Extremely loud and incredibly close (to greatness)
Current times demand a lack of subtlety. People, particularly those who are highly educated, have spent the better part of a millennia believing that through subtlety and politeness true change can be achieved. Though the ideal is a noble one, perpetuated by dreams of chivalry and the common good, it has become known to the masses that sometimes the message is best said when it is plainly stated. Uniform, a band that has never been subtle, takes the current era as permission to cut loose entirely and create their most violent solo album to date.
Consider for a moment, the opening track “The Walk.” Within moments of starting, listeners are subjected to a menacing barrage of clattering cymbals, crunching synth layers and violently barked nigh unintelligible lyrics. The message of the song is clear; “This is the last chance to turn back.” There are, with the glaring exception of early portions of “The Walk,” no warnings on this record. It starts at 500 miles per hour and doesn’t slow down until it closes out by plowing into a brick wall. Speaking of brick walls, this record sounds like it was recorded in a garage at maximum volume. It’s one of the most noticeably loud records in history, surpassing even typical noise rock records in terms of pure intensity. This lends itself well to the record, which contains violent, difficult to understand lyrics by adding a sense of urgency and rage to the tracks.
“Inhuman Condition” is one of the more furious tracks, filled to the brim with swirling, gnarled guitar played at volumes so high it becomes difficult to tell every instrument apart. The track centers around a cacophonous midsection of mindless repetition and returns to the same format at the end, using it to great effect.
Unfortunately, after that many of the songs begin to run together. Whether this is a consequence of the volume of the record or if it is a lack of variance in the playing, it does come as a notable detriment to much of the record. Luckily, the elements of the record that are prone to feeling the same are the very elements that make the track memorable. For instance, “Headless Eyes” and “Alone in the Dark” are rather unmemorable in the general lineup of the record, but should they be found alone, they are remarkably aggressive tracks that are sure to leave an impact, though within the context of the record they don’t manage to do enough to propel it forward.
Despite these issues, the record is unique and memorable. It never quite achieves the highs that they were able to on their crossover with The Body earlier this year, but it comes close. “The Walk,” “Inhuman Condition” and “Peaceable Kingdom” are among the best tracks that Uniform has ever released. If they can find it in themselves to continue forward along this path, they’ll rapidly churn out some of the most interesting music of the current day. As it stands though, they’re on the threshold and deserve all the attention that is paid to them.
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