Band of the Week - Inevitable End

When I was growing up, and even in my earlier adult years, I was accused of listening to the music that I like simply because it pissed off my parents (specifically, my poor mother).  While I often scoffed at the idea, maybe subconsciously it was true.  Maybe.  At my age now that would be ridiculous.  No, today it seems my subconscious has chosen a new enemy: a former band member.  Every time I show him what I've been listening to lately, in the metal world, I can feel his anger, an otherwise fairly calm individual, in his messages back to me "That's not even talent.  They're just trying to be as noisy as possible."  Because it's my subconscious that's trying to piss him off and not my lucid being, I don't even want to show him Inevitable End.

I'm guessing that since the late, great Chuck Shuldiner had already established a seminal metal band with the name Death these Swedes had to settle on the name Inevitable End.  After a few demos and multiple member changes, they released their first full length on Relapse Records.  It certainly has the Death influence, or at least influenced by other bands who were influenced by Death.  Drawing comparisons to Origin or Kill-era Cannibal Corpse, the constant blast beats and deep bellows perpetuating across The Severed Inception were accomplished with competency, but with very little originality to separate themselves from the aforementioned acts.  There are some interesting noisy and discordant riffs hidden in the few slowed down parts or even the strangely placed, but curiously engaging melodic part towards the end of the title track.

Though not abandoning the grindcore aspect of their sound, Inevitable End takes more from the technical aspects of metal than on the previous effort.  However, I've read reviews quick to compare them to Gorguts, Cynic, and The Dillinger Escape Plan.  While those aren't inaccurate inclusions, where Inevitable End make their latest release more distinct is the use of metallic hardcore elements like those of His Hero is Gone and Cursed.  Even the vocals rely less on the low growls and take on a higher pitched version of HHIG screams.  Rather than the relentless grind of the previous record, Inevitable End hollows out some of the blast beat parts of their songs allowing for the heavier sections to have a lot more punch.  Although the dissonance and hardcore influence alter the attack of Inevitable End, it's always moments like the last track that are almost a complete departure from their normal break-neck speed that capture me.  "Of Sublime Dimensions" closes the album with the same chaotic noise that drenches the rest of The Oculus, but at the slowest pace the band has ever achieved.  When the song is sped up it's done with lightly placed, twangy slide guitars over blast beats. Inevitable End have done an excellent job in creating a record for anyone who likes blisteringly fast paced music.  Lovers of death metal, grindcore, tech metal, and straight up metallic hardcore will all be pleased.

www.inevitable-end.com/
www.facebook.com/InevitableEnd

Where they started: 2004's Self Titled Demo

Where you should start: The Oculus was very recently released and is the band's most original output and I think surpasses any previous release (2 demos and one other full length).  I mean if you like that Origin or Cannibal Corpse post-Barnes sound then by all means start with The Severed Inception, but make sure you graduate to The Oculus.

Essential Song(s):

Of Sublime Dimensions by RelapseRecords

Live Performance of the Week - The Nighty Nite

I'm not familiar with The Paper Chase, but rather than be completely ignorant as to John Congleton's output prior to seeing The Nighty Nite on tour with This Will Destroy You, I decided to check out a few songs.  Violins, standup bass, keys, all banged upon as if they were drum kits as the frontman guitarist belts out his wavering vocal style that sounds like a combination of Tim Kasher of Cursive and The Dismemberment Plan's Travis Morrison?  I wonder why John even bothered changing the band name.

Compared to what I saw live and what I've recently listened to, The Nighty Nite isn't unlike The Paper Chase... at all.  Maybe there's some subtleties I'm missing out on.  Whichever, obviously not being a TPC fan before, I wasn't there to see The Nighty Nite, but they caught my attention anyway.  Seeing as how I would be a huge fan of anyone who makes the conscious effort to not sound like Tim Kasher I was ignoring the This Will Destroy You opening band.  Ordering a drink and pulling my eyes away from the cute bartender who was being chatted up by two middle aged businessmen (at a TWDY show?) I started to watch the drummer who was standing up as he played.  Looked like he had 2 snares and 2 floor toms from my perspective, but I was also hearing a kick drum.  There was no way this could be happening.  As I moved forward to see if he was merely using one of his floor toms to make the kick sound I realized he was in fact standing while using a kick.  By now, I was too close not to be sucked in by this cacophonous indie noise rock.

I once used the analogy of picking up every kitchen appliance and slamming it on a concrete floor to describe a metalcore band.  The Nighty Night gives Duck Duck Goose a worthy adversary when it comes to creating destructive noise, yet they're doing it with a strings section.  Combine that with most of the band dressed like they had just started Rumspringa and a drummer whose right arm tattoos seem to be inspired by mid-90's nu-metal (or traditional Hawaiian tattoos, I wasn't close enough to tell) and it was quite an interesting sight.  I believe the This Will Destroy You tour only has a couple of days left so you probably missed them this go around, but if you were already a fan of the pAper chAse or like your indie rock noisy and pretentious (you're already listening to underground indie rock so just embrace the pretentiousness of it all) then check out the Nighty Nite when they roll through.  I guess their EP is coming out soon, too.  Look into it.

www.thenightynite.com/
www.facebook.com/pages/The-nighty-nite/132763646739426
www.graveface.com/graveface-catalog.html

Essential Song:

The Nighty Nite 'Dimes in their Dimples' by Graveface Records

Band of the Week - Vildhjarta

Djent?  Really?  What's slightly odd is that as I was deciding which band to talk about this week, I was listening to Vildhjarta and saw a friend post about "djent" (which I'll eventually get to).  Serendipitous maybe?  Probably not for a meager little blog post.  But first, I think I should explain something about this particular endeavor, or whatever, I've voluntarily submersed myself in.  "Band (song/album/whatever) of the Week" is just that, a piqued interest this week.  It may not be my favorite artist or genre or what have you, but sometimes it could merely be a "what was that?" moment and something I feel needs to be shared.  The artist may not even have much material to sample at the moment (see: Baring Teeth a few weeks ago).  That, or it may just be a slow week for me inspiration-ally speaking.  Whatever the case, I hope I didn't just down play Vildhjarta, though I did feel compelled to write the last few sentences simply because I have chosen to discuss them.

Vildhjarta is one of the latest editions to Century Media's roster.  With a name like that they're either foreign or a black metal band from Ohio.  It's the former.  Hailing (Perfect!) from Sweden, Vildhjarta plays "djent."  Don't know what that is?  Well, it's staccato mathy chugging riffs.  You know, like Meshuggah.  If you already knew that, well, that's just silly.  According to Wikipedia (what?  This isn't a research paper) "djent" is an onomatopoetic word for the sound made when palm muting a guitar.  Are you serious?  You can't name a genre after the sound you would make with your mouth to describe it.  That's reserved for joke band names like Jud Jud.  You can call something noise or noisecore, but you can't call it "crashcore" or "asdfhdsfj-core."  It's just metal.  And that's what Vildhjarta is, a metal band from Sweden that sounds a lot like Meshuggah.

Now, I've never been a fan of Meshuggah, but I have a bunch of stupid friends so I've heard Meshuggah and many of their clones before.  I don't know if they have singing and screaming done by 2 vocalists, I don't know if they have layered atmosphere under their start stop odd-timing chugging, and I don't know if they have a 3rd guitarist bringing the member total to (crowded stage) 7.  What I do know is Vildhjarta does.  The screamed vocals are similar to Meshuggah's, but also have elements of Scott Angelacos from Bloodlet, though more akin to his output with Hope and Suicide.  I'm not really sure who the clean vocals sound like, but they're done by somebody who can actually carry a tune.  They may only have 3 proper songs (demos, mind you) floating around, but they have a download page on their website that contains a lot of samples of their, ugh, "djent" style.

vildhjarta.com/downloads/ (none of the songs under the "old stuff" heading have any vocals)
www.facebook.com/pages/vildhjarta/112205392321

Where they started: Not a clue.

Where you should start: Um, pick up their debut LP (Irreversible maybe?) whenever it comes out this year?  In the meantime check out some songs.

Essential Song:  Why not 2? "Shiver" is certainly an intriguing and engaging song.  I was lured in by the gentle ominous plucking intro before the offset of a pummeling onslaught bursts through.



Essential Live Video: So it's not a whole song, but it's kinda cool to get a feel for what they're like.