The Floating World

Wherever Leon Macey appears, there is always a guarantee that the material will be at least excellent. It happened with the second album The Senseless, to which Sam Bean invited him as a drummer. Bean recorded great music previously on "In The Realm Of The Senseless", but the duo also managed to record a piece of very interesting music. In spite of that, I'll start talking about "The Floating World" from drums side. In this respect of course it's better, you can hear the "lively" playing among other instruments, but also a step forward when it come to ultra-fast paces (drum programming might not get what Leon is doing in "A Good Old Fashioned Head Kicking" even).

Much less emphasis was put on "bizarre" solutions (like the "disco" of the predecessor), because the brutality, technique and progression were clearly more present here (listen to the ending songs to find a "new progression"). But the most important here is...of course, having fun of recording this music! You can hear it everywhere! Both musicians created a first-class, "morbidish" death metal here, and on the other hand, they are smuggling some rock accreations (e.g. in "Amazing Pain"), combining with patterns ("Let Me Sleep"), refering to grindcore style ("A Good Old...") or combining it all into one ("In Our Hearts"). Cd's like "The Floating World" just make a huge impression that you can combine so many extremes into one coherent material.

Originally on: https://subiektywnymetal.b...world-2012.html

Boundaries have long been the nemesis of great artists, especially those in the medium of extreme music. However, they have served as considerable inspiration for those whom are fueled by pushing their limits, of which have created some of the greatest works ever to be amassed. Ex-Bezerker/Mithras member, Sam Bean, is one such example, and a prime one at that. Pioneering a solo effort known as The Senseless, Bean has unequivocally created a masterpiece. One that not only edges the extremes, but additionally is exclusively innovating.

Touted as "...For everyone wanting something a different to the usual grind", The Senseless is a project that breaks the barriers and stereotypes of extreme metal. Mutating influences of death metal, grind and punk, The Senseless take their sound a step further by courageously connecting their music with themes of social awareness and positivity, while refraining from the genres' standard fare of death, destruction and strife. However, make no mistake, every sense of " brutality " is still full within the band's sound. Their music is extreme as extreme can be. It is very uniquely spun as it weaves an accentuated ingenuity, punk attitude and a tinge of industrial flavor.

While the name of his band invokes an impression of carelessness and chaos, Bean is anything but in his approach in crafting it. What originally was intended to be an "aural Christmas gift" to friends turned into a solo project unto which his first album, 2007's In The Realm Of The Senseless, took him an upwards of ten years to complete. Thoroughness and perfectionism are both a blessing and a curse as in Bean's case. Regardless of its painstaking processes, the end product of The Senseless is a sum that surpasses sheer brilliance while stopping short of quirkiness.

In 2008 Bean recruited the help of Mithras drummer Leon Macey to forge The Senseless' second effort, The Floating World. Together, they produced a collection that not only surmounts the band's previous effort but excels beyond a majority of standards in music past and present. Perhaps in ode to the pleasure-seeking lifestyle of Edo-period Japan, The Floating World is a highly impressive and pleasurable listen contrived of eleven songs and one bonus track. It is a swift attack upon the senses and addictive dose of honesty, riffs and blast beats.

The Floating World is versatile in every aspect from the songwriting, the band's undeniable ability to perform, and overall production quality. It is an one-of-a-kind record: monolithic and intricate, yet to the point and unbashful at that. It's buzzing guitar and aggressive, pounding speed stimulate with the likes of having your face shoved into a hive of furious bees. There are, however, times of slower progressive grooves and thrash-inspired tides that ebb and flow throughout, which add a nice mix throughout the album's twists and turns. Vocally, Bean's performance ranges from that of death metal growls to aggressive gaits of yelling, but primarily holds to a more intense style of singing comparable to the likes of Devin Townsend with balls.

For those still not convinced, I suggest checking out the tracks "Amazing Pain", "Death To Metal", and "Far From Over". I would contend there is not a bad track on the entire album. It is an impressionable piece sure to capture the admiration of those with an open mind and true recognition and appreciation for not only music, but art as a whole. It captures the one-of-a-kind ingenuity of an exceptional mind and the devotion of unwavering refusal to make it any less than perfect.

Sam Bean and his The Senseless hit a Bullseye with The Floating World. It is on a level of its own; a benchmark that will remain unreachable to many, perhaps even Bean himself, but that remains to be seen. The Floating World stands as an independent statement void of comparisons. Nevertheless, The Senseless do not sound as if they have exhausted their resources and the band will continue to innovate and progress to much applause. I highly recommend The Floating World, as well as its predecessor, In The Realm Of Senselessness. You would be doing yourself a disservice not to. In the world of extreme metal, The Senseless are a bright example of what the genre's all about: no limits, no compromise, and no fear to be different.
***Originally written for and by www.deathportal.net