Inanimate Existence

Inanimate Existence

Calling From A Dream

Unique Leader

Release: 16 September 2016

Inanimate Existence's style is chugging groove with an experimental side of melodic singing and mellow segments. The band has said: “After the release of our last album, we decided to take our sound to a new place while incorporating our roots. Expect deep compositions with many emotional ups and downs. Inspiration was drawn from music theorists and composers dating back thousands of years. Within Calling From A Dream, listeners will encounter a wide array of musical elements blended to form a rich contrast of sonic textures that result in a dynamic aural experience.”

They aim for an ambitious combination of hardcore, deathcore, djent, death metal and melody. I have listened to this music and even though they seek to create a great album, I'm afraid that the songs sound disjointed and they do not successfully pull off the contrasts that they want. For instance, it is questionable that the vocalist throughout the whole album pretty much does deathcore growls and then, like clockwork, for the melodic vocals they have the guest Adrianna Tentori, whose appearance is much more than guest work, as she is all over it, not just a song or two. The combination of growls and melodic postrock singing does not work well, in my opinion, because it sounds formulaic, predictable and even forced as a way to show different sides of the sound. In addition, the guitar, while it does have some good moments, is dominated by the chugging deathcore and hardcore and djent sounds which are perfect for those that love the basic groove rhythms, but it falls below the standard and objective of a "dynamic aural experience," as the band seeks. I have higher standards when a band says that they have something really great in mind.

This band gets good reviews and they will most likely be very successful because they have a niche sound and people seem to like it a lot. As for me, I think the guitar work needs to be reconsidered in some ways. The constant chugging shows a lack of imagination. When the riffs, the creative riffs should be kicking in for headbanging, instead we get grooves and breakdowns. "But that's how the band wants it!," some might say. That's fine, but chugging and grooves do not say creativity, they reveal basic and low-standard ways of thinking. Should the band bring in a new member who can do melodic vocals, someone who sounds in tune with the songs? It could be the same person as the guest on this album, but the point would be to have everyone on the same page, as opposed to having "esoteric" and "atmospheric" elements appear tacked on.

The album simply sounds too artificial and contrived, to my ears. Repeated listens have not made the listening experience better. It is easy to see that the band has potential and that they have skills. The issue is not that, despite the residues of hardcore that one can hear. The bigger question is devoting time to thinking about how to make the songs sounds whole and complete. It may not be necessary to force a melodic segment in each song. It may be that some songs will be melodic all the way through. The point is to avoid a predictable formula. It would be nice to have more riffs that sound more metal, too.

I cannot recommend this album at this moment.

www.facebook.com/TheInanimateExistence

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by MMB