I Am Hunger

Odium

Written by: AP on 22/02/2012 17:21:05

Of the many new bands that loomed beneath my radar coverage last year, Swedish metalcore act I Am Hunger was one of the most striking ones, not because their debut album "Odium" transcends the boundaries of the genre, but because the album excels within its confines. On it the Trollhättan four piece takes inspiration from the odd meter riffs and towering crescendos of Underoath and coat them with the sort of technical prowess and haunting ambience found in Oh, Sleeper's produce, resulting in a solid barrage of juxtapositions.

At times bustling with tasteful and atypical melodies, at times bringing the weight with galloping rhythms and crushing powerchords, I Am Hunger have found a bulletproof formula to please technical aficionados and hardcore moshers alike. Their strength lies in their sense of aesthetics, as the songs "Vultures" and "Indifference" so perfectly exemplify, seamlessly alternating between somber clean sections and periods of mathematic fury, whilst never cluttering their songs with excessive texture or introducing a breakdown for its own sake. Although not instantly memorable, this approach ensures that the band's songs continue to linger in your thoughts long after "Some are Made of Words" concludes the album in admittedly somewhat anticlimatic fashion.

Another aspect of intrigue in I Am Hunger's music is the clever and subtle use of samples to emphasize a particularly harrowing moment in vocalist Fred Forsberg's lyrics, or to add even more weight to a cathartic build-up in the instruments. Of course none of this is original per se, considering that both of the bands mentioned earlier in this review employ similar weaponry, but the conviction and attention to detail with which I Am Hunger pull it off multi-faceted songs like "Distracted" and "Raised to Hate" is enough to woo my continued interest. Whether it's fast-paced brutality, such as is to be found on "Death Row" and "Tough Love", or richly detailed song structures and ornate dynamics you're after, I Am Hunger deliver on all fronts.

Come to think of it, I Am Hunger sound not just precariously similar to Norma Jean circa "Meridional", but also almost as magnificent, affording "Odium" some extra credence. So if tangled riffs, slick reverberating melodies and anguished vocals laid against the backdrop of some seriously moshworthy metalcore sounds like it might be up your alley, then there is plenty here to satisfy your needs.

8

Download: Somnambulate, Vultures, Indifference, Distracted, Raised to Hate
For the fans of: Norma Jean; Oh, Sleeper; Underoath
Listen: Facebook

Release date 26.10.2011
Snapping Fingers Snapping Necks

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