Reviewed by Graeme Crawford

Post-rock; sludge rock; post-hardcore; screamo; experimental - call it what you like, but you can't deny the power or emotion in this release. Seemingly deliberately trying to avoid classification, the music is epic in its approach and feel, somewhat similar to a film score. There is a very artistic element, as none of the songs particularly stand out as being better than the rest, and there is a definite flow to the album which invites you to listen to it as a whole. The different styles blend in a wonderful yet unexpected way and Nathan Winchell's roars act almost like another instrument, in that they don't stand out as much as you would expect. You can certainly argue that Winchell is very one dimensional as a vocalist, and that he lacks the range of many contemporaries. However, it is my belief that the band write to his strengths, and that I enjoyed the juxtaposition of the roars with Matthew Ellis' "clean" vocals. The DVD section of this release mixes the band playing through some of the songs with relevant film footage, eg, planets and stars for "Calm", and water scenes for "Tides". Between tracks, various band members talk about the band in general, their current situations, and give some insights into the five tracks included in the DVD. The background music sometimes interferes with the interview segments, but ultimately this is an interesting addition to the album.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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