Strain Theory trudge through this CD at a lethargic pace frying speakers with a wealth of noise while creating huge sounding songs filled with ethereal ambiance and groove. Throbbing basshits ring out like echoing gunshots while sludgy guitars shine forth like a flickering light in the dark dragging along the this 7 piece as they pump out moody music with an a decidedly gothic feel. Comparable to groups like the Deftones and Five Pointe 0, this band don't necessarily prey on anger or aggression, devoting their effort rather on a pained torment and muddy style that could be akin to a drugged out haze. Vocally, there's a lot of similarities to the Deftones Chino Moreno and through the tones and notes achieved, its hard to not to notice this, but instead of being a clone, effects are utilized and obscure vocal patterns are used to keep things fresh and stimulating, and judging by the performance laid down here it seems that band frontman Robbie isn't trying to emulate Chino, but just coincidentally sounds like him. Sometimes emo, and at others screaming and most times squeezing out scornful vocals dripping with downtrodden melody, there's no doubt the vocal aspect of this CD is quite impressive. Guitars carve their way through and mark their territory with looming riffs and drawn out squeals that keep the songs on a steady pace while also indulging themselves in alien textural sounds. At most times the riffs played are straight forward, but there is a multitude of interesting swishing resonance and scratchy groove in place as well to give the high end an intricate boost. Bass is tuned down a bit and is easily the most consistent piece within the bands music, adhering to a rigid schedule it tends to plod out rumbling basslines that pay homage to repetition which keep the tracks grounded. Drums have an enjoyable neutral tuning to them, and leave a lot of room for effects, creating an exaggerated dynamic for the programming and turntables to slice through. Dabbling mostly in solid beats that also base themselves loosely on repetition, they also manage to take advantage of all components of the kit and don't hesitate to break off into tribal tom rolls, the drumwork captured here maintains a certain calm that is solid and accentuated with fiery bursts. Turntables branch off in an ambient direction with whistle like scratches and a confident stride that gives finesse and surprise, but still tend to be a bit anemic as a whole. Samples are tossed in with moralistic quotes and rants being mixed in alongside spiraling background noise and pounding bass hits shading the songs with a certain thickness that doesn't smother. After a few listens, its still hard to fully digest everything the band has accomplished on this release, there's such a vast array of sonically dimensional sounds included that it can almost become a bit overwhelming, and yet it still manages to work. Its almost charming to see how the tracks on the album possess the ability to fade into each other, making the CD like a 67 minute audible journey into the depths of creative psychedelic tolerance. Sadly though, the groups tendency to fixate on dense sedated songs catches up with them after awhile and the CD begins to drone on becoming more of an artistic statement rather than an emotional release. By all means "L.I.F.E." is still a caustically progressive album that pushes the boundaries of the heavy music genre, creating a vividly intense auditory quicksand, But its tendency to slow down to a sluggish crawl for the better part of the album detracts heavily and causes the material to drone on into each track. Strain Theory have amalgamated a colorful palette of sounds and ideas into this disc painting a picture that is both striking and visceral, but without an overall focus and progression within their art, it's not effective enough to stay fixated upon it for long and move on.
(3.5 / 5)