Skip to main content

ALBUM REVIEW: "Different Animals" by Volumes

   I've never been on the Volumes bandwagon necessarily, but I really liked their previous album No Sleep and what they were doing in general. Since then they have picked up a new singer (they still have the two frontmen) and switched labels, so I was very unsure of what to expect from their third full length, Different Animals. From the first track Waves Control it's clear they're still dealing in Meshuggah-esque riffs and heaviness, and that track in particular hits incredibly hard, opening the album really strongly. From here they continue with typically catchy and heavy riffs with the occasional R&B influenced chorus, similar to what they have done before, but refined and sharper. New singer Myke Terry's screams are a little patchy in places, but it's his clean singing that is his real strength, really shining in particular on lead single Feels Good. Up until this stage the album is solid, if not entirely game changing for the band or the genre.
   At the half-way mark the band throw a wild left hook and the sound shifts dramatically, and this is what is going to divide listeners into fans and otherwise. The first half sounds like Volumes as you know it already; heavy and catchy with R&B influences. The second half still has those ingredients, but the R&B has been cranked up further than it has been on any other Volumes release. The interlude hints at this, before Hope opens with rapping and progresses into a silky smooth chorus (undercut by some chuggy-chugs). This foray into new territory continues throughout the rest of the album, and while to be honest it was quite distracting the first time, it meant that I really wanted to go back and listen to it again, and I found them so much more enjoyable the second time around. Some people will be turned off by this change, but I bought it 100% and really really liked this album. I also like the way it's kind of split into two halves, similar to the way Ocean Grove's Black Label EP showed their progression to a new sound. Go into it with an open mind and see what you think.

   Favourite Tracks: Waves Control, Feels Good, Pieces, On Her Mind and Pullin' Shades

    Least Favourite Tracks: Finite and Heavy Silence

   Rating: A-

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

1 YEAR LATER: "22, A Million" by Bon Iver

   Bon Iver's third studio album turns 1 in about a week (where did that year go?), so I thought it would be interesting to talk a bit about how my impressions of the album have changed - or how they haven't - over the last 12 months. When this album was released I was more excited than I think I ever have been to hear a new album. For Emma, Forever Ago is one of my all time favourites, and I love his self-titled second album too, so I had huge expectations for this album, but was also wary that expectations might ruin my experience of the music. This was particularly the case for 22, A Million , because it is unlike anything else Justin Vernon has released. There have been hints at this more processed, electronic direction previously, like the song "Woods" on the Blood Bank EP and occasional flourishes on Bon Iver , but 22, A Million is a drastic departure from the Bon Iver sound we had grown accustomed to at this point in time. Or at least, that's what I thought...
Post a Comment
Read more

ALBUM REVIEW: "Mesmer" by Northlane

   On Friday Northlane released their fourth studio album Mesmer without any warning, and it's pretty awesome. Fans that were keeping up had been getting hints for a while, with cryptic announcements and a seriously cool chatbot, but Mesmer was a complete surprise for everyone, and one that has brought with it a more cohesive and complete sound for the band.    2015's  Node was a great way to open up the second chapter in the band's trajectory and featured a fantastic performance from new singer Marcus Bridge, but definitely felt like a transition album for a band that had forged such a signature sound and was in the middle of great change. Mesmer immediately feels a lot more comfortable than Node  for a bunch of reasons, which is to be expected now the band has been touring with Bridge almost non-stop for more than two years. While the production on Node didn't quite fit the sound they were going for and seemed a little flat across the board, David Bend...
Post a Comment
Read more