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A little too chaotic, even for the most unstable.-
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| Inevitable End: The Oculus |
Death Metal, Grindcore
Relapse Records
May 24th, 2011
- Tell Us Parasites - 2:41
- Escaping the Black Hole - 2:32
- Zen - 1:54
- Domaties Paralies - 2:44
- The Supreme Treachery - 5:13
- The Oculus - 3:22
- While Surpassing Ether - 3:22
- Vergelmer - 0:54
- Chamber of Apathy - 2:35
- Memento - 3:39
- Me Tem Psy Cho Sis - 1:16
- Cadaver Inc. - 2:44
- Of Sublime Dimensions - 2:51
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| Review Information |
Release length: 35:46
Review posted on May 23rd, 2011
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| | Overall Score: 5.5/10 |
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| Discography |
Discography covers all information available up to day of review and is updated if future albums are reviewed. |
| Full-Length(s): |
The Severed Inception (2009) • The Oculus (2011)
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| Demo(s): |
Inevitable End (2004) • Reversal (2006)
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| Review |
Inevitable End formed back in 2003 in Sweden, then eventually signed to Relapse Records to issue their debut album The Severed Inception. The release of Christian, life, and death related lyrical content was well received by the press and Metal community, but the band never didn't really seem to reach the heights they should have given the praise they received. It's been about two years at this point since that debut, and the band brings us their follow-up full-length, also through Relapse Records, entitled The Oculus, which shows off more of a Grindcore/Mathcore influence into the equation of the band. But, does that help the group to solidify their sound, or is it a move that actually becomes more fatal then helpful?
The foundation of The Oculus is essentially your typical Death Metal and Grindcore combination that one might expect from acts like Napalm Death or Cretin, though a much clearer, modern approach. While this isn't a bad thing, the group definitely includes a stronger Hardcore or Mathcore influence in the vein of Psyopus and The Diller Escape Plan respectively thanks to the complex chords being played and general chaos in the music that makes the recording essentially just go all over the place, sometimes in a Hellish approach, both to the listener and literally through the atmosphere and effects utilized. "Tell Us, Parasites" is all over the map, being very hard to actually pinpoint what's going on. There's some chaotic laughter at the end of the track as a background audio sample that lends a chaotic, nightmarish vibe to the track, but that atmosphere isn't shared through the whole song, and had it been, it would have been a pretty good track. Luckily the music does start to take shape and eventually seem to have reason behind all the madness with a fluid movement from point a, the start, to point b, the end, on later tracks, but the first one happens to come immediately with "Escaping the Black Hole" which has a general Death meets Grindcore start, but builds up to the insanity and nightmarish feel at the very end.
When the band makes their Death Metal presence known is when the group becomes the strongest. Sadly, these moments just don't quite seem to last on their own, and if they do appear it's more in a typical Napalm Death-esque manner that doesn't necessarily offer much variety to the music. For the latter, "Dogmaties Paralies" has a more traditional Death meets Grindcore vibe, but the breakdown involved feels a little odd and more like something you might hear altered a bit to be a rap song, definitely holding that sort of beat to the build up to the breakdown. The end of the song picks up to a more traditional Hardcore feel that straddles the border of Screamo with the melody behind the music that makes the song feel like something one would expect to hear on the television series The Wonder Years. It's definitely odd, obviously unique, and if it weren't for the already established chaotic approach to their music, it would be incredibly out of place. However, given the randomness of "Tell Us, Parasites" and the madness on the tracks to follow, such as the title track "The Oculus", it makes perfect sense to have it in the music, let alone where it's placed on the album. What's also odd is the random Inquisition or Immortal like rhaspy vocal style that appears about half way through the track "While Surpassing Ether", but is more just a gargeling noise at the same ritualistic pitch as those two bands have utilized that lasts quite a good while and comes out of nowhere.
When you can sit down and acknowledge the fact that anything is going to happen on this release, and chances are good it will, then it becomes a little more enjoyable. Considering the Christian lyrical theme that has been pointed out, it can be considered more a journey through various levels of Hell, or at least the chaotic delusions of a sinner, or something along those lines. Such a concept isn't the most original, but it does explain the album a little more, though the chaotic tracks on here are not all immediately enjoyable upon knowing that. It's the more fluid songs like "Escaping the Black Hole" or the Hardcore-heavy "Chamber of Apathy" that sticks with a consistant fluid pattern that still has a slight Mathcore element to it that really grabs the listener's attention, and still continues to work when the more chaotic Grindcore elements hit later on in the song, but it all builds up to a catchy and intense ride that makes sense in a crazier fashion from start to finish.
Overall, The Oculus by Inevitable End isn't exactly the greatest release, but it does manage to hold some unique ground, even if it's not the most enjoyable experience. There's really not much that can be said about this effort other then it's overly technical and more over-the-top with shifting music through rather poor transitions then anything. It's not bad, and the chaotic, maddening sense of the music mixed with the performance is understandable at times, but there are songs that just grate on the listener and make you want to stop the album thanks to it being too technical and really having no point to the madness whatsoever, coming across more for the sake of noise through showing off their skills then anything. It's worth checking out if you're a fan of this kind of material, if you go in expecting their last album, you'll be rather let down, but chances are good you'll find some good songs that you'll eventually return to at some point.
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Digital review copy of this release provided by:
Relapse Records.
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