Circle Of Contempt is a five-piece progressive deathcore band from Finland. They formed in 2006 and have since self-released an EP in 2008 (Color Lines) and a full-length album in 2009 (Artifacts In Motion) through Sumerian Records. Their latest effort, an EP entitled Entwine The Threads, was released on December 11th, 2012.
First, let's start with the vocals. About a year ago, Circle Of Contempt's original vocalist (Riku Haavisto) left the band. Shortly after, Denis Hautaniemi assumed the role of lead vocalist. Denis' vocals are pretty beastly, but they fail to impress and stand out as much as the vocals heard on Artifacts In Motion. The range isn't quite as broad, which causes Denis to become slightly monotonous, and there are no more clean vocals. Honestly, I was a bit disappointed after my first playthrough of Entwine The Threads because I hoping for at least one or two cleanly sung verses or choruses to spice things up.
Moving onto the guitars, this would be a fantastic progressive-core release with a bit less chugging. Everything would be fine and dandy if one of the guitarists was always (or usually) bringing some melody to the table, but the only track that features an abundance of melody that really stands out is "To Entitle Vacancy". There are melodic leads, groovy riffs, and mini captivating solos scattered throughout Entwine The Threads, but Circle Of Contempt would benefit from adding even more to songs like "Entwine The Threads" and "Dare To Defy".
Next, the bass - or lack thereof. I listened to this EP several times and rarely did I even notice any bass at all. Everything else in the mix seems to be much more audible, while the bass drifts off in the background. This seems to be a reoccurring theme in metal releases and I've come to let it slide because I almost expect it now.
Last, but most certainly not least, the drumming and "extras". The drumming on Entwine The Threads is spectacular, that's all there is to it. The drummer displays a lot of solid technique over the course of the nearly 20-minute long Entwine The Threads and every single note he plays on the kit sounds extremely crisp. Another thing that really impressed me was the use of synth. Synth can be heard on a few tracks, most notably "Dare To Defy", and it fits perfectly every time it's utilized.
All-in-all, I was fairly impressed with Circle Of Contempt's sophomore Sumerian release. The EP starts off a little slow with the title track, but it picks up as it goes along and by the time you're a minute into it, you'll probably be bobbing your head (at the very least). As previously mentioned, my favourite track is "To Entitle Vacany" because there is just so much going on in that song and I'm sure that most listeners will feel the same way. The other tracks are all very strong, but aside from "To Entitle Vacany", nothing is extraordinary.
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Guitar-wise this album is amazing! Kinda confused as to why your complaining about chugs? COC is KNOWN for the insane chug patterns, and personally is one of my favorite aspects of the band. For them to have less chugs would drastically change the sound. As for melody, if you want abundance of melody go listen to Periphery, or a "melodic" band. COC have their "moments" when they are, and when they happen its supposed to stand out more. Their songs really have an "evolving" kinda effect, and don't use melody as a common transition. COC is super deliberate with that. Their music is pure chaos with a HINT of melody. Every band you hear these days are trying to incorporate way too much melodic's, and boring chug patterns. Everything about that is predictable. COC on the other hand really waits for that perfect moment to add melodic parts. They keep things interesting with their insane ability to change timings/patterns, and melancholic guitar riffs.
ReplyDeleteVocally I guess I can see where you're coming from, but to me he is a beast and I don't mind the monotone scream. I actually like the new vocalist better then the old one.
Bass, I also agree with the mix. Definitely can't hear the bass as much as I would like. I can't give too much thoughts on the playing because I can't hear it either lol.
All in and all, I think you did a fair review. But! I'm going to say this. Music reviews are pretty stupid if you think about it lol. I would give this album a 9/10. Regardless I enjoyed reading and thought I'd give you some feedback on what I thought even though just for debate purposes. Thanks for the read :)
Good points, and I like how you actually backed them up instead of just bashing my review. :)
ReplyDeleteI know that they are known for their chugging, which is why I wasn't exactly blown away by the guitar parts on the EP; I guess I was hoping for a bit more. And about the vocals, they've actually grown on me since I wrote this review a few days ago. I still can't say that I like the new vocalist more than the old, but he's still really good!
Thanks for reading!