Genre : thall.
Released : November 17th, 2022
Label : Self-released
FFO : Vildhjarta, Reflections, Fractalize
Fucking hell, this is pretty much a thall enthusiast's wet dream.
On this collaborative album (EP?), the moldavian quatuor have assembled a diverse wrecking crew of underground bands and solo artists all united by a common purpose and a shared banner : thall.
Including participations from Olympus Lenticular, Tulpas (pka. DeathEater), Nemertines, Ascera, Path Of Giants, Coldblood Supplicant, Vorkuttah and Under Red Skies; this is the single biggest collaborative work as of yet of the niche sub-sub-genre birthed by Vildhjarta that has recently seeped its way into modern metalcore songwriting trends, with even progressive metal virtuosos such as Animals As Leaders and Polyphia borrowing pages from the book of thall to add new flair to their own respective album releases this year.
If you're still puzzled and confused by what in tarnation "thall" is, it's pretty much a darker, heavier, more unpredictable and angular version of djent (you know, the low-ended polyrythmic and chuggy younger brother of progressive metal birthed by Meshuggah) with a huge focus on balancing delicate and sorrowful ambiance with crushing, beefy heaviness; characterized by the heavy usage of bends, guitar layering, disjointed rhythms and a ton of pitch shifting.
Now, back to "Mass Recall" : In spite of being a super short piece of work, with five tracks amounting to slightly less than ten minutes (twenty if you include the instrumental versions of each track), "Mass Recall" makes full usage of every guest musician's talents to deliver a satisfyingly enth(r)alling listen that could almost be on par with Vildhjarta's creations.
Which is also probably due in part to the not-so-secret sauce : having Vildhjarta's very own producer/drummer/songwriter Buster Odeholm mix and master the whole project.
Big riffs, unpredictable twists and turns (and bends), immersive atmosphere and gnarly vocals : and all i can say is have successfully ticked off all the boxes that make for a great listening experience of this style of music; paying homage to the inevitable influence behind it while not only bringing theirs, but also every involved artist's approach and interpretation of the style to the table in one brief release that packs a humongous punch.
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