Release Date: November 10th 2023. Record Label: Neurot Recordings. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl
Slow Change Will Pull Us Apart - Tracklisting
The Reduction Of Human LIfe TO An Economic Unit
Exiting The Vampire Castle
Detonation In The Public Sphere
A Sermon In Praise Of Corruption
Slow Cancellation Of The Future
Feral City
The Last Global Slaughter
Plunder, Cultivate, Fabricate
Members
Jon Howell - Guitar
Dan Sneddon - Drums
Ben Thorne - Bass
Andre Sanabria - Vocals
Review
Slow Change Will Pull Us Apart is the debut album from Post-Hardcore/Noise Rock/Math Rock collective Ex Everything who are made up current and former members of bands such as Kowloon Walled City, Early Graves and Mercy Ties to name but a few. However, Ex Everything are very much their own thing by focusing upon a melodic and catchy aggressive sound with Sludge Punk and Doomed Out elements to give their music a more muscujlar flow. There's small traces of Psychedelic Manic energy which I feel is from the Kowloon Walled City side of life but these guys play at a much visceral and faster pace.
The opening track The Reduction Of Human Life To An Economic Unit is the perfect commentary driven track on today's modern world with harsh creative overtones allowing the album to have a true real life feel. There's parts of this album that Ex Everything reminded me of a more primal sounding At The Drive In with razor sharp lyrics and great vocals that move across the boundaries of Hardcore Punk/Noise Rock with some delicate moments of slightly melodic vocals with the maority being quite harsh sounding. The instrumental work is ferocious with an almost metallic Post-Rock/Sludge fused atmosphere working superbly well with the DIY PUNK based production values.
Second song Exiting The Vampire Castle is powered by a pummelling bass guitar and moments of heavy Noise Rock guitars with the vocals being quite calm at first before exploding into a Hardcore Punk fury. The grimy surroundings of the song is quite uncompromising but Ex Everything still captures a Psych Rock/Metal attitude with glitch based Industrial sounds becoming more pessimistic as the song moves onto its natural conclusion.
Third song Detonation In The Public Sphere feels like a commentary of the American Political System over the last decade or so which is how I interpreted the song. I could be way off base but the song is played at a breakneck Punk Rock speed with Ex Everything getting everything out in the open with perhaps some of the most uncompromising lyrics on the album. The music is raw, seedy and quite grimy but once that allows Ex Everything to play a more dynamic creative attitude within their ranks which shines through for the rest of the album.
Fourth song A Sermon IN Praise Of Corruption is another Sludge and Dirge Ridden offering with that killer bass line being one of the finest parts of the album. However, the instrumental work overall is absolutely thrilling with Ex Everything being dominant within their Punk/Metal hybrid sound that has flashes of the menacing Doom/Sludge Rock. The Noise Rock aspects offer a more realistic sound with Ex Everything adding much needed social commentary within their lyrics. The overall message of the song allows this to be one of the album's standout tracks with the band showcasing a wonderful style of Math Rock musical patterns that change direction when you least expect it. The mood is wholly chaotic which is where Ex Everything becomes quite a destructive force where there's no stopping them.
Fifth song Slow Cancellation Of The Future continues with the bleak message of how everything is fucked up within the world with jagged guitars, distorted Math Rock rhythms and Sludge Punk driven sounds that allows the vocals to have a thrilling "voice of reason" or "voice of the people" attitude which had me nodding in agreement. The song moves effortlessly from Noise/Punk Rock dynamics to a more violent style of Post-Punk dynamics with a twinge of Kowloon Walled City dirge ridden grooves sweetening the deal.
The final three tracks of the album sees Ex Everything become ever more socially aware pointing out terrible injustice currently happening in the world with their blend of highly destructive grooves that showcases some moments of Progressive energy and that epic sounding Psychedelic energy appearing brilliantly within the tracks of The Last Global Slaughter and "Plunder, Cultivate, Fabricate".
Slow Change Will Pull Us Apart is one of the best Noise-Rock/Post-Hardcore/Math Rock albums I've heard in years. This album has the power to shock and impress you at the same time. This is quite an uncompromising album with Ex Everything delivering some highly original instrumental sounds that leave you wanting to hear more. An outstanding debut album from a band that everyone should know about now.
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to Rarely Unable PR for the promo.
Slow Change Will Pull Us Apart will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Neurot Recordings from November 10th 2023.
Links
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