BRAINIAC PROTO-PROG SLUDGESTERS INVADE LOWER MANHATTAN: MOUTH OF THE ARCHITECT, INTRONAUT, & BEHOLD…THE ARCTOPUS @ THE KNITTING FACTORY, NYC — 8/8/08
Tuesday, September 16th, 2008 at 5:55pm by Kip Wingerschmidt
It’s bloody amazing how much more accepted intelligent aggressive music has become, doncha think? Of course there are always still the outright pussballz in any audience who start trembling every time a vocalist strays ever so slightly away from straight-up singing into yelling, screaming, or dare I even say *growling* territory (I’m sadly lookin at so many of the GFs out there, mine included)–but it seems like these daze everyone and their mom’s moms–even the grimier-than-thou hipsterati–have caught on to rocking significantly harder than “hard rock”. And so it stands to reason that the smartie-fartie Encyclopedia Browns of the world, on both the musician and fan side of the monitors, are proudly representing brainiac metal with their hearts and (large) minds, even if the music is not always so accessible as a result of dem der smarts.
Take Intronaut, for example — who incidentally have a brand-new album, Prehistoricisms, out TODAY (look for my review later in the week) — in my esteemed opinion one of the most intelligent of the heady metal bands out there nowadays: skilled, fluid players who are comfortable grooving in all sorts of odd time signatures…these guys have been called “the future of metal” by Decibel Magazine (or Revolver, honestly can’t remember, please forgive me) and deservedly so, but really how far can the band’s scope reach with so much bloomin… headiness in tow?
I myself once touted Intronaut as representing something special and unique in the current metal environs, but lest we not forget that the farthest-reaching rock bands of all time all had a plethora of recognizeable hooks to latch on/sing along (hell, even dance) to? Since when did all us music snobs piss so freely in the face of, gulp, ‘pop’ structured songs? I certainly don’t mean in the Britney Aguilera sense of the word *pop*, more in the vein of what actually made The Beatles and Led Zeppelin so f’n popular in the first place… Can’t progressive metal bands adopt a similar attitude? I suppose some already have.
Sadly, such songwriting sensibilities were understandably nowhere to be found at this particular show, but clearly we best ought critique artists for their desired intentions and actual achievements, and in this case obviously none of these bands be tryin to write a frickin pop song, on any level — I’m just sayin’.
Mouth of the Architect, the post-post-post-iest of the bunch, who I for one have been waiting patiently to see for some time now, earnestly brought a lot of interesting sonic elements to the table without once offering anything I thought resembled a hook…for one, their multi-voiced vocal “melodies” — no ’singing’ in the least; rather three distinct screams/growls, and frankly it was quite awesome…I wish more aggressive bands would so effectively incorporate a multi-voice approach to the yelling/screaming sections in their repetoire. Part of me wanted the band to evolve their songs slightly beyond sludgy proto-prog/psychedelic riff-oriented soundscape-y ’sections’ (hence my previous exploration into pop songwriting sensibilities), but shit homie, that’s what they DO…and frankly they do it rather well, for what it is.
Intronaut I discussed a bit already but I will follow up by saying that their live set is very effectively a show, seemingly every time — this is undoubtedly a professional band that knows its merits and strives to make good on them in its concerts. The band meticulously made sure that all mics/instruments/samplers were very well balanced before beginning their set, and as a result of this attention to detail, lo and behold (…the Intronaut), the mix was excellent as a result — I could hear just about every facet of their sprawling music…I just wish that the band’s new material felt as well fleshed-out and with as much heart as their old stuff. But ultimately, the band made it all sound solid and worthwhile in a live setting — definitely quite different from most else of what’s out there.
Which brings me to a brief discussion of the final band of the night, Behold…the Arctopus. Now I can vaguely dig on this group’s “material” — as screechy, abstractly shreddy, and weird as it may seem at times — more than most, but threshhold for overly conceptual music aside, any time B…tA settled into a groove, as heady a groove as it may have been, most everyone in the crowd (even the extreme noisesters — I’m lookin at you, Suarez!) seemed to appreciate any respite from what I can best describe as an affinity for choreographed, start-stop, overly-trained musician-y ‘free’ prog. This band is an outlandish example of how sometimes the best musicians out there can produce some of the most boring, abrasive, and aloof music imaginable. Which definitely brings up the idea of what makes someone a good musician, but obviously that’s an entirely different conversation altogether.
I’ve seen Behold once before, and had a similar reaction — part understanding that players as over-practiced and precise as this (at least in the realm of shredding, which frankly I believe has very few true warriors) might inevitably become bored by making music any less complex or meta as this, and part exhaustion/disdain for a band that seemingly strives to alienate as much as these fuckers do.
Yeah, I get it… But that don’t make the experience of hearing it any more enjoyable, and that, my friends, is why it’s dangerous to get too heady with one’s music.
-KW
since this is too much to read, i just looked at the picture and laughed at the guy on the left it looks like he has a curly wig haha.
Caught this show last week…..loved Intronaut, completely missed Arctopus, who were headlining for some reason. I enjoyed Mouth of the Architect, but it dawned on me that i’ve seen 9,000 bands live that want to be Neurosis, and yet…i’ve never seen Neurosis.
If Intronaut are the future of metal than something’s wrong.
They’re just a bit hipper than Pelican who are just a bit hipper than The Ocean who are just a bit hipper than Meshuggah.
The way NeurIsis thing got old quckly, so will this.
This is no future of metal – just it’s present.
And that will be old pretty soon.
Say what you will about the tired NeurIsis genre, but I think the percussion and the amazing basslines alleviate them above many other “post-metal” bands. This band is as much jazz as it is metal as it is post-rock.
While MotA are good, it’s understandable how they’re definitely a part of the whole schtick. At the same time, I still think they’re better than Cult of Luna will ever be.
As for B…tA, they’re unarguably good musicians, but the music is only good for playing for friends: hey check out these 5 minutes of complete fucking zaniness.
One band I don’t think I’ve seen mentioned on this site, that truly deserves it, is Callisto. Their latest album – Noir, is a fucking masterpiece.
@ teaches_of_peaches
yes – you have a good point regarding basslines in Intronaut’s new album. Truly is jazzy, and yes – it elevates them from the rest of the clique.
But overall feel is that they belong in that clique nevertheless.
Regrading Callisto – heard about them when they toured with High on Fire some years ago – didn’t like it that much, have to admit. Will give the spin to that record you mentioned. Thanks for the tip.
Alright, I rarely weigh in on anything for 2 reasons, i’m far too skinny and opinions count as much as video views on Youtube. However, I do feel that a different perspective can help all of us percieve these bands as they are ment to be percieved.
MOTA – By far the best band of their sub-sub-sub genre, unrelenting, gloaming and powerful. The point of this band is to remind you that sometimes, most of the time actually, things will not get easier and thats a fact most people don’t want to face. Well done sirs.
Intronaut – Fans of metal beware, very hard to follow, to me it seems they have taken really great aspects of post-hardcore and technical death metal only to mash them up without a common denominator. This band is extrememly impressive and thats about it.
B…tA – If you have any question about the intentions of their music, then you’re obviously thinking too hard. The musicians in question sure know where they’re going with this ultra-spazzy tech grind. Colin Marston, someone to keep your eye on DOMINATES in instrument aptly-named the Warr guitar, an umpteinth stringed demon i’ve only seen before in a lithium induced slumber. Alienation is deffinatly a feeling you get when seeing them perform, especially if your a mediocre-to-good musician…or just a fan of music in general. With that being said, I think it’s awesome they are able to do this with musical notation…(I have hard time alienating people with words they understand) Fear of the unatainable, fear the Arctopus!
With my weight sufficiantly thrown around I would just like to add that this was the second best show of the summer. An awesome drama-free and over-all friendly crowd as well as inviting/down to earth bands, it was an intimate atmosphere that only places like the Tap Bar can provide.
Ohh and a super-falling-over-herself drunk chick with a nice fat ass works too.
I saw this show in Boston and agree with just about everyone here.
What I don’t get is how popular the “beardo” look has become with these types of metal shows. So many beardos at this show I thought I was going to choke on a hairball.
@ashas
I see your point, but at the same time, to some extent Intronaut abandon the progression-through-repetition spiel that is oh soo common in post-metal.
As for Callisto, their early material is good though a bit on the generic post-hardcore side. On True Nature Unfolds they went head-deep into post-metal, but on Noir they really decided to stray from the already tired genre, and added jazzy saxophone bits and odd time signatures in some places.
also, the only time ever I can only truly get into B…tA is when I’m drunk.
@ teaches_of_peaches
I know what you mean with Intronaut thing. I always loved bands that mixed genres because that way it gets boring a bit later ;)
but have to admit that the more older I get the more non-progressive music I tend to dig.
I think that these days may fav band is Darkthrone – I think that’s THE non-progressive neadrethal you can get
;)
Sometimes, when I meet bands – i find that those people are super-nice or assholes, and sometimes i build my opinion on bands almost exclusively based that way and not the actual music.
maybe it’s just me, but i tend to hate bands who’s music i dig, but i know they’re assholes.
And there’s a fair share of bands that don’t sound turbo-cool to me but I respect them as being really passionate and cool persons.
just to make a point being drunk –
Alcohol and metal is a match made is heaven ;)
even better match that Gibson and Marshall
;)
Do you have to have hair below your bottom lip to be in this band?
[...] be in secret use around the world by some of the shreddiest face-melters out there. A commenter on my recently-posted review of 8/8/08’s Knitting Factory Intronaut/Mouth of the Architect/Behold… made mention of the instrument (which is used by one of B…tA’s shred monkeys — [...]