Throat Culture lurk throughout the listeners senses with their clever use of dynamic song structure and expansive musical elements with this disc, all the while showing that sometimes less is more. Some moderate use of rapcore, screams and metal vocal elements pilot this convoy of musical mayhem that contains a fierce instrumental engine powered with intricate focus to each element of the rhythm and percussion section. Not directly comparable to anyone, this group seems to suggest familiarities to a few, but they are such vague influences that the listener will have a hard time discerning just who it might be. Vocals are harsh and almost seem to be plotting with a rage that suggests they stem from betrayal or deception. Spoken word rhymes, deviating tones, coarse screams and attention to utilizing repetition, letting the music envelope the spaces formed within the long pauses he takes are qualities possessed by band vocalist Benny as he vents through various levels of emotion. A few overdubs and backup vocals are used along with even the occasional vocal backup by the bands female guitarist Bitch constructing a nice contrast and richer musical environment. Guitars are finely crafted, played skillfully with a moderate tuning, featuring good range and a wholesome feel as they dish out crunch heavy riffs or melodic interludes that work closely with the bass filling in the dark spots and keeping the energy current powerful throughout. Bass is downtuned to a medium low level, not percussive in nature, it takes on a rounded tone that creates bottom heavy mesh of winding drawn out hits or fret progressions that support the guitar and feature enough variation to give the bass a voice of its own. Bassist Emu doesn't take a standard approach to bass playing and as such he creates an interesting array that gives the subwoofers a workout while still sounding intelligent, not so much technical based, but his playing is indeed catchy and looming as it swings along with slides and pulloffs. Drums feature a fittingly tight tuning that comes heavy on the kick drum with some fleet foot work and a dulling thud like feel. An unorthodox drum style overall is what is laid out and creates a very disjointed percussion vibe that works extremely well. Switching back and forth through offbeat to dead on timing and stuttered tom rolls that can instantly fade into light snare rolls are things that are not uncommon in Beau's drumming and his usage of the entire kit is easily one of the biggest highlights throughout all the songs. Very deft, with knowledge of perhaps a jazz background training as his highhat and cymbal work suggest, he attacks the kit with an open mind powering through floor tom rolls that buildup steam and even dusts off the ever underused technique of rimhits. His overall contributions to the band showcase his prowess and talent as he molds refreshing ideas, erecting a dense skeleton of hits and rolls for the rest of the band to layer their parts over. The group is indeed talented, highlights of this band include their attention to giving the music itself a good share of its time in the spotlight, there's no vocal smothering giving a very loose confident feel, something not often seen in heavy music. Another nice point of their style is the snug combination the bass and guitar make, instead of the bass relying on the drums it focuses itself as support for the guitar, giving the guitar free reign to let loose with experimental riffs and notes that have the ability to spread out and reach their full fruition. Perhaps the biggest highlight of this group though is the drum playing which suggests a very firm grasp of technique and kit usage that is shaped into fresh ideas and rhythms that remind of David Silveria's work in the early Korn days. That said there is still a few things that nag the band, vocally there is good experimentation used song structure wise, but the repetition of some screams and verse's can feel a bit out of place and detract from the overall song progression. Not a fault of the vocalists talent but more a result of what could be too much ambition while writing songs. Another thing that is kind of disappointing is the sparse usage of Bitch's backup vocals, the contrast they create heightens the music while differentiating the group from the crowd of other acts with similar styles, but the band fails to capitalize on this rarely using it. On talent alone this band has what it takes, but songwriting and structure wise it still feels a bit rough and needs some tightening up to utterly demolish the listener. It's filled with clever ideas and a good stance on what should be put where, but still seems to lack an impressive edge to warrant repeated listens. Throat Culture show off something not often found within the genre of heavy music, that being brisk ideas fortified with talent. Definitely cultured influence wise this group has what it takes, and with a bit of growth and refinement their music will become something that could define a culture all of its own.
(4 / 5)