seem to operate under any terms save for the expression of anger, but he’s got some impressive power behind his growl and I have no doubt that stauncher fans of the style will dig his voice.

Although it’s something I wouldn’t often talk about with an album that doesn’t put a great emphasis on finesse and detailed technique, the production immediately stands out as being excellent for the band’s sound. Things sound wonderfully dirty on From Darkness, and I mean outright filthy. The music still comes through clear, but hearing the murky recording, one instantly gets the impression of being in a rowdy bar stinking of cheap beer and body odour. It’s not an impression that would work for many kinds of music, but it works in I Exist’s favour this time around.

While a longer album technically means greater value for the listener’s dime, length doesn’t always make for a better album, and in I Exist’s case, it feels like a bolder statement could have been made using fewer minutes. A handful of Isis-like atmospheric moments aside, From Darkness is pretty dedicated to its grooves and sludgy riffs, and there isn’t nearly enough variety or dynamic to warrant the fifty minute length. I Exist are excellent progenitors of bluesy stoner riffs in the vein of High on Fire and The Sword, but the songs are indistinct from one another, making the album feel extended past its due. “Sorrow on Hill 105” and the notably epic title track both stand out as particularly well-crafted tracks, but most of the songs are interchangeable with one another, delivering a near-identical impression of sludgy, headbanging heaviness. Then again, that may not be a bad thing.

Based on their performance on From Darkness, I Exist are undoubtedly a force to be reckoned with. Unfortunately, their sound doesn’t stand out or innovate in the way I was hoping for, based on things I had heard about them beforehand. The grooves and heaviness begin to wear thin and sound all-too familiar long before the album is over. In spite of their occasional departure from convention, I Exist seems to appeal only towards a narrow emotional and technical band. Groovy riffs and anger there are aplenty, but a more focused and concise approach may have made for a more engaging experience.