Ilenkus
We were recently sent through a copy of Rule By Thieves from Galway based Ilenkus, to see what we thought of the album. Born from the embers of previous band Fubar, the bands one sheet says that Ilenkus have stamped their mark on the Irish metal scene with the release of their album, and have received critical acclaim being likened to the likes of Mastadon, Isis and Tool. Based on all this information, I have to say that setting out, I was more than a little intrigued to find out what was on offer from these guys.
Opening with The Jig you’re immediately thrust into a melee of pounding drums and syncopated guitar work, the bass kept high in the mix to really hammer the track home fully. As the vocals came into being, I was actually quite surprised by their style, the raw power behind them lifts the track whilst keeping the dark edge firmly in place. At times during the track, the vocals do seem to fade into the background a little, but this is made up for in the music which takes the lead, there’s some complex stuff going on here which you can’t help but feel excited by. The bass takes the lead momentarily part way through, breaking the track apart to its most basic elements before gradually building it back together and once again resuming its distorted and off beat journey. Relatively slow, this is a track which has all of the hallmarks of an epic live performance, there’s so much going on in the mix yet the toned down production on it allows you to visualise what the band would sound like if this were a live show.
Kleptocracy follows on, another track which opens dark and draws you in bit by bit, allowing the music to set the tone before ushering in the vocal line. The pumping lead line that opens the track soon takes a back seat to the spat vocals, once again keeping everything syncopated, at times coming across as disjointed yet somehow keeping everything in place so it all works together. What’s really striking here is how the band have managed to craft tracks which on first listen don’t necessarily work on a conventional level, but give them a few listens and you find yourself understanding more and more what’s going on. Listening to this track you can immediately understand the Mastadon comparisons as well, this is some seriously accomplished stuff. Moving in to Dr Jekyll everything seems to get turned up a notch and all of a sudden you’re faced with an all-out rock assault on your ear drums. Keeping the off beat elements to an extent, this track is far more of a conventional track in its form, yet is still one which will engage you and really pull you into see what’s going on.
Phoenix opens dark once again, building up through electronic effects which gradually impart the sense of darkness upon you, once again luring you in and daring you to continue to listen. Offering a different approach in this track, there’s an almost electronic style to the track as a whole, offering up a NIN style backing beat behind the ominous mix of guitars and bass. I particularly liked the drumming at the intro to this song, it’s almost like a showcase for the bands abilities in a way but serves further to pave the way into the track fully. Dropping the electronic approach as soon as the track is fully underway, this is another accomplished track akin to the heavier side of Tool in its syncopation, another one which if they can pull it off live is surely going to be a killer. Pompeii (the butcher) seems to take this idea and smash it on the floor though, as if to say ‘sure, that was a good track, but check this out’. This track is much more melodic in form yet still demonstrates the bands ability to take a track which could be perceived as relatively simple, and transform it into something much more complex, you only have to listen to it to understand what I mean! I would probably say this is my personal favourite track from the album, awesome stuff.
Cerebral Anomaly is soon upon us and once again acts as a moment to sooth over everything which you’ve had come before it. Opening over some dark guitars with a heavy backing bass line (not heavy as in distorted, just high in the mix) before ushering in some clean yet haunting vocals, this track seems a far cry from the heavy rampage of the album so far. This is soon forgotten though as once again we’re thrust back into the pit of distortion, this time adopting a sound akin to Threat Signal in the vocals and guitar lines, it’s a sound I’ve come to love and these guys are doing it well. As if to make sure you’re still paying attention, Mayhem soon comes in an once again throws all comparisons out the window, adopting a rolling heavy beat which is sure to have live crowds going mad when it’s performed. This track is possibly the heaviest on the album, despite not being if that makes any sense at all! There’s just something about the way it’s all put together which adds an element of chaos to proceedings, yet it’s controlled chaos – and again, an example of how well these guys can perform.
Final track Great Divide closes the album, another bass heavy anthem of roaring and clean vocals, slamming guitar lines and pounding drum rhythms, the whole mix finishing the album off perfectly and leaving you with a serious taste for more from these guys. The syncopation that these guys achieve throughout their music is quite simple phenomenal, and testament to their ability as a band to craft songs which will drag you in and make you want to hear more.
Ilenkus have shocked me, if that’s the right word for it. Their music is so complex that I genuinely don’t know where I would place it, it’s heavy, yet refined and well pieced together, carefully crafted and downright off beat most of the time. Their performance on this album is kept as that, there’s no digitalisation or any of that crap which can correct mistakes, this is a band playing as a band caught on a recording. Advanced, energetic and something which you’re either going to love or hate, I see big things happening for these guys given the right exposure, so I’ll be interested to see what happens next!
To find out more about Ilenkus, check out their Facebook page HERE.
Opening with The Jig you’re immediately thrust into a melee of pounding drums and syncopated guitar work, the bass kept high in the mix to really hammer the track home fully. As the vocals came into being, I was actually quite surprised by their style, the raw power behind them lifts the track whilst keeping the dark edge firmly in place. At times during the track, the vocals do seem to fade into the background a little, but this is made up for in the music which takes the lead, there’s some complex stuff going on here which you can’t help but feel excited by. The bass takes the lead momentarily part way through, breaking the track apart to its most basic elements before gradually building it back together and once again resuming its distorted and off beat journey. Relatively slow, this is a track which has all of the hallmarks of an epic live performance, there’s so much going on in the mix yet the toned down production on it allows you to visualise what the band would sound like if this were a live show.
Kleptocracy follows on, another track which opens dark and draws you in bit by bit, allowing the music to set the tone before ushering in the vocal line. The pumping lead line that opens the track soon takes a back seat to the spat vocals, once again keeping everything syncopated, at times coming across as disjointed yet somehow keeping everything in place so it all works together. What’s really striking here is how the band have managed to craft tracks which on first listen don’t necessarily work on a conventional level, but give them a few listens and you find yourself understanding more and more what’s going on. Listening to this track you can immediately understand the Mastadon comparisons as well, this is some seriously accomplished stuff. Moving in to Dr Jekyll everything seems to get turned up a notch and all of a sudden you’re faced with an all-out rock assault on your ear drums. Keeping the off beat elements to an extent, this track is far more of a conventional track in its form, yet is still one which will engage you and really pull you into see what’s going on.
Phoenix opens dark once again, building up through electronic effects which gradually impart the sense of darkness upon you, once again luring you in and daring you to continue to listen. Offering a different approach in this track, there’s an almost electronic style to the track as a whole, offering up a NIN style backing beat behind the ominous mix of guitars and bass. I particularly liked the drumming at the intro to this song, it’s almost like a showcase for the bands abilities in a way but serves further to pave the way into the track fully. Dropping the electronic approach as soon as the track is fully underway, this is another accomplished track akin to the heavier side of Tool in its syncopation, another one which if they can pull it off live is surely going to be a killer. Pompeii (the butcher) seems to take this idea and smash it on the floor though, as if to say ‘sure, that was a good track, but check this out’. This track is much more melodic in form yet still demonstrates the bands ability to take a track which could be perceived as relatively simple, and transform it into something much more complex, you only have to listen to it to understand what I mean! I would probably say this is my personal favourite track from the album, awesome stuff.
Cerebral Anomaly is soon upon us and once again acts as a moment to sooth over everything which you’ve had come before it. Opening over some dark guitars with a heavy backing bass line (not heavy as in distorted, just high in the mix) before ushering in some clean yet haunting vocals, this track seems a far cry from the heavy rampage of the album so far. This is soon forgotten though as once again we’re thrust back into the pit of distortion, this time adopting a sound akin to Threat Signal in the vocals and guitar lines, it’s a sound I’ve come to love and these guys are doing it well. As if to make sure you’re still paying attention, Mayhem soon comes in an once again throws all comparisons out the window, adopting a rolling heavy beat which is sure to have live crowds going mad when it’s performed. This track is possibly the heaviest on the album, despite not being if that makes any sense at all! There’s just something about the way it’s all put together which adds an element of chaos to proceedings, yet it’s controlled chaos – and again, an example of how well these guys can perform.
Final track Great Divide closes the album, another bass heavy anthem of roaring and clean vocals, slamming guitar lines and pounding drum rhythms, the whole mix finishing the album off perfectly and leaving you with a serious taste for more from these guys. The syncopation that these guys achieve throughout their music is quite simple phenomenal, and testament to their ability as a band to craft songs which will drag you in and make you want to hear more.
Ilenkus have shocked me, if that’s the right word for it. Their music is so complex that I genuinely don’t know where I would place it, it’s heavy, yet refined and well pieced together, carefully crafted and downright off beat most of the time. Their performance on this album is kept as that, there’s no digitalisation or any of that crap which can correct mistakes, this is a band playing as a band caught on a recording. Advanced, energetic and something which you’re either going to love or hate, I see big things happening for these guys given the right exposure, so I’ll be interested to see what happens next!
To find out more about Ilenkus, check out their Facebook page HERE.