One Minute Silence triumphantly return on their sophomore album with an evolved sound and a pocketful of confidence. No longer easily classified as a Rage Against The Machine clone the band has taken things to a new level of intensity and focused on a more dense song structure this time around. Political minded rapcore with thick heavy overtones and ample twists and turns is what the band has prepared on this disc and it all comes backed with enough ferocity to make even the deadliest predator turn in fear. Vocals are reluctant in nature, a slight rapcore meets hummed out Tool like vocals is served up but with an interesting flavor. It's like band frontman Yap has something extremely important to tell, but creeps around the issue slowly letting the knowledge out in chunks, because if it was given in full bursts it could implode the listeners brain. His style is very entrancing, like a moralistic prophet he spews out against everything corporate and capitalist but doesn't sound as abrasive as say Rage Against The Machine's Zack De La Rocha. Yap's flows are constructed in a very digestible format that are easily related to, yet all along educate with valid standpoints and aren't so highbrow that they alienate the listener. Filled with lyrics that could easily be turned into slogans for the disenfranchised, the groups vocals are a definite key point in the bands attack. With their shaky vibrant emotion and intelligent aggression, they give the songs an undeniable presence. Guitars lunge forth with screeching riffs and stylish experimentation. A lot of effects are used along with solid use of space and variation implemented, thickening the songs with a more brains than brawn approach. Vicious when necessary and charming with an innocent genuine style, they directly compliment the vocals and galvanize the music. Bass is slippery with slithering downtuned riffs that strike with a heavily picked sound. Occasionally given time to shine and a bit rough around the edges they give the music a slight edge as they interlock with the drums with rubbery slides and tight progressions. Percussion is consistent and tight with a well tempered tuning implemented within a playing style that is quite learned, showcasing strong technical prowess and encompassing kit usage. There's a lot of ride and crash usage involved along with persistent exercises in highhat technique, yet the playing doesn't feel overly intelligent, instead feeling abstract and precise. The band has taken their music to the next level, gone is their reliance on straight for the jugular rapcore riffs and in their place is a more instinctive emotional approach that gives the listener time to breathe, bleed and heal, there's still a numbing amount of rage in the bands bag of tricks but its not as relentless as before and as such the music has become that much more enjoyable. Still there is a feeling that this album is more of a planned lesson in heaviness and diversity rather than a true unleashing of the bands musical ideas and this come through in the calculated nature of the material contained on the disc. It's almost too tight leaving a bit to be desired on a raw emotional level. One Minute Silence have bucked the worries of the second album curse and taken them in stride, re-inventing their style with a hefty dosage of intellectual instrumentation and heavy depth, still the musical train tends to stay on the tracks a little too tightly detracting from the element of surprise and giving a somewhat brisk voyage, this could be a bad thing. but fortunately the vivid scenery on this trip more than makes up for it ensuring that this disc is a deserving addition to any listeners collection.
(4 / 5)