MOUTH OF THE ARCHITECT

The departure of MotA, and the back to their roots. "Time & Withering" has been released in 2004 as MotA's debut album, and they've remastered and rereleased this album in 2017, finally. I'm interested and quite curious if they would grab the debut stuff out and squeeze their newer intention into it, and my expectation's been guaranteed obviously.

Easily imagined that the first shot "A Vivid Chaos" should get to be their sound basis. As the title says, vivid, young and promising flavour with hints of some post-metal vanguards can be heard, filled with distorted voices and exaggerated guitar plays, all of which can be thought veteran too, surprisingly. Again mentioned, the basis of MotA. The following "Soil To Stone" sounds deep and onyx leaning towards Japanese traditional (aka 'enka-ish') melody line ... its oriental taste could get sympathized with also by Asian, especially Japanese rock fans. Beautiful atmosphere veiled in hardcore voices and metallic instrumental rumble is another characteristic of MotA, let me say. Impressive is distorted violin vibe like David Cross in the shortest track "Heart Eaters". Heavy guitar attachment as if beneath the deep green sea should completely eat not only our heart but also whole body. Mass of the simple repetition of the same phrase cannot bore us but improve our musical motivation definitely. The last 'must' one "The Worm" could remind the audience of a worm wandering out from the underground, I guess. Along with kind of Krautrock-ish psych-electro texture all around the stuff, dramatic keyboard phrases and massive heavy guitar movements go forward, based upon inorganically strict drumming and bass plays ... like the dark, lonely life of a small invertebrate. Amazing is such a comfortable aftertaste of this track, flooded with warmness regardless of post-metallic loudness and dissection.

Kinda treasure.

Honest to say, this album "Path Of Eight" is my first MOUTH OF THE ARCHITECT, which sleeve of mysticism I've pretty got immersed in and could not avoid preordering. And their first hit for me was massive and aggressive. "Ritual Bell" drenched in surrealistic wall of sound and flooded with religious rite of MotA baptism completely leads the audience upon the rigid road of architectures each of which has different vibe from others amazingly, below mentioned.

Their deep, heavy, and intensive stoner sound-world sounds leaning toward the Seattle-oriented grunge scene like the early Pearl Jam ("The priestess" reminds me of Pearl Jam's debut album "ten" actually) or Alice In Chains (e.g. complicatedly moving waves can be heard in "Fever Dream", one of my faves really) ... because they might hail from US I imagine? And not only grunge-ish atmosphere but also colourful sound variation they have launched upon this physical stuff (both the disc and the sleeve).

"Sever The Soul" has obvious hard deathcore touch beneath the melodic sea. On the other hand, wild and depressive alternative depth / width can be enjoyed in "Stretching Out". The last titled track is filled with acidity and stoner essence as though it were not already enough. In addition, such a deep metallic kaleidoscope should be tinged with unpolished unclear pop taste here and there.

Their soundscape should apparently be far from Zeni Geva classified in the same subgenre like them, although I'm not familiar with Exp. / Post Metal. Certainly I cannot say at all I wasted my money upon this wonderful album.

For an EP-length release at a low price, "The Violence Beneath" is a fantastic release. Curiously, you'd be justified in acquiring it just for the second and fourth tracks alone.

The title track is nothing special-it's a decently rollicking atmospheric sludge track, although it hems a little too close to the template set by Neurosis to truly excite. The second track picks things up, providing a more sweeping backdrop by effectively utilizing the quiet/loud dynamic and downtuned shoegaze riffs that this genre requires to retain interest. The third track, a live number, will provoke more or less the same reaction that the first track did, that is, that you are listening to something serviceable but nothing special. So what boosts this from a three star release to a four star one?

Simple: The cover of Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes". All the mystic beauty of the original single is intact and amplified by crushing atmospherics and ghostly vocals that turn the track into what I can only describe as a dirge for a wedding. It's psychedelic and brutal and gorgeous and not only does it surpass Gabriel's original version(and I say that as a HUGE fan of the original version), it also serves as a benchmark for the level of feeling you can squeeze out of a genre as typically cold and intimidating as post-metal.

So...two okay tracks, one good one, and one unskippable masterpiece, clocking in for a total of 32 minutes? I'd say that's worth four bucks, wouldn't you?

Tasty Post-Metal Treats

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

While my acquaintance with MotA continues, this is my third attempt to familiarise myself with their music and obtain some knowledge over the so-called post-sludge metal movement. After a promising debut and a fairly indifferent split with Kenoma, The Ties that Blind would be the critical one for me to decide if it is worth investing further in the band and the genre.

The album contains just 6 compositions of average duration of 11 mins (!). Contrary to previous work, the overall feeling is not that of a typical post metal album. The sound has evolved to much more progressive patterns, including more changes in tempos - mainly from slow to medium speeds - and a few odd-time signatures. In addition, the range of influences here is more spread out - one could observe riffs that resemble to Tool (closing track) and mostly to Mastodon passages.

Especially in the two first tracks, there is an abundance of heavy melodic riffs that take the style to a different level. This is probably the first time that actual ''progressive metal'' can be heard in MotA compositions. Someone could go as far and observe some riffs that bring Dream Theater and Sieges Even (!) in mind (see No One Wished to Settle Here). The vocals continue to be at the usual brutal-scream level and match the music. However, this might put the non-familiar (to extreme sounds) listeners off. A good balance of solid doom-sludge riffs and clean-guitar passages is maintained throughout the whole album, with the former being more obvious compared to previous works.

Summarising, this is a much more mature release than anything they have produced up to 2006. In this album, apart from the typical slow sludge metal, there is a great amount of experimentation with different sounds and more melodic riffs. The experts of the genre might think differently, but it might be that MotA have escaped the ISIS-NEUROSIS ''clone'' tag with this release. A very good album that deserves at least 3.5 stars and can be appreciated by post/extreme metal fans.

In this split recording, MotA and Kenoma share the space almost equally, with the former presenting a very long single composition (>17mins) and the latter rationalising their given time with two tracks of overall duration of a bit more than 20 mins. On a first listen, the collaboration of these two bands sounds successful in terms of sound, as they both follow a similar style, heavily influenced by the post/sludge metal movement.

Starting with MotA, Sleepwalk Powder shows similar characteristics with their debut two years prior to this release. The heavy/doom guitars are the dominant instrument, followed by a solid rhythm section, with the tuned-down bass guitar providing the - rather creeping - pace. The composition follows a similar pattern throughout with no real surprises. The first minor change occurs somewhere around the 12th minute and falls back in the main theme. The pace is constantly slow and the riffs quite repetitive, not allowing for any real variety or progressiveness in the track. The lyrics are limited and produced by rather brutal vocals which blend nicely with the style. Apart from a few well-worked doom-like guitar riffs, the taste that this tracks leaves is that of indifference.

The Nature of Empire is the first track by Kenoma, and shows many similarities with its predecessor: a slow, based on heavy riffs, instrumental track that shows signs of repetition but slightly more interesting guitar passages and a small ''dose'' of variation. However, the feeling here is identical: a ''prolonged'' composition that is uncertain if it is worth its 11 or so minutes. 1913, the track that concludes this collaboration, stands out compared to the rest. It starts off with a slow melodic doom experimental passage where clean, distorted and bass guitars create a melancholic atmosphere for the first half of the track. The approach resembles to that of Anathema and related bands. The track switches to a mid-tempo melodic post-rock second half that, without being exceptional, leaves a pleasant feeling in the end.

Apart from 1913 by Kenoma, there is nothing really great in this compilation unless you are a completionist and a big fan of the post-sludge metal genre. In my opinion, not ideal to get a feeling for MotA, whose debut is much more interesting than the long composition presented here.

Noisy, slow and promising debut

This is the debut album of MOUTH OF THE ARCHITECT, released in 2004. The bet for this Ohio-based USA band is to impress not only with their (rather intriguing) name but also with the music. They achieve in both.

MotA can be readily ''categorised'' in the ever-developing genre of post-metal. They mainly incorporate sludge and doom elements in their sound, while their tracks are relatively long, often surpassing the 10-minute mark. In this debut, there are just 4 compositions, with three of them ticking about 11-12 minutes long. The tempos followed in this album are very slow - ''creeping'' would probably be the right description.

As many bands in the post-sludge movement, MotA employ semi-brutal, scream-like vocals that blend nicely with the often chaotic character of their riffs. A few samples accompany their sound, but the use of keyboards is rather limited, leaving the leading role to either tuned-down distorted or clean electric guitars. Apart from the noticeably heavy doom passages (fans of doom will recognise Sabbath and Cathedral-like riffs), there is a more melodic aspect in their music that often interchanges with the heavier parts. This is particularly apparent in A Vivid Chaos and The Worm, in my opinion, the best tracks of this debut.

The more melodic parts often bring in mind bands like ISIS and related from the post-metal genre. The successful blend of doom-like compositions with solid melodic forms is the reason that I regard this debut as highly promising and makes me look further into their discography and bands with similar sound. Not everything sounds original and ground-breaking but surely fans of post-sludge metal will appreciate this recording more than me.

Excellent work Mouth of the Architect!

This band is a Five piece post metal band who draw very heavy influences from bands like Cult of Luna for their music, and the God Fathers of Post Metal themselves Neurosis through their lyrics, and dark vibes. What separates MotA from these bands is their excellent use of keyboards in all of their songs. Unlike Cult of Luna, Isis, or *shels, who use (or underuse) their keyboardists exclusively for atmospherics, you can often hear this guy either in the forefront, or background of all the music, with his electric piano playing arpeggios that fit perfectly with the delayed electric guitars bouncing back and forth.

I'll admit, I didn't listen to the Ties that blind very often to get a solid opinion, and I'm trying to remedy that problem as fast as I can, but I can make some comparisons. Quietly is much darker, and mellowed out, concentrating more on brooding chords, and emphasis on the lyrics, and delayed lead lines, while their previous album is more about riffing your face off, and incorporating more clean guitars for a more Post Rocky effect. For some reason, The Ties... just didn't grab me as much as Quietly, and I wont deny that the latter is much more accessible, and the former is still incredibly kick ass.

Quietly does approach Post Rock as much as metal though, but through a different aesthetic. Instead of pulling the very Cult of Luna-ish shtick of throwing in some delayed ambiance in their songs, Mouth of the architect concentrate on the loud soft theory through completely toning down to simple keyboards, or samples as filler songs, so after you've had your three minutes of softness in Medicine, and you're slipping into a doze, The beautiful Corpse kicks you in the teethe with it's bone crushing distortion, and pissed off vocals. Also shying away from their sludge and doom tendencies, MotA have almost completely dropped riffing, and are now concentrating on atmosphere and emphasis on the vocals and lyrics of Jason Watkins. The subject matter is a little typical, surrounded by darkness, and other things like suicide, the fall of civilization, and death.

A wonderful album, definitely in my top five of the year, but I still think they are too derivative of their Cult of Neurosican influences to really call this one a masterpiece. So this album will get a four star rating from me.

When Ohio's technical grind masters Rune called it quits in 2004, the Dayton scene was left with a gaping hole. No local metal bands were getting recognized---mostly because they weren't good---and the ex-Rune members made it their mission to realign themselves in bands that would be even better than Rune was. In a way, they succeeded by forming Mouth of the Architect and Kenoma. Each shares more traits with Neurosis than Napalm Death, even though Rune was the inverse. Mouth of the Architect got off to a quicker start, getting signed in their infancy to Translation Loss records who released their 2002 debut TIME & WITHERING, featuring the underground classic "The Worm". Kenoma didn't form until a while later, and decided to go the instrumental route with their sound. They also became signed to Translation Loss and this split is their first official release. Each band has the potential to do amazing things for the world of metal, albeit through a somewhat non-metal medium.

This split kicks off with a seventeen minute song by Mouth of the Architect entitled "Sleepwalk Powder". The song is hypnotically effective, a collection of crunchy riffs mixed with very clean electric guitar and near-virtuosic keyboarding. The highlight of this song may be the chant-like lyrics and vocals. The song only has a few lines of lyrics, but they are sung--- harmonized, really---by the band's two vocalists in such a manner that you truly feel the song coursing through your veins. These guys have been called "dime-a-dozen Neurosis imitators", but songs like these should prove those who doubt very wrong. Here's hoping they keep it up.

Next up is Kenoma's half of the record. Their first song is an eleven minute instrumental epic called "The Nature of Empire". If we're picking a weak point in the album, it's this song. The band doesn't play the song live, so perhaps they agree, but the song isn't really weak. Just weaker than the other two. There's a lot of suspense for the moment where the song is going to kick in and when it does it doesn't quite deliver. It isn't a huge demerit on the record though, because it's still a very relaxing tune that one can chill to with ease.

The next and final song makes this split release worth buying singlehandedly: Kenoma's "1913". This song is, without exaggeration, the song of the year and one of the best instrumental songs I've ever heard. The buildup goes on exactly as long as it should, and when the song reaches its climax you are ready to go down the roller-coaster hill that the rest of the song is. The spiralling descent into madness is amazing and rewarding, and words can hardly explain how climactically the whole thing wraps up. Kenoma prove that it doesn't take words to make you feel music, and that's commendable.

One of the best things about this album isn't even the music, but a part of the booklet. Read the extremely unconventional "thank you" section and see what I mean. Those words talk about the bands' bond and are truly inspiring to all.

Look for MOTA and Kenoma to rule the scene for years to come.

As a Dayton area native myself, I have a good deal of connection with this band (I met them at a show in a city park in July 2006 before this album "broke them"), but that doesn't bias my opinion of them or of this album. I feel that MOTA are not just the typical "Neur- Isis" metal band, playing straight-up hero worship of Scott Kelly and Aaron Turner. These guys have something new to offer the scene.

MOTA have more in common with classic prog like King Crimson and Yes than any of their contemporaries, and proudly say so in interviews. Passages like the lengthy interlude of "No One Wished to Settle Here" directly recall SELLING ENGLAND-era Genesis and the like, and the band's epic approach to songcraft has classic prog written all over it.

Sure, the drone-y yelled vocals and syrupy riffs might distract someone that isn't a very big fan of metal, but if overlooked (and even if not overlooked), the music on this album makes for some of the most depressing and powerful throwback prog recorded in recent history.

If more people had the chance to hear THE TIES THAT BLIND, the world would undoubtedly be a better place.

Addendum: Brent Hinds from Mastodon has a guest vocal part on "At Arms Length" that will make you smile, guaranteed!