TIME & WITHERING

I've listened to a fair variety of post-metal over the last year, and much of it quickly becomes monstrously boring. Mouth of the Architect's TIME AND WITHERING is one of the few I can actually listen to on repeat. There is a certain richness of composition on this album that just isn't that common in the genre. Guitarists Gregory Lahm and Alex Vernon utilize a nice variety of tones and atmospheres to move the listener from scene to scene, rather than simply dragging through various shades of brown sludge. Of course, heavy grind colors many of those scenes, but it doesn't become overwhelmingly oppressive.

Some of the music here is simply heavy post-rock, and that's a good thing. While all bands in both post-rock and post-metal are willing to spend long periods of time creating and maintaining moods, most post-metal bands utilize thick riffing while most post-rock bands have multiple layers of repetitive figures. While both can be boring when done poorly, the layering of post-rock usually holds my attention a bit longer. MotA uses elements of both and the music benefits quite a bit.

At the same time, post metal bands sadly are willing to add (usually quite bad) harsh vocals to their music. Mouth of the Architect is one of these, and though their vocals are better than many of their peers, I'm not sure they've done themselves any favors. While making the music even more hellish (which I think is sometimes the intention) it also distracts me. I'm lifted out of the vibe of the music and into critic mode. In general, I think harsh vocals are best used to express desperation, extreme anger, or other specific emotions. As a primary part of the music, they rarely work for me. The vocals on TIME AND WITHERING are tolerable.

The album is composed of four tracks, three of which are in the 10-12 minute range. The compositions aren't especially distinct, and the album runs like one continuous barrage rather than individual tunes. The short "Heart Eaters" may be the most brutal, while the first and last "A Vivid Chaos" and "The Worm" are the most atmospheric and my favorites.

It should be noted that this album was an early example of the genre, and in that framework, was pretty promising. If one were looking for an example of good post-metal to sink their teeth into, this would be a worthy try. 3/5

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