Release
date: September 14th
2018. Label: Pelagic
Records.
Format: CD/DD/Vinyl
The
Existential Haunting
– Tracklisting
1.What
Is Anything 10:59
2.Absolute
Zero
3.Make
Flowers
4.Heavenly
Superperson
5.Apocalypse
When Convenient
6.The
Existential Haunting
Members
Sacha
Dunable
Derek
Donley
Dan
Wilburn
Drums
and guitar were recorded at Clearlake Audio with Josh Newell
(INTRONAUT, CYNIC), Derek Donley (INTRONAUT, BEREFT) and bass with
Jon Nunez (TORCHE), all in Los Angeles. Mixing was done by CONVERGE'S
Kurt Ballou at God City Studio.
Review
Future
Usses is the new band featuring members of Bereft and Intronaut.
Their music is a blend of Instrumental Rock, Drone, Doom, Psych,
Post-Rock and Post-Metal. Their debut album - The Existential
Haunting - is not your most standard instrumental
Post-Rock/Post-Metal album. As the band forge their own way by
playing a more progressive and drone based style of music.
You could
compare these guys to Pelican and Russian Circles but there is so
much more to their music. Future Usses have a more doom and gloom
atmosphere held within their music. The mood can be very subtle and
abrupt at times but the band also includes many moments of uplifting
ambient rock passages which has a delicate Sludge Rock groove.
Opening
track - What Is Anything - is a contender for one of the best songs
I've heard this year. Dynamically powerful with the band creating
ambient rock textures with many parts of the song changing to a
bleaker sound. Though the psychedelic and ambient based elements are
the best parts of the song as Future Usses bring an intelligent style
of delivery to their music. The song can be painfully slow at times
but that just makes you appreciate the different styles of music
being played around you. The last few minutes of the song are some of
the heaviest moments heard on the album.
Second
song - Absolute Zero - is a more laid back and sombre affair with
elements of almost avant-garde sounding music being played for a more
direct sound. The song moves away from the post-rock/post-metal
atmosphere from the opening song to a more experimental sound. It's
good to see Future Usses willing to experiment with their sound and
creating songs with their own feel and identity. The album does
become gloomier and heavier on different parts of the album though
mostly towards the end of the individual songs. This may disappoint
some people first when listening to the album when the heavier
moments appear the song abruptly ends. Though after a few listens you
become accustomed to Future Usses style of music.
Third
song - Make Flowers - is another one of the albums standout tracks
with the band adapting a more Doom/Sludge Metal approach to their
music. This song does have vocals but they're much distorted and
drone based in their delivery. The instrumental work is the strongest
part of the album and Future Usses excel on this part of the album.
The different styles of music joining together for one wonderful
sounding trippy affair. It feels that the band members have taken
influence from the other bands they're apart of on this song. As I
can hear a lot of Intronaut starting to come through on this song.
However this is still Future Usses show and they have three more
songs to impress you with.
Fourth
song - Heavenly Superperson - like the name suggests is a song that
offers a dreamlike journey into the realm of Post-Metal and one that
has an eerie Psychedelic Doom based feel. The music relies on Ambient
and Drone sounds that leave you wanting more.
Future
Usses drift further into the psychedelic sludge/post-rock persona
with the last two songs - Apocalypse When Convenient and The
Existential Haunting. This album is an absolute joy to listen to. As
each listen takes you on a different journey with Future Usses being
very hard to define overall.
The
production is excellent with the album showing that Future Usses are
a real powerful force to contend with. The Existential Haunting is a
masterclass of Post-Rock/Post-Metal music that offers a deft balance
of Ambient based Doom/Sludge Rock.
Words
by Steve Howe
Thanks
to Daniel from CZ Promotions. The
Existential Haunting will
be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Pelagic Records from September
14th
2018.