Intricate production of 1960s-inspired rock

Meatbodies frontman Chad Ubovich’s own journey to sobriety is chronicled through their third studio album 333 in a way that is intricate and visceral. Taking into account incredible production, the slow progression from dense reverb to more acoustic sounds creates a sonic landscape that is perfectly dense. It is a work that strongly stands up to its concept, as well as the vulnerability that comes with it. 

“Reach for the Sunn” is a standard heavy rock opener. With its reverbed bass-line and loud chorus, they seem to drown out the vocals a bit. It is quite interesting production work, with its inclusion of the sound of planes flying overhead. Considering that the melody is a bit overblown with its bass, the production refuses to sound confused. While there are plenty of different and dense layers to the track, it is not muddled together. Every part has a complete purpose, which makes the song a fascinatingly intricate piece to ruminate on before listening to the rest of the album, realizing the entropy of insobriety

“Let Go (333)” is a completely different direction from the first track; however, its late ‘60s sounds come to the fore. With acoustic sounds creating a steady rhythm, there is more nostalgia to this track that contrasts nicely with the previous. However, as the song progresses, more contemporary production elements come in, with the vocals overlapping one another in a canonical style before finally descending into inaudible lyrics at the end. While different, it thematically ties with the rest of the album. It is a nice touch that truly allows this to not feel like a complete disjointed break.

Perhaps the most successful work of production is “Eye Eraser,” which simply is a fascinating work to listen to. This is where much of the band highlights not only skills with their instruments but creating a song that combines these elements in a distinct way. It is a thoroughly enjoyable song, even without its lyrics. It really brings a bridge between the first and the second half of the album that ties its two sides very well. With a love for the dense production work, this is the most successful and interesting run of it. 

To conclude 333, Meatbodies creates a more psychedelic rock piece in “The Hero,” leading to a more loose, stripped-down version of the rest of the album. Its lyricism is more poignant here, perhaps due to it being not as concentrated in instrumental work. It makes one begin to realize just how these two significantly interesting concepts of the album—its lyricism and its dense production—can be reconciled in a way that highlights the best of both of them. However, it does not detract from a good album, with its cohesive elements throughout. Instead, its sonic journey takes one through the difficult journey of sobriety in a way that is both special and impactful.