Those who know me at all, know I love instrumental music but prefer the more tender, melancholic, wistful aspect. I have always had slight problems with bands like Pelican and ISIS, who deal in chunky riffs.
However, there is some good shit going on here. The drumming is impeccable - but I'd expect little else from Martin. There's not a single passage in any of the songs I've listened to where I thought "the drums could do something different there"...which is rare for me.
The player has compressed the overall mix too much, so the bass is a bit harder to pick out.
There are some very nice little guitar moments, particularly during the less chaotic parts. The riffy parts are not my bag in any way, so it'd be unfair to criticise.
CSOD has a nice build that I appreciate, especially the way the stoner-esque riff plays over the top of the wailing guitar in the backdrop. Which contradicts what I just said about riffs, but in this instance it works a treat.
Overall, I think these recordings show that, as a band, you are tight as fuck and I will look forward to seeing you play them live. |