8

"8" is the first effort of Uneven Structure in discography and includes a series of tracks that the band has chosen to re-record from previous projects of its members (one of these projects being Longchat). The short (~20 min) EP includes 8 tracks with 7 of them roaming about the 2-minute mark and only the title track surpassing 6 minutes in duration. The music is a clear proof of the influence that Meshuggah have on this new wave of bands that follow this groovy and polyrhythmic style. The majority of the EP's duration displays relentless up-tempo riffs and growling vocals, with the addition of some ambiences that somewhat differentiate the band's sound from its main influence; although mostly interesting, there are moments when these ambient passages sound pretty simplistic. There is a nice flow between the tracks, making them sound more of a concept than individual pieces; this is also boosted by the similarity of the riffs. The exception to the rule is the title track that follows a more mid-tempo pattern with ambiences taking over the leading role.

"8" can be regarded as a promising debut from a band that has chosen to follow an already established musical path. In my opinion, it will be the degree of experimentation that will (or will not) make them distinct in this style. Although not highly impressed, this EP will probably work well for fans of Meshuggah and related bands and can be downloaded for free from the band's website.

Clones, clones everywhere...

I don't know why this particular dead end of a style is so crowded, but I guess it's because of its "cool factor". Djent sounds cool, no doubt about it. I remember myself setting my jaw after it dropped on my first listen of CATCH 33. Let's be honest though, the style created by Meshuggah is very limited and it won't evolve any further.

That's why there are bands that combine djent with more accessible sub-genres of metal, ambient or other non-metal genres... but some of them don't combine it with anything. Uneven Structure was one of those bands when they recorded 8. In short, their EP sounds like a stepped-up CATCH 33. It features the same brooding atmosphere, themes and sound production and the only thing these two bands don't have in common is the quality of being brilliant. Don't get me wrong, 8 is a well executed and well recorded album. It sounds more like a mindless tribute than an independent work of art, though. And by "mindless" I mean painfully repetitive and devoid of any innovative elements.

The biggest advantage of 8 is that it's not mathcore, a genre that some people consider intolerable (who could that be?). Still, it's neither catchy nor innovative so if you look for something that sounds like a bunch of bonus tracks from CATCH 33, then go ahead and get it.

TRACKS BY RATINGS: 5/10[not bad]: Dianoia; To a Higher Quiddity; 8 || 4/10[passable]: Egocentric Focus; Capillarity; Confused Waveforms; Depression || OVERALL = 39/100

(Originally written for Metal Music Archives [www.metalmusicarchives.com])