#prostheticrecords — Public Fediverse posts

Blind Equation – A Funeral in Purgatory Review

By Kenstrosity

When I reach for something blindly, I hope for the best. As it pertains to the acquisition of promo, I calculate my chances of enjoying whatever I select as little as possible. Impulse reigns supreme, instinct takes precedence, gut feelings have the final say. This process ultimately led me to Chicago, Illinois’ Blind Equation. Originally launched as a chiptune-heavy cybergrind project, mastermind and main songwriter James McHenry steadily integrated other influences that distinguish this material from that of the greater subset. With A Funeral in Purgatory, written in the midst of great anguish and struggle on McHenry’s side, Blind Equation create their heaviest, most brutal, and yet most vulnerable and earnest work to date.

Resembling acts like DEATHTRIPPA, Blind Equation’s current iteration diversifies its palette with elements of goth and emo, death and doom, synthwave, and melodic black metal. To these ears, those attributes recall everything from AFI, Fires in the Distance, Silhouette, Gunship, and Labyrinthus Stellarum. Depressive tones and desperate wails reminiscent of Ghost Bath or Acathexis also meld beautifully with a hopeful atmospheric counterpoint—a reflection of McHenry’s use of songwriting as a mechanism for catharsis and healing during his darkest moments during A Funeral in Purgatory’s development. Brutal outbursts reminiscent of Anaal Nathrakh or Igorrr, and the occasional deathcore gravity blast, provide an additional dynamic that brings immense metallic heft to an affair that, to my knowledge, doesn’t utilize a single guitar. Unified, these myriad characteristics coalesce into something stylistically unique, instrumentally fascinating, and emotionally compelling.

More importantly, A Funeral in Purgatory is an absolute joy to experience. With contrasting numbers as divergent as my personal favorites, the blisteringly fast and exuberant “Flashback (ft. Strawberry Hospital)” and beautiful death doom closer “Incomplete,” you might expect A Funeral in Purgatory to be disjointed and haphazard. But the opposite is true. Blind Equation’s masterful, meticulous detailing brings unity and adhesion to the record, such that when I hear the eviscerating brutality of “… in Purgatory” juxtaposed against the vibrant gallop of “Flashback,” or the goth-soaked “Nothing” against the metalcore-breakcore mashup “it feels like the end (ft. JOHNNASCUS),” it feels natural and invigorating. An increased presence of slower, more dramatic passages in “A Funeral… ” and “Relinquished Dreams” allows Blind Equation’s heart-wrenching roars and introspective tones to shine through as the brilliant light of higher-pitched synths and chips fade, enhancing what are already compelling songs by creating deeper valleys and taller peaks. Ultimately, this approach to songwriting permitted me very little opportunity to correctly predict what happened next, while still capturing my attention so completely that with each new song I was ready, almost desperate, for the next twist to whip me into another dimension.

However, not all dimensions are created equal, and there are a couple here that don’t quite reach the same echelon as Blind Equation’s best. First and foremost are the interludes, “⁺‧₊˚ ཐི⋆✟⋆ཋྀ ˚₊‧⁺” and “still.” Musically, they are pretty and offer plenty of emotion, but don’t add enough to the storytelling to feel essential to the overall experience. I could argue the former brings novelty to the split title tracks “A Funeral… ” and “… in Purgatory,” but the requisite connective tissue is flimsy all the same. In a similar manner, “mourn” is somewhat lackluster compared to its album mates. This could be an unfortunate circumstance brought about by its barebones instrumentation, which is a stark departure from everything presented over the previous seven tracks. It could also be that its core ideas feel a touch underdeveloped by comparison. Either way, it represents one of A Funeral in Purgatory’s minor weak points. While in no way a detractor on their own merit, Blind Equation’s AFI-esque clean vocals, which only feature in the first three tracks, would bring even greater cohesion to the whole if they featured more consistently throughout.

It goes without saying that I didn’t expect what Blind Equation delivered, nor did I expect to like it this much. At the same time, I really shouldn’t be surprised at all, considering nearly all of my favorite records this year have been wild and unorthodox. A Funeral in Purgatory represents another entry in that varied category, of which there is no doubt. But it’s also one of the most fun and engaging electronic music releases I’ve encountered this year. So if you don’t mind your metal chipped to oblivion, laced with ecstasy, dressed in all black, with a raven perched on its shoulder, then A Funeral in Purgatory might just be your poison.

Rating: Very Good!
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 256 kbps mp3
Label: Prosthetic Records
Websites: blindequation.bandcamp.com/album | facebook.com/blindequation
Releases Worldwide: July 18th, 2025

#2025 #35 #AFuneralInPurgatory #AFI #AmericanMetal #AnaalNathrakh #BlindEquation #Breakcore #Chiptune #Cybergrind #DeathMetal #DEATHTRIPPA #DoomMetal #DrumAndBass #ElectronicMetal #FiresInTheDistance #GothicMetal #Grind #Grindcore #Gunship #Igorrr #JOHNNASCUS #Jul25 #LabyrinthusStellarum #MelodicBlackMetal #Metalcore #ProstheticRecords #Review #Reviews #Silhouette #StrawberryHospital

Blind Equation – A Funeral in Purgatory Review

By Kenstrosity

When I reach for something blindly, I hope for the best. As it pertains to the acquisition of promo, I calculate my chances of enjoying whatever I select as little as possible. Impulse reigns supreme, instinct takes precedence, gut feelings have the final say. This process ultimately led me to Chicago, Illinois’ Blind Equation. Originally launched as a chiptune-heavy cybergrind project, mastermind and main songwriter James McHenry steadily integrated other influences that distinguish this material from that of the greater subset. With A Funeral in Purgatory, written in the midst of great anguish and struggle on McHenry’s side, Blind Equation create their heaviest, most brutal, and yet most vulnerable and earnest work to date.

Resembling acts like DEATHTRIPPA, Blind Equation’s current iteration diversifies its palette with elements of goth and emo, death and doom, synthwave, and melodic black metal. To these ears, those attributes recall everything from AFI, Fires in the Distance, Silhouette, Gunship, and Labyrinthus Stellarum. Depressive tones and desperate wails reminiscent of Ghost Bath or Acathexis also meld beautifully with a hopeful atmospheric counterpoint—a reflection of McHenry’s use of songwriting as a mechanism for catharsis and healing during his darkest moments during A Funeral in Purgatory’s development. Brutal outbursts reminiscent of Anaal Nathrakh or Igorrr, and the occasional deathcore gravity blast, provide an additional dynamic that brings immense metallic heft to an affair that, to my knowledge, doesn’t utilize a single guitar. Unified, these myriad characteristics coalesce into something stylistically unique, instrumentally fascinating, and emotionally compelling.

More importantly, A Funeral in Purgatory is an absolute joy to experience. With contrasting numbers as divergent as my personal favorites, the blisteringly fast and exuberant “Flashback (ft. Strawberry Hospital)” and beautiful death doom closer “Incomplete,” you might expect A Funeral in Purgatory to be disjointed and haphazard. But the opposite is true. Blind Equation’s masterful, meticulous detailing brings unity and adhesion to the record, such that when I hear the eviscerating brutality of “… in Purgatory” juxtaposed against the vibrant gallop of “Flashback,” or the goth-soaked “Nothing” against the metalcore-breakcore mashup “it feels like the end (ft. JOHNNASCUS),” it feels natural and invigorating. An increased presence of slower, more dramatic passages in “A Funeral… ” and “Relinquished Dreams” allows Blind Equation’s heart-wrenching roars and introspective tones to shine through as the brilliant light of higher-pitched synths and chips fade, enhancing what are already compelling songs by creating deeper valleys and taller peaks. Ultimately, this approach to songwriting permitted me very little opportunity to correctly predict what happened next, while still capturing my attention so completely that with each new song I was ready, almost desperate, for the next twist to whip me into another dimension.

However, not all dimensions are created equal, and there are a couple here that don’t quite reach the same echelon as Blind Equation’s best. First and foremost are the interludes, “⁺‧₊˚ ཐི⋆✟⋆ཋྀ ˚₊‧⁺” and “still.” Musically, they are pretty and offer plenty of emotion, but don’t add enough to the storytelling to feel essential to the overall experience. I could argue the former brings novelty to the split title tracks “A Funeral… ” and “… in Purgatory,” but the requisite connective tissue is flimsy all the same. In a similar manner, “mourn” is somewhat lackluster compared to its album mates. This could be an unfortunate circumstance brought about by its barebones instrumentation, which is a stark departure from everything presented over the previous seven tracks. It could also be that its core ideas feel a touch underdeveloped by comparison. Either way, it represents one of A Funeral in Purgatory’s minor weak points. While in no way a detractor on their own merit, Blind Equation’s AFI-esque clean vocals, which only feature in the first three tracks, would bring even greater cohesion to the whole if they featured more consistently throughout.

It goes without saying that I didn’t expect what Blind Equation delivered, nor did I expect to like it this much. At the same time, I really shouldn’t be surprised at all, considering nearly all of my favorite records this year have been wild and unorthodox. A Funeral in Purgatory represents another entry in that varied category, of which there is no doubt. But it’s also one of the most fun and engaging electronic music releases I’ve encountered this year. So if you don’t mind your metal chipped to oblivion, laced with ecstasy, dressed in all black, with a raven perched on its shoulder, then A Funeral in Purgatory might just be your poison.

Rating: Very Good!
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 256 kbps mp3
Label: Prosthetic Records
Websites: blindequation.bandcamp.com/album | facebook.com/blindequation
Releases Worldwide: July 18th, 2025

#2025 #35 #AFuneralInPurgatory #AFI #AmericanMetal #AnaalNathrakh #BlindEquation #Breakcore #Chiptune #Cybergrind #DeathMetal #DEATHTRIPPA #DoomMetal #DrumAndBass #ElectronicMetal #FiresInTheDistance #GothicMetal #Grind #Grindcore #Gunship #Igorrr #JOHNNASCUS #Jul25 #LabyrinthusStellarum #MelodicBlackMetal #Metalcore #ProstheticRecords #Review #Reviews #Silhouette #StrawberryHospital

Blind Equation – A Funeral in Purgatory Review

By Kenstrosity

When I reach for something blindly, I hope for the best. As it pertains to the acquisition of promo, I calculate my chances of enjoying whatever I select as little as possible. Impulse reigns supreme, instinct takes precedence, gut feelings have the final say. This process ultimately led me to Chicago, Illinois’ Blind Equation. Originally launched as a chiptune-heavy cybergrind project, mastermind and main songwriter James McHenry steadily integrated other influences that distinguish this material from that of the greater subset. With A Funeral in Purgatory, written in the midst of great anguish and struggle on McHenry’s side, Blind Equation create their heaviest, most brutal, and yet most vulnerable and earnest work to date.

Resembling acts like DEATHTRIPPA, Blind Equation’s current iteration diversifies its palette with elements of goth and emo, death and doom, synthwave, and melodic black metal. To these ears, those attributes recall everything from AFI, Fires in the Distance, Silhouette, Gunship, and Labyrinthus Stellarum. Depressive tones and desperate wails reminiscent of Ghost Bath or Acathexis also meld beautifully with a hopeful atmospheric counterpoint—a reflection of McHenry’s use of songwriting as a mechanism for catharsis and healing during his darkest moments during A Funeral in Purgatory’s development. Brutal outbursts reminiscent of Anaal Nathrakh or Igorrr, and the occasional deathcore gravity blast, provide an additional dynamic that brings immense metallic heft to an affair that, to my knowledge, doesn’t utilize a single guitar. Unified, these myriad characteristics coalesce into something stylistically unique, instrumentally fascinating, and emotionally compelling.

More importantly, A Funeral in Purgatory is an absolute joy to experience. With contrasting numbers as divergent as my personal favorites, the blisteringly fast and exuberant “Flashback (ft. Strawberry Hospital)” and beautiful death doom closer “Incomplete,” you might expect A Funeral in Purgatory to be disjointed and haphazard. But the opposite is true. Blind Equation’s masterful, meticulous detailing brings unity and adhesion to the record, such that when I hear the eviscerating brutality of “… in Purgatory” juxtaposed against the vibrant gallop of “Flashback,” or the goth-soaked “Nothing” against the metalcore-breakcore mashup “it feels like the end (ft. JOHNNASCUS),” it feels natural and invigorating. An increased presence of slower, more dramatic passages in “A Funeral… ” and “Relinquished Dreams” allows Blind Equation’s heart-wrenching roars and introspective tones to shine through as the brilliant light of higher-pitched synths and chips fade, enhancing what are already compelling songs by creating deeper valleys and taller peaks. Ultimately, this approach to songwriting permitted me very little opportunity to correctly predict what happened next, while still capturing my attention so completely that with each new song I was ready, almost desperate, for the next twist to whip me into another dimension.

However, not all dimensions are created equal, and there are a couple here that don’t quite reach the same echelon as Blind Equation’s best. First and foremost are the interludes, “⁺‧₊˚ ཐི⋆✟⋆ཋྀ ˚₊‧⁺” and “still.” Musically, they are pretty and offer plenty of emotion, but don’t add enough to the storytelling to feel essential to the overall experience. I could argue the former brings novelty to the split title tracks “A Funeral… ” and “… in Purgatory,” but the requisite connective tissue is flimsy all the same. In a similar manner, “mourn” is somewhat lackluster compared to its album mates. This could be an unfortunate circumstance brought about by its barebones instrumentation, which is a stark departure from everything presented over the previous seven tracks. It could also be that its core ideas feel a touch underdeveloped by comparison. Either way, it represents one of A Funeral in Purgatory’s minor weak points. While in no way a detractor on their own merit, Blind Equation’s AFI-esque clean vocals, which only feature in the first three tracks, would bring even greater cohesion to the whole if they featured more consistently throughout.

It goes without saying that I didn’t expect what Blind Equation delivered, nor did I expect to like it this much. At the same time, I really shouldn’t be surprised at all, considering nearly all of my favorite records this year have been wild and unorthodox. A Funeral in Purgatory represents another entry in that varied category, of which there is no doubt. But it’s also one of the most fun and engaging electronic music releases I’ve encountered this year. So if you don’t mind your metal chipped to oblivion, laced with ecstasy, dressed in all black, with a raven perched on its shoulder, then A Funeral in Purgatory might just be your poison.

Rating: Very Good!
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 256 kbps mp3
Label: Prosthetic Records
Websites: blindequation.bandcamp.com/album | facebook.com/blindequation
Releases Worldwide: July 18th, 2025

#2025 #35 #AFuneralInPurgatory #AFI #AmericanMetal #AnaalNathrakh #BlindEquation #Breakcore #Chiptune #Cybergrind #DeathMetal #DEATHTRIPPA #DoomMetal #DrumAndBass #ElectronicMetal #FiresInTheDistance #GothicMetal #Grind #Grindcore #Gunship #Igorrr #JOHNNASCUS #Jul25 #LabyrinthusStellarum #MelodicBlackMetal #Metalcore #ProstheticRecords #Review #Reviews #Silhouette #StrawberryHospital

Blind Equation – A Funeral in Purgatory Review

By Kenstrosity

When I reach for something blindly, I hope for the best. As it pertains to the acquisition of promo, I calculate my chances of enjoying whatever I select as little as possible. Impulse reigns supreme, instinct takes precedence, gut feelings have the final say. This process ultimately led me to Chicago, Illinois’ Blind Equation. Originally launched as a chiptune-heavy cybergrind project, mastermind and main songwriter James McHenry steadily integrated other influences that distinguish this material from that of the greater subset. With A Funeral in Purgatory, written in the midst of great anguish and struggle on McHenry’s side, Blind Equation create their heaviest, most brutal, and yet most vulnerable and earnest work to date.

Resembling acts like DEATHTRIPPA, Blind Equation’s current iteration diversifies its palette with elements of goth and emo, death and doom, synthwave, and melodic black metal. To these ears, those attributes recall everything from AFI, Fires in the Distance, Silhouette, Gunship, and Labyrinthus Stellarum. Depressive tones and desperate wails reminiscent of Ghost Bath or Acathexis also meld beautifully with a hopeful atmospheric counterpoint—a reflection of McHenry’s use of songwriting as a mechanism for catharsis and healing during his darkest moments during A Funeral in Purgatory’s development. Brutal outbursts reminiscent of Anaal Nathrakh or Igorrr, and the occasional deathcore gravity blast, provide an additional dynamic that brings immense metallic heft to an affair that, to my knowledge, doesn’t utilize a single guitar. Unified, these myriad characteristics coalesce into something stylistically unique, instrumentally fascinating, and emotionally compelling.

More importantly, A Funeral in Purgatory is an absolute joy to experience. With contrasting numbers as divergent as my personal favorites, the blisteringly fast and exuberant “Flashback (ft. Strawberry Hospital)” and beautiful death doom closer “Incomplete,” you might expect A Funeral in Purgatory to be disjointed and haphazard. But the opposite is true. Blind Equation’s masterful, meticulous detailing brings unity and adhesion to the record, such that when I hear the eviscerating brutality of “… in Purgatory” juxtaposed against the vibrant gallop of “Flashback,” or the goth-soaked “Nothing” against the metalcore-breakcore mashup “it feels like the end (ft. JOHNNASCUS),” it feels natural and invigorating. An increased presence of slower, more dramatic passages in “A Funeral… ” and “Relinquished Dreams” allows Blind Equation’s heart-wrenching roars and introspective tones to shine through as the brilliant light of higher-pitched synths and chips fade, enhancing what are already compelling songs by creating deeper valleys and taller peaks. Ultimately, this approach to songwriting permitted me very little opportunity to correctly predict what happened next, while still capturing my attention so completely that with each new song I was ready, almost desperate, for the next twist to whip me into another dimension.

However, not all dimensions are created equal, and there are a couple here that don’t quite reach the same echelon as Blind Equation’s best. First and foremost are the interludes, “⁺‧₊˚ ཐི⋆✟⋆ཋྀ ˚₊‧⁺” and “still.” Musically, they are pretty and offer plenty of emotion, but don’t add enough to the storytelling to feel essential to the overall experience. I could argue the former brings novelty to the split title tracks “A Funeral… ” and “… in Purgatory,” but the requisite connective tissue is flimsy all the same. In a similar manner, “mourn” is somewhat lackluster compared to its album mates. This could be an unfortunate circumstance brought about by its barebones instrumentation, which is a stark departure from everything presented over the previous seven tracks. It could also be that its core ideas feel a touch underdeveloped by comparison. Either way, it represents one of A Funeral in Purgatory’s minor weak points. While in no way a detractor on their own merit, Blind Equation’s AFI-esque clean vocals, which only feature in the first three tracks, would bring even greater cohesion to the whole if they featured more consistently throughout.

It goes without saying that I didn’t expect what Blind Equation delivered, nor did I expect to like it this much. At the same time, I really shouldn’t be surprised at all, considering nearly all of my favorite records this year have been wild and unorthodox. A Funeral in Purgatory represents another entry in that varied category, of which there is no doubt. But it’s also one of the most fun and engaging electronic music releases I’ve encountered this year. So if you don’t mind your metal chipped to oblivion, laced with ecstasy, dressed in all black, with a raven perched on its shoulder, then A Funeral in Purgatory might just be your poison.

Rating: Very Good!
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 256 kbps mp3
Label: Prosthetic Records
Websites: blindequation.bandcamp.com/album | facebook.com/blindequation
Releases Worldwide: July 18th, 2025

#2025 #35 #AFuneralInPurgatory #AFI #AmericanMetal #AnaalNathrakh #BlindEquation #Breakcore #Chiptune #Cybergrind #DeathMetal #DEATHTRIPPA #DoomMetal #DrumAndBass #ElectronicMetal #FiresInTheDistance #GothicMetal #Grind #Grindcore #Gunship #Igorrr #JOHNNASCUS #Jul25 #LabyrinthusStellarum #MelodicBlackMetal #Metalcore #ProstheticRecords #Review #Reviews #Silhouette #StrawberryHospital

Blind Equation – A Funeral in Purgatory Review

By Kenstrosity

When I reach for something blindly, I hope for the best. As it pertains to the acquisition of promo, I calculate my chances of enjoying whatever I select as little as possible. Impulse reigns supreme, instinct takes precedence, gut feelings have the final say. This process ultimately led me to Chicago, Illinois’ Blind Equation. Originally launched as a chiptune-heavy cybergrind project, mastermind and main songwriter James McHenry steadily integrated other influences that distinguish this material from that of the greater subset. With A Funeral in Purgatory, written in the midst of great anguish and struggle on McHenry’s side, Blind Equation create their heaviest, most brutal, and yet most vulnerable and earnest work to date.

Resembling acts like DEATHTRIPPA, Blind Equation’s current iteration diversifies its palette with elements of goth and emo, death and doom, synthwave, and melodic black metal. To these ears, those attributes recall everything from AFI, Fires in the Distance, Silhouette, Gunship, and Labyrinthus Stellarum. Depressive tones and desperate wails reminiscent of Ghost Bath or Acathexis also meld beautifully with a hopeful atmospheric counterpoint—a reflection of McHenry’s use of songwriting as a mechanism for catharsis and healing during his darkest moments during A Funeral in Purgatory’s development. Brutal outbursts reminiscent of Anaal Nathrakh or Igorrr, and the occasional deathcore gravity blast, provide an additional dynamic that brings immense metallic heft to an affair that, to my knowledge, doesn’t utilize a single guitar. Unified, these myriad characteristics coalesce into something stylistically unique, instrumentally fascinating, and emotionally compelling.

More importantly, A Funeral in Purgatory is an absolute joy to experience. With contrasting numbers as divergent as my personal favorites, the blisteringly fast and exuberant “Flashback (ft. Strawberry Hospital)” and beautiful death doom closer “Incomplete,” you might expect A Funeral in Purgatory to be disjointed and haphazard. But the opposite is true. Blind Equation’s masterful, meticulous detailing brings unity and adhesion to the record, such that when I hear the eviscerating brutality of “… in Purgatory” juxtaposed against the vibrant gallop of “Flashback,” or the goth-soaked “Nothing” against the metalcore-breakcore mashup “it feels like the end (ft. JOHNNASCUS),” it feels natural and invigorating. An increased presence of slower, more dramatic passages in “A Funeral… ” and “Relinquished Dreams” allows Blind Equation’s heart-wrenching roars and introspective tones to shine through as the brilliant light of higher-pitched synths and chips fade, enhancing what are already compelling songs by creating deeper valleys and taller peaks. Ultimately, this approach to songwriting permitted me very little opportunity to correctly predict what happened next, while still capturing my attention so completely that with each new song I was ready, almost desperate, for the next twist to whip me into another dimension.

However, not all dimensions are created equal, and there are a couple here that don’t quite reach the same echelon as Blind Equation’s best. First and foremost are the interludes, “⁺‧₊˚ ཐི⋆✟⋆ཋྀ ˚₊‧⁺” and “still.” Musically, they are pretty and offer plenty of emotion, but don’t add enough to the storytelling to feel essential to the overall experience. I could argue the former brings novelty to the split title tracks “A Funeral… ” and “… in Purgatory,” but the requisite connective tissue is flimsy all the same. In a similar manner, “mourn” is somewhat lackluster compared to its album mates. This could be an unfortunate circumstance brought about by its barebones instrumentation, which is a stark departure from everything presented over the previous seven tracks. It could also be that its core ideas feel a touch underdeveloped by comparison. Either way, it represents one of A Funeral in Purgatory’s minor weak points. While in no way a detractor on their own merit, Blind Equation’s AFI-esque clean vocals, which only feature in the first three tracks, would bring even greater cohesion to the whole if they featured more consistently throughout.

It goes without saying that I didn’t expect what Blind Equation delivered, nor did I expect to like it this much. At the same time, I really shouldn’t be surprised at all, considering nearly all of my favorite records this year have been wild and unorthodox. A Funeral in Purgatory represents another entry in that varied category, of which there is no doubt. But it’s also one of the most fun and engaging electronic music releases I’ve encountered this year. So if you don’t mind your metal chipped to oblivion, laced with ecstasy, dressed in all black, with a raven perched on its shoulder, then A Funeral in Purgatory might just be your poison.

Rating: Very Good!
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 256 kbps mp3
Label: Prosthetic Records
Websites: blindequation.bandcamp.com/album | facebook.com/blindequation
Releases Worldwide: July 18th, 2025

#2025 #35 #AFuneralInPurgatory #AFI #AmericanMetal #AnaalNathrakh #BlindEquation #Breakcore #Chiptune #Cybergrind #DeathMetal #DEATHTRIPPA #DoomMetal #DrumAndBass #ElectronicMetal #FiresInTheDistance #GothicMetal #Grind #Grindcore #Gunship #Igorrr #JOHNNASCUS #Jul25 #LabyrinthusStellarum #MelodicBlackMetal #Metalcore #ProstheticRecords #Review #Reviews #Silhouette #StrawberryHospital

Exist – Hijacking the Zeitgeist Review

By Dolphin Whisperer

Following the uniquely progressive death(ish) trend of increasing Hippietude1, Exist has slowly morphed over the years from a spacey, Meshuggah-ish prog act in the vein of Intrinsic-era The Contortionist2 to a Pink Floyd-ian tricky-rhythm rock, primarily, outfit. 2020’s Egoiista, as such, saw coverage in these halls as prizing long-form style over impactful substance—still good though (if a tad underrated). In its dreamy, waltzing soundscape, it also functioned for me as an alluring escape in a year that was, well, quite the weird one. And, as things go in life and major happenings, longtime guitarist Matt Rossa (ex-Svengahli) stepped down and paved the way for WAIT band-leader Charlie Eron to hop on in slick-stringed support. As far as changes go, seeing as WAIT hosts an almost identical lineup to Exist, the personnel couldn’t have been more familiar. But could anyone have seen this Hippietude reversal coming?

Exist’s members’ breadth of live performance prowess often made it seem like Exist acted as an outlet for their softer ideas. Guitarist and vocalist Max Phelps tours frequently with the fully hippified Cynic, but also functions as the revived voice of Chuck Schuldiner on many Death to All bills. Bassist Alex Weber swings his fretless stick about with the likes of elevated slammers Defeated Sanity and melotech legends Obscura. Drummer Brody Smith has hit live with techy flippers Equipoise and groove-monsters Alluvial. Long story short, these guys know heavy, but up until this newest Hijacking the Zeitgeist, that heavy often fell to the side of an alt-rock inflected, jazz-kissed rock. But under the guidance and endjineering of Anup Sastry (ex-Skyharbor and much session work), this refreshed version of Exist reaches forth with both the shortest and punchiest album of their career.

Hijacking the Zeitgeist wastes zero time letting you know that it intends to churn pits with a smart and successful grooves. Between the true Meshuggah syncopation of lead jam “Blue Light Infinite,” and ode-to-microaggressions “One Degree Removed from Human,” and the frenetic fret-tumbling of “A Path to Nowhere,” Exist’s metallic pedigree has never felt more immediate and alive. But neither the wide, resonant chord stabs, Cynic-like riff crawls, nor nasal croon vanishes for long—even against the near-true breakdown of “Thief of Joy”— still weaving a modern and uniquely Exist path throughout this more aggressive landscape. Phelps can’t stray away from belting a forlorn chorus call or high vibration bridge, but his vocal qualities there, and too in his diverse harsh palette, continue to grow more pleasant and ferocious with each outing.

The cost of the burgeoning intensity throughout Hijacking the Zeitgeist, unfortunately, rests in a djentrification of tone. A scooped and compressed guitar attack isn’t necessarily offensive on its own, of course. Many bands in the 00s likes Textures or SikTh found a happy medium in their chunky but bright-chord and bass-infested expressions. The path that Sastry takes mirrors that more of the rhythm-focused bounce boost that he pushed with the WAIT record, which consequently is very modern djent. Despite the low dynamics, no moments of the album ever come across as painfully loud, with Weber’s bass in particular retaining it’s nasally clang. And to work around some of the dynamic issues, songs with longer stretches of clean strumming (“Hijacking the Zeitgest,” “Window to the All”) never allow those passages to bleed over distorted tones using focus as a substitute for layering.

This new fit takes some getting used to, and on my initial spins, I had to fight my resistance to change. But once I let the massive grooves that Hijacking the Zeitgeist has to offer take control of my head, it’s hill-climbing energy revealed itself in spades. The truth is that Exist knows exactly what they’re doing and that they can make this new, groove-focused sound work just as well as their previous work is testament to their abilities. Free of any fat, Hacking the Zeitgeist’s presents few issues beyond its lower dynamic master to having a good time. It’s rare to see a progressive band re-galvanize a waning march—Fates Warning’s Darkness in a Different Light comes to mind—but Exist wears it as naturally as a band who’s slammed from the start. And if they can find a way to marry their more spacious past with their low-frills present, who knows what the future holds.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 256 kbps mp3
Label: Prosthetic Records | Bandcamp
Websites: exist.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/exist
Releases Worldwide: April 12th, 2024

#2024 #35 #Alluvial #AmericanMetal #Apr24 #Cynic #DeathMetal #Exist #FatesWarning #HijackingTheZeitgeist #LawOfIncreasingHippietude #Meshuggah #Obscura #ProgressiveDeathMetal #ProgressiveGrooveMetal #ProgressiveMetal #ProstheticRecords #Review #Reviews #SikTh #Svengahli #Textures #TheContortionist #WAIT

Exist – Hijacking the Zeitgeist Review

By Dolphin Whisperer

Following the uniquely progressive death(ish) trend of increasing Hippietude1, Exist has slowly morphed over the years from a spacey, Meshuggah-ish prog act in the vein of Intrinsic-era The Contortionist2 to a Pink Floyd-ian tricky-rhythm rock, primarily, outfit. 2020’s Egoiista, as such, saw coverage in these halls as prizing long-form style over impactful substance—still good though (if a tad underrated). In its dreamy, waltzing soundscape, it also functioned for me as an alluring escape in a year that was, well, quite the weird one. And, as things go in life and major happenings, longtime guitarist Matt Rossa (ex-Svengahli) stepped down and paved the way for WAIT band-leader Charlie Eron to hop on in slick-stringed support. As far as changes go, seeing as WAIT hosts an almost identical lineup to Exist, the personnel couldn’t have been more familiar. But could anyone have seen this Hippietude reversal coming?

Exist’s members’ breadth of live performance prowess often made it seem like Exist acted as an outlet for their softer ideas. Guitarist and vocalist Max Phelps tours frequently with the fully hippified Cynic, but also functions as the revived voice of Chuck Schuldiner on many Death to All bills. Bassist Alex Weber swings his fretless stick about with the likes of elevated slammers Defeated Sanity and melotech legends Obscura. Drummer Brody Smith has hit live with techy flippers Equipoise and groove-monsters Alluvial. Long story short, these guys know heavy, but up until this newest Hijacking the Zeitgeist, that heavy often fell to the side of an alt-rock inflected, jazz-kissed rock. But under the guidance and endjineering of Anup Sastry (ex-Skyharbor and much session work), this refreshed version of Exist reaches forth with both the shortest and punchiest album of their career.

Hijacking the Zeitgeist wastes zero time letting you know that it intends to churn pits with a smart and successful grooves. Between the true Meshuggah syncopation of lead jam “Blue Light Infinite,” and ode-to-microaggressions “One Degree Removed from Human,” and the frenetic fret-tumbling of “A Path to Nowhere,” Exist’s metallic pedigree has never felt more immediate and alive. But neither the wide, resonant chord stabs, Cynic-like riff crawls, nor nasal croon vanishes for long—even against the near-true breakdown of “Thief of Joy”— still weaving a modern and uniquely Exist path throughout this more aggressive landscape. Phelps can’t stray away from belting a forlorn chorus call or high vibration bridge, but his vocal qualities there, and too in his diverse harsh palette, continue to grow more pleasant and ferocious with each outing.

The cost of the burgeoning intensity throughout Hijacking the Zeitgeist, unfortunately, rests in a djentrification of tone. A scooped and compressed guitar attack isn’t necessarily offensive on its own, of course. Many bands in the 00s likes Textures or SikTh found a happy medium in their chunky but bright-chord and bass-infested expressions. The path that Sastry takes mirrors that more of the rhythm-focused bounce boost that he pushed with the WAIT record, which consequently is very modern djent. Despite the low dynamics, no moments of the album ever come across as painfully loud, with Weber’s bass in particular retaining it’s nasally clang. And to work around some of the dynamic issues, songs with longer stretches of clean strumming (“Hijacking the Zeitgest,” “Window to the All”) never allow those passages to bleed over distorted tones using focus as a substitute for layering.

This new fit takes some getting used to, and on my initial spins, I had to fight my resistance to change. But once I let the massive grooves that Hijacking the Zeitgeist has to offer take control of my head, it’s hill-climbing energy revealed itself in spades. The truth is that Exist knows exactly what they’re doing and that they can make this new, groove-focused sound work just as well as their previous work is testament to their abilities. Free of any fat, Hacking the Zeitgeist’s presents few issues beyond its lower dynamic master to having a good time. It’s rare to see a progressive band re-galvanize a waning march—Fates Warning’s Darkness in a Different Light comes to mind—but Exist wears it as naturally as a band who’s slammed from the start. And if they can find a way to marry their more spacious past with their low-frills present, who knows what the future holds.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 256 kbps mp3
Label: Prosthetic Records | Bandcamp
Websites: exist.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/exist
Releases Worldwide: April 12th, 2024

#2024 #35 #Alluvial #AmericanMetal #Apr24 #Cynic #DeathMetal #Exist #FatesWarning #HijackingTheZeitgeist #LawOfIncreasingHippietude #Meshuggah #Obscura #ProgressiveDeathMetal #ProgressiveGrooveMetal #ProgressiveMetal #ProstheticRecords #Review #Reviews #SikTh #Svengahli #Textures #TheContortionist #WAIT

Exist – Hijacking the Zeitgeist Review

By Dolphin Whisperer

Following the uniquely progressive death(ish) trend of increasing Hippietude1, Exist has slowly morphed over the years from a spacey, Meshuggah-ish prog act in the vein of Intrinsic-era The Contortionist2 to a Pink Floyd-ian tricky-rhythm rock, primarily, outfit. 2020’s Egoiista, as such, saw coverage in these halls as prizing long-form style over impactful substance—still good though (if a tad underrated). In its dreamy, waltzing soundscape, it also functioned for me as an alluring escape in a year that was, well, quite the weird one. And, as things go in life and major happenings, longtime guitarist Matt Rossa (ex-Svengahli) stepped down and paved the way for WAIT band-leader Charlie Eron to hop on in slick-stringed support. As far as changes go, seeing as WAIT hosts an almost identical lineup to Exist, the personnel couldn’t have been more familiar. But could anyone have seen this Hippietude reversal coming?

Exist’s members’ breadth of live performance prowess often made it seem like Exist acted as an outlet for their softer ideas. Guitarist and vocalist Max Phelps tours frequently with the fully hippified Cynic, but also functions as the revived voice of Chuck Schuldiner on many Death to All bills. Bassist Alex Weber swings his fretless stick about with the likes of elevated slammers Defeated Sanity and melotech legends Obscura. Drummer Brody Smith has hit live with techy flippers Equipoise and groove-monsters Alluvial. Long story short, these guys know heavy, but up until this newest Hijacking the Zeitgeist, that heavy often fell to the side of an alt-rock inflected, jazz-kissed rock. But under the guidance and endjineering of Anup Sastry (ex-Skyharbor and much session work), this refreshed version of Exist reaches forth with both the shortest and punchiest album of their career.

Hijacking the Zeitgeist wastes zero time letting you know that it intends to churn pits with a smart and successful grooves. Between the true Meshuggah syncopation of lead jam “Blue Light Infinite,” and ode-to-microaggressions “One Degree Removed from Human,” and the frenetic fret-tumbling of “A Path to Nowhere,” Exist’s metallic pedigree has never felt more immediate and alive. But neither the wide, resonant chord stabs, Cynic-like riff crawls, nor nasal croon vanishes for long—even against the near-true breakdown of “Thief of Joy”— still weaving a modern and uniquely Exist path throughout this more aggressive landscape. Phelps can’t stray away from belting a forlorn chorus call or high vibration bridge, but his vocal qualities there, and too in his diverse harsh palette, continue to grow more pleasant and ferocious with each outing.

The cost of the burgeoning intensity throughout Hijacking the Zeitgeist, unfortunately, rests in a djentrification of tone. A scooped and compressed guitar attack isn’t necessarily offensive on its own, of course. Many bands in the 00s likes Textures or SikTh found a happy medium in their chunky but bright-chord and bass-infested expressions. The path that Sastry takes mirrors that more of the rhythm-focused bounce boost that he pushed with the WAIT record, which consequently is very modern djent. Despite the low dynamics, no moments of the album ever come across as painfully loud, with Weber’s bass in particular retaining it’s nasally clang. And to work around some of the dynamic issues, songs with longer stretches of clean strumming (“Hijacking the Zeitgest,” “Window to the All”) never allow those passages to bleed over distorted tones using focus as a substitute for layering.

This new fit takes some getting used to, and on my initial spins, I had to fight my resistance to change. But once I let the massive grooves that Hijacking the Zeitgeist has to offer take control of my head, it’s hill-climbing energy revealed itself in spades. The truth is that Exist knows exactly what they’re doing and that they can make this new, groove-focused sound work just as well as their previous work is testament to their abilities. Free of any fat, Hacking the Zeitgeist’s presents few issues beyond its lower dynamic master to having a good time. It’s rare to see a progressive band re-galvanize a waning march—Fates Warning’s Darkness in a Different Light comes to mind—but Exist wears it as naturally as a band who’s slammed from the start. And if they can find a way to marry their more spacious past with their low-frills present, who knows what the future holds.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 256 kbps mp3
Label: Prosthetic Records | Bandcamp
Websites: exist.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/exist
Releases Worldwide: April 12th, 2024

#2024 #35 #Alluvial #AmericanMetal #Apr24 #Cynic #DeathMetal #Exist #FatesWarning #HijackingTheZeitgeist #LawOfIncreasingHippietude #Meshuggah #Obscura #ProgressiveDeathMetal #ProgressiveGrooveMetal #ProgressiveMetal #ProstheticRecords #Review #Reviews #SikTh #Svengahli #Textures #TheContortionist #WAIT