It's by no surprise that Element Of Surprise are an extremely talented group with the potential and ability to truly tip the scene on its ear. But to those scratching their head wondering just where this hot new quartet came from, then let the history lesson begin. Their roots lie in former California underground luminaries Tribal Disco Noise and Nuclear Rabbit, both of whom made considerable waves in their local scenes for their impressive and albeit drastically different styles of music. With this latest offering though, they have perhaps invented a fresh and badly needed offshoot of the proverbial new metal genre, taking the gritty aggression of today's heavy acts and mixing it with the progressive ideas and atmosphere of Laundry and Tool only to top it off with the ever emotionally enthralling vocal delivery of Andy Slipka.
Indeed Andy's vocals are in fine form on this release, constantly belting out his words with his impressive warm tones and emphatic utterance that is somewhat soft spoken, while still being both urgent and aggressive. Punctuated by a few mauling screams, the general nature of his approach here seems to be quite restrained, almost timid, yet still fits like an old glove. Guitar work provided by relative newcomer Raye Medeiros is however fairly ambient for the most part and dances through intricate progressions and plucks which craft captivating sonic webs of noise to draw the listener in, before lashing out at them like a threatened animal with chunky distorted riffs. Bass wise this release is jaw dropping and the exquisitely technical parts played rely heavily on tapping and challenging notes. Using a 9 string bass and the ever admirable talents of Nuclear Rabbit's Jean Baudin to manipulate it, there's a wealth of insane bass parts which come focused upon rhythm and alien yet concentrated sounds, rather than his older work which was based more upon loose slap and pop funk. Enlisting distortion and spacey effects as well, the bass seems to be the main undercurrent of the songs momentum and the driving force behind the musical vehicle that is E:OS. Interestingly enough though, each of Jean's bass parts are if anything, amplified by the tight musical connection which he has with drummer Stymie who is also originally from Nuclear Rabbit. Where most drummers would try and match the daunting multitude of low end notes with ambitious drumkit overkill, Stymie instead pays keen attention to precise hits and skilled playing, weaving together the intelligently tapped bass parts with solid rolls, snarework and timing signatures and it is undoubtedly the grace and successful off time percussion he provides that allows the bass parts to work so well.
Diehard fans of the band members previous works may find a few hints of their former outings, especially in the track "Weakest Point" which borrows a riff from a Nuclear Rabbit track, but make no mistake because this band is neither Tribal Disco Noise Pt. 2 or Nuclear Rabbit Pt.2, rather this is the best parts of both along with a whole new bag of tricks. Sure there's a few times when the music can perhaps be a wee bit bloated or too progressive for some, but with extremely talented technical proficiency and accomplished emotive vocals, this group already have tons more to offer than most bands out there. Yet, when also considering that this foursome have single single-single-handedly crafted music that is boldly colorful and littered with fresh ideas while still being digestible enough for the youth of today, its hard not to feel as though they have been taught from an entirely different periodic table of elements altogether. Element Of Surprise have definitely studied hard and with their knowledge and genuine talent, they're easily miles ahead of the glut of stereotypical heavy bands flooding the airwaves today. But talent and knowledge can only take a band so far and as such its probably these qualities along with their sharp eye for advancing song structures and innovative ideas that make the formulas and concoctions E:OS create, one enjoyably pleasant surprise indeed.
