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COMITY

Experimental/Post Metal • France


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Comity picture
Comity biography
COMITY is a French experimental hard-core band that was formed in 1996 and that went through several line-up and musical changes through the years. Only François PRIGENT (guitars) and Thomas ZANGHELLINI (vocals) have survived from the original line-up.

After a 1998 demo, recorded the split album "The catharsis syntax project" with another Parisian band, XII. This recording showed the chaotic song structures and the oppressive atmosphere that would remain typical in their output.
The next release was the "The deus ex-machina as a forgotten genius", a 5 acts concept album recorded in august 2002 and released in march 2003 on Messiah Records. In 2004, the "The Andy Warhol sucks E.p" followed before they hit the studio to record their second full length "...As everything is a tragedy", released in july 24th 2k6 on Candlelight Records.
After a 2 year break up, the band returned in 2009 with the "You Left Us Here..." EP, followed by the third full-length "The Journey is Over Now" in 2011.

Their heavy sound, experimentation and aggressive outbursts have led to comparisons to STARKWEATHER, BREACH, TODAY IS THE DAY, NEUROSIS, OXBOW and CONVERGE, and gained them touring spots alongside THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, CONVERGE, CAVE IN and TODAY IS THE DAY

Biography by Bonnek

COMITY Videos (YouTube and more)


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COMITY discography


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COMITY top albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

0.00 | 0 ratings
The Deus Ex-Machina as a Forgotten Genius
2003
0.00 | 0 ratings
...As Everything Is Tragedy
2006
3.93 | 4 ratings
The Journey Is Over Now
2011

COMITY Live Albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

COMITY Videos (DVD, Blu-ray, VHS etc)

COMITY Boxset & Compilations (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

COMITY Official Singles, EPs, Fan Club & Promo (CD, EP/LP, MC, Digital Media Download)

3.00 | 1 ratings
The Catharsis Syntax Project
2000
0.00 | 0 ratings
The Andy Warhol Sucks EP
2004
0.00 | 0 ratings
You Left Us Here
2009

COMITY Reviews


Showing last 10 reviews only
 The Journey Is Over Now by COMITY album cover Studio Album, 2011
3.93 | 4 ratings

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The Journey Is Over Now
Comity Experimental/Post Metal

Review by Conor Fynes
Prog Reviewer

4 stars 'The Journey Is Over Now' - Comity (7/10)

Some may find it conflicts with their preconceptions of France's 'haute' culture and fine cheeses, but the nation of revolution and republic has had one of the most vibrant metal scenes of recent years. Comity is one of the bands that has achieved international recognition and respect. Finding a devoted fanbase in the same neighbourhood as bands like Converge and Cave In, Comity's hardcore approach to post-metal is aggressive, yet intelligently atmospheric. 'The Journey is Over now' is the band's third album, and having been around for well over a decade, they have polished up their act to the point where their grasp of style is tight and firm. The band's incredibly chaotic and often noisy approach to post-metal will not appeal to all metalheads, however.

Personally, my luck with metalcore has been intermittent at best, and an indefinite turn off at worst. Comity inhabit the same region of sound as post-metal powerhouse Cult of Luna, but their sound has a more energetic sound to it that sounds inspired by the aggressive tendencies of hardcore punk. The riffs are sludgy and bleak, and often dissonant. At their most challenging, Comity conjures a brushfire of noisy sound, with a sense of chaos that takes a while to wrap one's head around it. Even the way the music has been mixed gives off the impression that Comity are gearing their music towards intensity.

Balancing out their sound is, surprisingly enough, a strong black metal influence. Although it seems weird at first for atmospheric black metal to have anything to do with Comity's existing sound, black metal seeps into one of the vocal styles, as well as the more melodic guitar work. The black metal sound is always subordinate to the sludge, but I found it added a new dimension to the music that I did not necessarily catch the first time around. To newcomers, Comity is easily recommended as being similar to Cult Of Luna, but the vibe is much angrier and chaotic. I did not find myself loving what they were doing upon my first listen, but through the haze of heaviness and jarring dissonance, there is a depth to the sound and composition that deserves to be heard out.

 The Catharsis Syntax Project by COMITY album cover Singles/EPs/Fan Club/Promo, 2000
3.00 | 1 ratings

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The Catharsis Syntax Project
Comity Experimental/Post Metal

Review by toroddfuglesteg

— First review of this album —
3 stars Comity is a breath of fresh air in the metal scene. Well, those traditionalists would not know about Comity, I take it. But the rest of us should check them out.

This is their debut release and showcases a band who operates somewhere between grindcore, goregrind, hard core and avant-garde metal. Mostly grindcore though. Comity really blasts away on The Catharsis Syntax Project.

The music is still interesting though and the quality of the band shines through. The quality is a bit patchy though. But there are flickers of light throughout The Catharsis Syntax Project. The final song acoustic song Acoustic being a waste of space though. The rest is good.

This is a free download and by no means a waste of hard drive place.

3 stars

 The Journey Is Over Now by COMITY album cover Studio Album, 2011
3.93 | 4 ratings

BUY
The Journey Is Over Now
Comity Experimental/Post Metal

Review by VanVanVan
Prog Reviewer

4 stars First things first. Despite this album's classification as "Experimental/Post Metal," I would say that this is extreme metal through and through. There really aren't any shoe-gazy atmospheres that one could find on many albums classified as Post-Metal, and there's not a single clean vocal to be found on the entire album. This music is knotty, technical, and as heavy in places as anything I've ever heard. Even so, this is a great album that has a lot to reveal to the listener if they're willing to give it a chance and listen with an open mind.

"Part I" begins with some distorted guitar tones, over which some harsh vocals are added. This part of the track is really just an introduction, however, as an extremely complex riff soon enters, with an equally complex vocal part over it. This section of the track definitely has an extreme "math-metal" feel to it, but unlike a lot of music in the genre it doesn't feel like the musicians are being technical just for technicality's sake. The next motif used in the song sounds a bit (just a tiny bit) like Opeth, but with the speed and intensity cranked up to 11. At about 4 and a half minutes in there's a brief reprieve, featuring some more atmospheric sounds and less distorted guitar; however, it doesn't last long. The racing riffs return, and like the rest of the song this sections sounds simultaneously incredibly technical as well as totally organic. This is followed by a slightly simpler section (though that's not saying much) that makes use of more classic-sounding doom metal riffs rather than the impossibly to count math-metal rhythms. "Part I" is a great opener that really shows the band can write as well as play; in my past experience I've found this kind of extreme, technical metal hard to get into, but this almost 12 minute track never seems tedious and never feels like it's stalling.

"Part II" begins much the same way "Part I" ended, with crushingly complex riffs and multilayered vocal parts. The use of multiple vocalists is really highlighted here, something that is, to my ears at least, very unique, as I've never heard another extreme metal band that uses "harmonies" of sorts with their harsh vocals. The first five and a half minutes are an onslaught, with the band playing full tilt with basically no breaks in the intensity. The last three minutes slow it down a little bit, but even the slower motifs have a kind of crazed intensity to them, as if every musician is trying as hard as they can to get every last shred of sound from their instruments. I can only imagine based on the final product that playing this music must have been exhausting.

Lest you begin to think that the group is a one-trick pony, however, "Part III" departs radically from this lightning-fast, aggressive sound in favor of a much more laid back tone. In place of the chugging riffs are delicate acoustic guitar parts carefully arranged over the faint rumblings of distortion in the backing track. You might think this drastic change of pace would be jarring, but in the context of the album it works perfectly. When minimal percussion is added midway through, it's a great contrast to the insane polyrhythms (polymeter? I can never remember the difference) that dominated the previous two parts. When the distorted guitars come in, they're used in a wholly different capacity, serving as a tension building texture behind the acoustics rather than as the primary instrument. "Part III" is an absolutely stellar track that shows the group really knows how to put a complete piece of music together.

But fear not, avid metal-heads. "Part III" was a grand piece of music in its own right, but it's also the buildup to the climax of the album, the monstrous, 22 minute "Part IV." Beginning with a gothic sounding introductory section, the song advances into a wonderful culmination of all the musical ideas that have been present on the album thus far. The riffs rise to a new level of obtuse complexity, all the while managing to avoid coming off as pointlessly technical, which is quite astounding given how technical they actually are. These are masterfully intertwined with slower, doom-sounding sections and even some brief moments that almost (but only almost) have a dark-ambient feel. "Part IV" is one of those rare metal tracks that manages to take all its harshness and bone-crushing heaviness and reveal from it (at least to those who are willing to hear) a kind of dark, desolate, blasted beauty. This is especially true around the 14 minute point, where the metal tapers off and gives way to a section reminiscent of "Part III." Unlike the fully instrumental "Part III," however, this section features harsh vocals. The juxtaposition of the rather serene instrumental with the growls creates a very unique atmosphere, evoking emotions of loss and loneliness. The vocals, which so often come off as angry given their delivery style, here take on a kind of brokenness, making the harsh delivery come off not as angry but as wounded and sensitive. It's a brilliant, brilliant use of texturing and imbues an unbelievable amount of emotion into a vocal style that does not easily lend itself to tender feelings.

This is the 55th album I've reviewed for PA and to be honest, none of the past 54 were as hard to write about as this one was. This is extremely dense, extremely challenging music, and as such it's very hard to describe. Despite this difficulty, though, I have to say that this is one of the most impressive metal albums I've heard in a good long time, and while it took me several listens to even begin to absorb, it's a very rewarding listen if you give it time. It's certainly not for everyone, though; with its dense, knotty riffs and total lack of clean vocals, this is the very definition of extreme metal, even though it's not technically classified as such. It's a lot to absorb, and people who don't like extreme metal will probably find very little crossover appeal here, "Part III" notwithstanding. That said, I would highly recommend this to anyone who's willing to go a bit out of their comfort zone, as it really is a fantastic creation.

4/5

Thanks to bonnek for the artist addition.

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