These Arms Are Snakes

Tail Swallower and Dove

Written by: PP on 11/01/2009 14:37:32

In a series of disappointing follow ups to extraordinarily experimental and wonderful albums, These Arms Are Snakes is the next victim with their new album "Tail Swallower And Dove". Their previous record "Easter" was exhilarating because of how it packed it's indie-twinged post-hardcore sound into an avant-garde experimentalist package without losing touch at any point; songs like the ferocious "Mescaline Eyes" or "Crazy Woman Dirty Train" were fantastic examples of how experimental music can be done right.

Now on "Tail Swallower And Dove", the band takes it a step further and dives head first into experimental rock, dropping all post-hardcore references of their previous album in favour of ultra avant-gardeism and plenty of experimental groove. I didn't think it could be possible but vocalist Snere's voice has developed to an even more annoying version than before, and now his whiny mewithoutYou-type croon simply pushes me the hell away from this album.

I understand what they are trying to do here--you could almost call it 'dynamic' post-hardcore because of the way the distorted guitars move back and forth on the soundscape--but it's just not working out. A few tracks are okay, like "Lucifer", which sounds a little like early HORSE The Band with its nintendo type effects, and the 7 and a half minute "Ethric Double", which sounds like Fear Before The March Of Flames on "The Always Open Mouth" (in fact, the whole album has a similar vibe to it), but the real question is if they sound good because they're good tracks or because they remind you of the other two bands? Perhaps it's just me, but I'm gonna go with the latter choice.

However, if you are knee-deep into experimental music, then you shouldn't skip this release either, considering it has received almost universal acclaim from other online magazines. It could just be that I'm not "getting it", but really, after more than two months of listening to it, I'm not willing to put on any more effort. Huge let down from "Easter".

5

Download: Lucifer, Ethric Double
For the fans of: Fear Before, Fugazi, mewithoutYou
Listen: Myspace

Release date 02.10.2008
Suicide Squeeze Records

Related Items | How we score?
Comments
comments powered by Disqus

Legal

© Copyright MMXXIV Rockfreaks.net.