The Breathing Process

Odyssey (Un)dead

Written by: EW on 21/04/2010 22:59:32

From day one heavy metal music has progressed from the splicing and combining of disparate sounds and genres to create new movements, with the result being a genre of music so vast few really know the full scope of it. Alongside the sounds that have been knitted together successfully there exists numerous examples of artists trying, and failing, to undertake such a challenge, a fact which leads me nicely to Americans The Breathing Process. With a press release that would lead you to believe these guys are the saviours of extreme metal in 2010, TBP mix symphonic black metal with brutal death metal, highlighted by "epic ambience and melody unseen by most bands in today’s realm of heavy music". Erm, no.

Whatever it is TBP have tried to do on their second album "Odyssey (Un)dead)", it is not working. Being the perfect demonstration of why I am gradually growing to hate modern, clinical metal productions more with every album I hear, songs such as "Grimoire" and "Leveler" blast along with the sole intent of being as heavy as possible, in the process forgetting to include any kind of hook or moment of real artistic interest. Though TBP are thankfully not as neanderthal as the likes of Oceano and Carnifex in their desperate attempts to be the heaviest band in existence, such songs are lost in a barrage of mechanical triggered drums and digitised guitars and synth, thus rendering the creation of a unique sound one most distant. Though an ability to write one or two vaguely memorable riffs is occasionally shown (see "Hordes"), all niceties are discarded, burnt and then buried when we are treated to the softer sections of feminine vocals. Done in the fashion of a bands' attempt to show creativity and passion, the results in "Vultures" and "Pantheon Unraveling" are deplorable. Like a director getting the actors to kiss during recording in a gangbang porno scene, simply throwing in sections that sound like Evanescence and Lacuna Coil in the hope some emotion and passion is apparent in the end result is not the way it's done, especially when under a cloud of ProTools enhanced riffery and carnage.

As was destined to be, the 'symphonic black metal' and 'brutal death metal' elements I signed up for this album hoping for ended up being more Dimmu Borgir and Carnifex than Emperor or Cryptopsy. At least we can conclude that upon the basis of "Odyssey (Un)dead", this is one direction extreme metal is not heading towards.

3

Download: Hordes
For the fans of: Abigail Williams, Oceano
Listen: Myspace

Release date 19.04.2009
Siege Of Amida

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