#1: East of the Wall - The Apologist
This album... basically dominated the last quarter of the year for me. Gave it a listen or two on youtube, was like "this seems pretty cool", bought it, listened to it for a week or two, enjoyed it a fair bit but didn't fall in love with it quite yet. But it stayed on my mind, and eventually I went back and relistened to it... and then listened to it again, and again... and every time it just got better and better.
There's just so much to this album. A brilliant display of technicality without sacrificing songwriting. A variety of styles and sounds while still maintaining a cohesive core sound. A tightness in the songwriting where nothing overstays its welcome nor does any idea feel underdeveloped. A raw intensity balanced out with moments of true beauty. And an absolute fantastic flow between the tracks on the album such that they all stand out on their own yet each transition between tracks feels effortless.
Honestly, it'd be easier to list out all the things on this album that don't work than the things that do. A Functional Tumor is a bit of an underachiever of a track, it'd be a fine song on any other album but here it's definitely lacking the punch of the other tracks. And Nurser of Small Hurts has a guitar tone I don't really care for. I... legitimately can't think of a single other element of this album that I don't absolutely adore at this point.
I'd be here all day if I listed out every last moment on this album that works well, so I'm going to try and keep this succinct by only listing out the best of the best.
First off, the vocals. Both the clean vocals and harsh vocals have a ton of moments. The clean singing throughout is very melodic and generally has a strong amount of emotive presence to it as well; probably my favorite moments are the opening vocals of Naif and the cleans throughout Whiskey Sipper, but the title track comes close. As far as the harsh vocals go, the "Let Go" and "Don't Walk Without" moments of The Apologist absolutely floor me every time, and the harsh vocals at the start of Underachiever are particularly intense as well. Bamberger is really the best post-metal style harsh vocalist I can think of, though, he just nails the style so well.
The guitars. I'd really be here all day if I listed out every single moment. Between the atmospheric, post-rock style clean guitars, the heavy and catchy riffs, and the guitar leads all throughout the album, there's a ton to love. For cleaner moments, special mention of course has to be given to the break in the middle of Linear Failure, especially that guitar solo. The Apologist has a ton of lovely clean work, especially the somber line at the end of the track. As far as riffs go... Naif opens with one heck of a sludgy riff, Linear Failure has two different killer riffs, one in the first half and one in the second half, False Build has a chuggy strummy riff and a sludgier one near the end, Precious Memories has a guitar-driven main motif that rules, The Apologist has one of the best damn riffs I've ever heard, and Underachiever starts out with another great sludgy riff.
And then any guitar part that doesn't really qualify as either atmospheric or a riff... both Running Tab and Horseback Riding have a lot of focus on guitar lines, especially dissonant ones, though they're both quite heavy as well. And Underachiever manages to create a ton of sound and frantic energy using no heavy riffs at all, just really noodly guitars alongside the other instruments.
The bass on this album may be the greatest show-stealer of them all, though. From the very first track, there's an amazing bass groove right before the vocals kick in. False Build has an outright bass lead in its intro, which is always great to hear. The title track has one of the best jagged bass grooves I've ever heard in its intro, as well. And the bass is the primary force behind the strong groove of Running Tab of Sweetness, with another strong bass groove backing Horseback Riding. There's a neat dissonant bassline in Nurser of Small Hurts, and the bass forms the backbone of the chaos of Underachiever, even having a moment to itself without the guitars.
Even aside from its highlights though, the bass is just absolutely essential to how well this album works. It's mixed high, but never overpoweringly so; it provides all the tracks with a very full and heavy sound and the tone on the bass is just incredible, wouldn't even ask for it to be slightly different.
Last but not least are the drums, and Rheam is easily the most talented player of the entire group - which is saying something. Highlights would be basically anything from Linear Failure, the intensity of the drums near the end of Precious Memories, the build at the end of The Apologist, the driving grooves of Running Tab and Horseback Riding, the frantic drumming in the quieter moments of Whiskey Sipper, and the pure chaos of Underachiever. I could point to basically any random moment of the album and find a really cool drum moment, though; never overwhelming, fitting the mood of the music well, and just being technically satisfying.
Of course, it's not like the instruments work their magic separately; the real strength of this album's music is how well they all intertwine. This is ESPECIALLY obvious on the two instrumentals, Running Tab of Sweetness and Horseback Riding in a Bicycle World, as well as how everything comes together for the chaos of Underachiever, but again, I can point to basically any moment of the album and find a great balance of all the different instruments. One thing I neglected to mention are the horns at the end of Underachiever, which just give that climactic moment even more swell.
So yes, this album is technically pleasing on every level, but is it emotionally potent? Heck yes. Maybe not in the "I'm sad" or "I'm happy" way, but damn do these tracks have power. The one track that falls a little flat on me is the track that doesn't have as much emotive presence to it, but it's not devoid of it either. There's somber moments on The Apologist and Whiskey Sipper, and even a triumphant moment at the end of Underachiever. I will say that if you're primarily a "feels" kind of person when it comes to music, then this may not be the strongest album for you but you'll still get a lot out of it regardless.
Every time I listen to this album I'm just taken aback, there's always something new to spot and fall in love with. It's technically pleasing, emotionally raw and powerful, moody as heck, and just one of the most satisfying albums I've ever listened to. Get back to me in a few years and I'll probably be calling it my favorite album of all time. About as close to perfection as I could ever expect anyone to ever get, really.
Favorite Tracks: The Apologist, Underachiever, Whiskey Sipper, Linear Failure, Running Tab of Sweetness, False Build, Horseback Riding in a Bicycle World, Naif, Precious Memories
Least Favorite Tracks: A Functional Tumor, Nurser of Small Hurts
9.75/10DTF Addendum: Well, duh. SURPRISE. I can totally understand why nobody else has taken to this like I have since this is the kind of album that feels like it appeals specifically to me and my musical tastes but it's still disappointing. Losers.
Topic: Parama's 2015 Retrospective List: #1: I'm Not Sorry For That At All (Read 30900 times)