"The Narrow Scope of Things"
Solid State Records
By Brynn McKenna Those who enjoy a modern eclectic mix will like Embodyment. This quintet blasts forth with a combination of hardcore, thrash, alternative and a little bit of punk on this 12-song CD. Most of the lyrics are cryptic: positive yet negative, angry yet subdued, always arcane--the exact meanings and implications are known only to the artists or the initiated, although breaking away from anything that limits personal growth seems to be the theme, if there is one. The musicianship is of the highest quality. A number of these songs are comprised of arrangements and vocals that I've heard a zillion '90s hardcore and alternapunk bands do, but it sounds great. Then again, there are many, many fresh and innovative musical and vocal arrangements to be heard. Too many to pass this album by, in fact. "Winter Kiss" has excellent heavy guitar riffing, but these vox are '90s-whiny and repetitive. The hardcore slabs of "Pendulum" hit like a Mack truck. "Assembly Line Humans" will bulldoze ya! The vocals range from the whiny to the angry pissed monster vox. "Greedy Hands" is dark, heavy, cool and innovative. The bass solo rocks! "Confessions" takes old heavy music and vocal components and makes them new again. Some of the vocals in "Killing the Me in Me" remind me of Trent Reznor's. The best song in this collection is "One Less Addiction," a pleasing melodic number presented heavy with cool vocal harmonies and then again later in a rather haunting acoustic format. The band's bio describes listening to this album as a pleasurable listening experience and that's just what it was. There is potential for greatness here. |
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