Genre : Mathcore
Released : October 8th, 2021
Label : Dark Trail Records
FFO : The Dillinger Escape Plan, Car Bomb, Ion Dissonance
You know, sometimes I get a little sad knowing that I'll never hear new music from bands such as The Dillinger Escape Plan and Botch, or even experience seeing them live.
But then I'm quickly reminded that there's a whole generation of musicians who grew up listening to this kind of stuff and who have taken it upon themselves (whether consciously or not) to continue to expand upon what these bands had ignited, maintaining that same creative flame and pushing it even further by infusing it with their own vision.
Under the Pier, who had released my favourite mathcore album of last year with their debut "Puff Pieces", are for me, one of those bands that carry that legacy onwards while simultaneously making it their own.
When I think about mathcore, I think about the brutal energy of hardcore combined with the technicality of progressive metal and the unpredictable, free-flowing style of jazz.
And this is exactly what this band delivers here once again on their sophomore, with mathematical precision yet unbridled raw aggression.
There isn't a huge stylistical change in terms of musical direction compared to their debut, the main difference being that the band sounds a little chuggier due to the shift from six to seven string guitar playing, and the production sounds beefier this time around.
But at this point in their career, that is what I would have expected and wanted to hear from this band, so it makes total sense that they would mainly stick to the sound they had previously established.
The only thing I'm a little on the fence about, to my own surprise, is the production.
I'm not entirely sure whether Pedram's (Frontierer) style of production tailors all that well to the band's strong points.
Going back to "Puff Pieces", the band sounds way less "bassy" and their signature dissonant sliding chords have more impact on there in my opinion.
Overall, "An Exercise In Discontent" is a natural successor to the band's debut that turns up the agression knob a little higher to the slight detriment of clarity.
However, it is just as dizzying and impressive in terms of musicianship, if not even more.
If you like polyrythmical drum work that is impossible to keep up with, frenetic dissonant chords and spidery riffs that morph into face-melting breakdowns carried onwards by a commanding vocal performance, then this one is for you.
Comments