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Mouth of the Architect – The Violence Beneath CD
Translation Loss RecordsEvery time more than a year goes by since a Mouth of the Architect record I always fear that they may have broken up. Thankfully that is not true as they finally released this new EP two years after their amazing album, Quietly. I guess I shouldn’t worry so much because in looking back, it seems they put out something new every two years and also incur some sort of lineup change in that time, and this time is no different.
The Violence Beneath is Mouth of the Architect’s new four song EP. Like previous records, the songs are very lengthy, though not quite as long as the ones on their previous album. Three of the songs are studio recordings and the other one is live. This EP picks up pretty much where Quietly left off and is a great companion. Their post-metal sound features even more tempo changes than before including some peaceful and somber moments before busting out into their trademark post-apocalyptic crunchy metal. Fans of Neurosis and Isis would find some pleasant similarities in Mouth of the Architect but while those bands seem more organic, these guys sound more desolate and a bit more atmospheric and have enough unique things about them so they don’t sound like some clone of those bands. In fact I’ve been playing Mouth of the Architect’s last album a lot more than I played the last albums from either of those bands.
Despite the power and heaviness, their songs are also quite catchy and you’ll get sucked into certain grooves that just click and captivate you in an almost hypnotic way. The vocals are low-pitched growls and are full of emotion and power which compliments the heavy music perfectly.
Mouth of the Architect is one of my favorite current bands and it’s great to see they are still at it, and are living up to the high standards they set for themselves on their previous releases. This EP is a perfect listen from start to finish and just left me wanting more, hopefully it won’t be another two years before we get some!
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After roughly a year and a half since Mouth of the Architect's last record, the band has returned with a four song EP titled The Violence Beneath. At face value, it's a slightly discontinuous collection of recordings; two new studio recordings, an unreleased live track, and a cover song comprise the thirty minute disc. It's heavy, melodic, and massive -- just as one would expect from these dudes. Here's the deal:
The lead-off title track and "Buried Hopes" make up the pair of newly recorded originals on the record. "The Violence Beneath" is the instant stand-out on the EP thanks to its noticeable shift in songwriting. Faster tempos and quick moving riffs give it a Baroness feel, though it isn't quite as clean and rock-ish as the material found on Red Album or Blue Record. In fact, the best comparison is probably the mix of sludge and post-metal found on Supercontinent's Vaalbara from a few years back. 2008's Quietly was a good record, but this song is far more commanding and satisfying than most of that album. If it's any indicator as to what we can expect from the band in the future, we're in luck.
"Restore" is a live cut coming from the band's stint on a tour with Mastodon roughly three years ago. The instrumentation is just as tight as one would except from a studio recording, and with the small exception of the amp's hissing noise floor during a mid-song break, the sound quality is very respectable. Fun fact: this was snagged when Greg Lahm was still a part of the group, so those still clinging to The Ties That Blind as MOTA's best-to-date -- and yes, I put myself in that category -- will take added interest in the track.
Closing the EP is the disc's most debatable content and a definite catalyst for (potentially heated) discussion amongst listeners. You'll recognize the smooth melodies and calm feel of "In Your Eyes" as originally from pop music icon Peter Gabriel, only this time it's loaded down with a healthy dose of distortion and a tasteful spread of backing screams. With an almost shoegazy feel to it and slightly washed out singing, it's a bit more easy going than most of MOTA's previous material, though surprisingly fitting. Personally, I'm still torn over it. On one hand, it's well-executed with a clever spin and rather memorable. But on the other hand, covering pop classics brings the band a small step toward being the Evergreen Terrace of post-metal -- and we all know how difficult it is to take that band seriously. Oh well, you decide.
Bottom Line: Thanks to its variety, The Violence Beneath is an interesting listen for Mouth of the Architect fans. Over the course of thirty minutes it delivers a stellar, Baroness-esque track, an older live recording from their The Ties That Blind days, and a cover track that's sure to pique interest. It's not a masterpiece, but it'll work until the next full-length comes along. | |
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As a relatively long-term fan of the band, I have been awaiting the release of Mouth of the Architect’s (MotA) Quietly for more than a couple months. If you are a fan of the band (you probably already own this by now), you’ll agree with me that Quietly delivers. If you aren’t familiar, MotA’s unique brand of post-metal is characterized by violent, sludgy, detuned walls of distortion and the vocal onslaught of keyboardist Jason Watkins and recently-returned guitarist Alex Vernon. Quietly picks up right where “The Ties That Bind” left off, but as its name suggests, with a tastefulness, consistency, and maturity that makes the previous work pale in comparison. A lot of the earlier material varied greatly in quality from song to song (or even within songs), but there are so many memorable and moving moments on this album: the title-track redefines the term “power chords” with a bombast and weight that nearly buckles your knees. “Guilt and the Like” features a lilting semitone synth line that has just enough tinkle to cross the border from ridiculous to creepy. It sounds almost like a perverted lullaby until the bearded, screaming men abruptly enter, almost like Macbeth’s ghosts coming to torture his dreams. The demo-version of “Generation of Ghosts” I heard several months ago has now been graced with the gorgeous but harrowing voice of Julie Christmas (Made out of Babies). There are two ambient tracks, but they serve their purposes to give some relief from the punishing “Hate and Heartache” and “Rocking Chairs and Shotguns,” as well as build tension for the aforementioned “Generation of Ghosts” and sufficiently epic closer, “A Beautiful Corpse.” I was initially turned off to the rhythmic pulsing of “Rocking Chairs and Shotguns.” Mr. Vernon hits a noticeably sour note at the beginning and one riff is uncannily similar to a song from ISIS’ In the Absence of Truth (the name of which eludes me). However, it quickly became my favorite for two reasons: One, it is superior to the ISIS’ song from which it borrows, and secondly, Alex’s untrained voice is pardoned by the fact that he is actually singing! In my opinion, this song is the album’s, and possibly the band’s, finest moment. After an introspective intro, it begins with a lone swung guitar rhythm that surprising (and delightfully) turns out to be syncopated when the band enters. Vernon’s clean vocals sound achingly beautiful compared to the din going on around him especially contrasted against Watkin’s vicious, almost rap-like, baritone roar. I am aware this reads like an advertisement, but Quietly is really that good. On this album, MotA has finally perfected their sound. Back to the ISIS comparisons, sure, it isn’t a revolutionary Oceanic, but Quietly is MotA’s Panopticon. As near as is possible for an artist, the band has honed their sound to a science. Like ISIS, they too will have to go in a new direction for the next album. Why? Because its nigh impossible for MotA to top Quietly.
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The last year has been a period of major change for Translation Loss' Mouth of the Architect. In September of 2007, the band shockingly announced their break up, a decision triggered by the departure of guitarist and vocalist Gregory Lahm, the primary songwriter of The Ties That Blind. The split proved to be short lived as the band resurrected themselves in but a few days, thanks to the return of former guitarist and vocalist Alex Vernon, a member from the band's Time and Withering era. And with the line-up changes, the band has removed old songs from their live show and showcased a significant songwriting shift with the release of Quietly. Gone are the days of The Ties That Blind and their frequent use of thick melodic grooves and often soothing melodies. Instead, Quietly displays a stylistic move toward the inclusion of increasingly eerie melodies layered on top of doomy low end, and as a result, feels exactly like the direction the band would have taken after Time and Withering had Vernon remained a member of the group. Quietly begins with slowly developing ambience accompanied by subdued keys and continues to layer on delay-soaked guitar work until the track locks into a section of sparse and slow moving doom riffs. The track is a perfect example of the band's decision to focus most of the album's melody in thinner lead guitar and keyboard work, rather than keeping it in low end guitar riffs. "Guilt and the Like" has a strong Time and Withering feel, anchoring itself upon a strangely plodding lead keyboard line and cleaner guitar rhythms before the song erupts into a period of pummeling drumming and thick non-melodic riffs. The beautifully brooding vocal appearance from Julie Christmas of Made Out of Babies/Battle of Mice on "Generation of Ghosts" adds another facet of dark melody to Quietly, yet doesn't demand the spotlight as it sits low enough in the mix to remain complementary. And Mouth of the Architect saved the best for last, as the album closer, "A Beautiful Corpse," showcases unbridled heaviness as it provides a bulldozing combination of Neurosis' burly abrasiveness and Floor's notorious bomb notes. With Quietly, Mouth of the Architect has reasserted itself as arguably the top player in the collection of Neurosis and Isis influenced metal acts. The record isn't as immediately accessible as the band's previous offering, but it packs in just as many rewarding moments. And those who enjoyed the often eerily melodic elements of Time and Withering will be rejoicing, as the album feels like the direct follow up to the band's debut record. The only downside of Quietly comes with the overall album flow. When the band is in the midst of any of the disc's six main tracks, listeners would be hard pressed to find a group more capable of creating effortlessly developing musical compositions spanning the great spectrum from subtle ambient soundscapes to destructively crushing metallic climaxes. But when the band tacks on short piano interludes like "Pine Boxes" and "Medicine" that fail to further develop the album, the disc's continuity feels a bit interrupted. When combined with the 90 second, disjointed intro of "Rocking Chairs and Shotguns," these elements impede the progression of the album and prove to be rather superfluous. Despite this, these moments comprise a minute part of Quietly, and are far from capable of derailing the metallic behemoth that Mouth of the Architect continues to be. Bottom Line: After a few line-up changes, Mouth of the Architect has reemerged with a record that recalls the band's earlier songwriting mentality, offering a combination of intense, non-melodic doom metal and darkly ambient guitar and keyboard layers. It's slightly less accessible than The Ties That Blind, but after a few spins, it proves to be just as satisfying.
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