Endo assemble a mechanical breed of electronically enhanced nu metal on their debut full length release which features a fitting title of "Evolve v3.0". Precise beats hit with discordant vocals and sonic melee's that push the heavy static tinged guitars into sounding like some piece of auditory technology driven to insanity. The bands Incorporation of electronical elements can remind of perhaps Fear Factory, but there's more rapcore elements than the latter and they flow with a confident semi-cynical voice and sharply tipped words. Perhaps the most fitting description of the sound of this band would be a less brutal and more automated strain of metal/rapcore similar to that of Primer 55 or The Deadlights. Vocals are morally influential with cleverly worded verses that hit close to home, there's a good base and range in place that can be a bit sneering yet still pack an aggressive punch as it stretches between venomous screams and sedated affirmations. Some effects are used giving a slightly unnatural feel to the tone but as a whole it works out well. Sometimes rappish in nature, band vocalist Gil does also posses the ability to flourish the music with quiet and restrained emotion and burst into anthemic chants alloyed by varying effects. Guitars are constructed in a chaotic manner and rarely adhere to a normal path or progression instead opting for a heavily effect coated tone that drills into the listeners head with a metal scraping on metal quality. There's some usage of wah and a surprisingly normal tuning which is bolted into the foundations of the groups music but used in a very unconventional manner which assembles a blend of man meets machine guitar playing that could be akin to an aural cyborg. Bass is downtuned and heavy, and a bit lost underneath the cacophonous guitarwork as it thumps out a percussive playing style that compliments the percussion giving extra punch. Drums are played with strong consistency and feature an elaborate use of highhat and cymbal work crunched out over top of a thunderous kick drum and reverb heavy snare. A bit on the basic side, there's still a considerable amount of variation put into the snare kick combos keeping the music thudding along at a constant pace. Overall a hybrid of metal with mild industrial and electronic tendencies is created on this disc and although that sounds a bit cliche, it shuns that classification with its interesting experimentation. Containing vicious rhythms and caustic overtones, there's a very calculated aggression at implemented on this disc, but unfortunately the tendency for each song to have a somewhat similar structure makes the disc drag on with a same formula being followed that seems to show up barely modified on each track. This all leads to music that can be kind of disenchanting at times lacking a gratifying release of emotion, but does still end up being an enjoyable listen. Endo haven't necessarily "evolved" in a software sense, but instead cut off what was once human and replaced it with a brand new mechanical counterpart that without question performs with complete accuracy and technique, yet it's cold and logistical expressions can quickly begin to lack feeling, still with epic songcraft and dense effectual atmospheres this groups album electrifies spreading into the listeners senses like a virus.
(4 / 5)