Uneven Structure

Another band from Hold Tight PR, Uneven Structure were recently sent through to us to check out. Originating from France, these guys are described as ‘forward thinking progressive metallers’ and have just released their debut album Februus. The album, a 13 track concept album is described as ‘mixing lush soundscapes with fierce polymetric Metal, think Pink Floyd’s creativity meets Meshuggah’s brutality with a side serving of Devin Townsend’s progressive charm’ – which quite frankly sounds insane! As such, I thought it only right to give them a listen to see what I thought!
Awaken opens the album, dark and echoey from the outset, immediately your confronted by a strange yet engaging blend of effect laden guitars, machine like sounds and the most almighty bass. Continuing to build, this track seems to grow ever larger, always bringing in new surprises to add even more depth to things, yet taking time to let it grow into the most almightily heavy track you will ever hear – it’s a complete contrast to the opening of the track and will catch you off guard if you’re not prepared for it. Strange time signatures sweep the music around in your ears as it moves through the track, always making sure you’re listening, trying to work out what on earth is going to come next. Heavy, melodic, progressive, emotional, massive – honestly there’s just too many words to describe this track so I’ll simply go with wow….what an opening.
Frost follows on at number 2, once again contrasting against the soft closing moments of the first track by slamming you in the face with heavy bass and drums, then soothing you with harmonic vocals and simplified guitars – there’s a real Tool feeling to the opening of this track. Mixing clean and heavy again, the beat is the real show stealer here and demonstrates this bands ability as a unit, the beat jumps around from simple to syncopated, always catching you off guard by throwing something new at you. As the track closes and Hail kicks in, you suddenly remember where you are as once again you’re beaten around the head with a pounding bass heavy mix of guitars, bass, drums and soaring vocal lines. It’s contrasts like this which can make or break an album, and for these guys it seems to have made it. Another example of why these guys work so well, every single instrument can be picked out on this track, no single one out doing another- once again letting the time signatures steal the show and creating another track which will bewilder you at first, then satisfy you the next moment.
Exmersion is another visit to the more atmospheric approach to music, opening with strange sounds which you think you understand at times, but other times you’re just left enjoying the build up. Kicking in with some keys to add melody to the backing noise, this track merely serves as an introduction to Buds, another drum heavy track which you’ll want to play loud. As the bass kicks in to really set things going, the track becomes almost haunting and dark, the music almost echoing in the background whilst you know that something is coming. Once again Tool like, there’s a lot of the Prog element here, keeping you guessing once again as to what’s going to come next. Devin Townsend at other times, this track will keep you going and wanting to know what’s going to come next. As if to answer the question, Awe follows on and once again changes your view of everything. Almost soft at first, the track builds through more atmospheric noises before launching into another blisteringly heavy melee of instruments and roaring vocals – how these guys can go from one extreme to the other I’ll never know. The result though, a track which will sit happily alongside the heaviest bands whilst also keeping fans of softer music happy.
Quittance is a real show stealer on the album – opening in an almost theatrical manner because of the sheer power of the music, this is a track which seems to combine all of the elements which the band have used so far and turn them into something melodic and harmonious, almost giving you a break from the heavier side of things. Building once again through drums and bass, the time signatures always making you question what’s coming next and making sure you’re listening fully – this is a hell of a track. Alternating between insanely heavy music and softer backing tracks, the vocals always soaring above everything, this is a track which will make you sit back and just listen, just admiring what the hell they’ve managed to achieve here.
Limbo once again brings in the more atmospheric approach to tracks, opening with backing sounds which you think you can hear other music in, but keeping you listening, keeping you wondering what is going to come next and how they’re going to keep this album going. Simply acting as another lead in to Plentitude, soon your question is answered and once again, you’re thrown into an almost industrial mix of drums and bass. This track is unquestionably dark, ominous almost, telling you something is coming but not letting you in on any details. All of a sudden though you know and you’re once again treated to what can only be described as a prog masterpiece, the guitars taking one line, the drums another and the vocals another at the same time – how this can be performed I’ll never know. Relentlessly heavy, this track seems to almost conclude everything on the album as if to say – this is what we can do, like it or not we’re here and we’re making you listen. It’s almost a shame when Finale kicks in, purely because you know it signals the end of proceedings. Heavy once again from the outset, this is a track which finishes everything off, closes the album and leaves you wanting some more. Fading out into nothingness, all I was left thinking as this track finished was that I wanted to go back and do it all over again.
There is a second CD to this album, but I don’t have that part so can’t comment on it. What I can say is that I’ve been genuinely moved by what I’ve heard on this album. Uneven Structure take prog and put it on steroids, creating a Frankenstein like monster combining the finest elements of prog with pure downright dirty metal and all out heavy creativity – the result – something which will change the face of music forever. What comes next from these guys is my biggest question, because following this is going to take a hell of a lot of work!
To find out more about Uneven Structure, check out their Facebook page HERE.
Awaken opens the album, dark and echoey from the outset, immediately your confronted by a strange yet engaging blend of effect laden guitars, machine like sounds and the most almighty bass. Continuing to build, this track seems to grow ever larger, always bringing in new surprises to add even more depth to things, yet taking time to let it grow into the most almightily heavy track you will ever hear – it’s a complete contrast to the opening of the track and will catch you off guard if you’re not prepared for it. Strange time signatures sweep the music around in your ears as it moves through the track, always making sure you’re listening, trying to work out what on earth is going to come next. Heavy, melodic, progressive, emotional, massive – honestly there’s just too many words to describe this track so I’ll simply go with wow….what an opening.
Frost follows on at number 2, once again contrasting against the soft closing moments of the first track by slamming you in the face with heavy bass and drums, then soothing you with harmonic vocals and simplified guitars – there’s a real Tool feeling to the opening of this track. Mixing clean and heavy again, the beat is the real show stealer here and demonstrates this bands ability as a unit, the beat jumps around from simple to syncopated, always catching you off guard by throwing something new at you. As the track closes and Hail kicks in, you suddenly remember where you are as once again you’re beaten around the head with a pounding bass heavy mix of guitars, bass, drums and soaring vocal lines. It’s contrasts like this which can make or break an album, and for these guys it seems to have made it. Another example of why these guys work so well, every single instrument can be picked out on this track, no single one out doing another- once again letting the time signatures steal the show and creating another track which will bewilder you at first, then satisfy you the next moment.
Exmersion is another visit to the more atmospheric approach to music, opening with strange sounds which you think you understand at times, but other times you’re just left enjoying the build up. Kicking in with some keys to add melody to the backing noise, this track merely serves as an introduction to Buds, another drum heavy track which you’ll want to play loud. As the bass kicks in to really set things going, the track becomes almost haunting and dark, the music almost echoing in the background whilst you know that something is coming. Once again Tool like, there’s a lot of the Prog element here, keeping you guessing once again as to what’s going to come next. Devin Townsend at other times, this track will keep you going and wanting to know what’s going to come next. As if to answer the question, Awe follows on and once again changes your view of everything. Almost soft at first, the track builds through more atmospheric noises before launching into another blisteringly heavy melee of instruments and roaring vocals – how these guys can go from one extreme to the other I’ll never know. The result though, a track which will sit happily alongside the heaviest bands whilst also keeping fans of softer music happy.
Quittance is a real show stealer on the album – opening in an almost theatrical manner because of the sheer power of the music, this is a track which seems to combine all of the elements which the band have used so far and turn them into something melodic and harmonious, almost giving you a break from the heavier side of things. Building once again through drums and bass, the time signatures always making you question what’s coming next and making sure you’re listening fully – this is a hell of a track. Alternating between insanely heavy music and softer backing tracks, the vocals always soaring above everything, this is a track which will make you sit back and just listen, just admiring what the hell they’ve managed to achieve here.
Limbo once again brings in the more atmospheric approach to tracks, opening with backing sounds which you think you can hear other music in, but keeping you listening, keeping you wondering what is going to come next and how they’re going to keep this album going. Simply acting as another lead in to Plentitude, soon your question is answered and once again, you’re thrown into an almost industrial mix of drums and bass. This track is unquestionably dark, ominous almost, telling you something is coming but not letting you in on any details. All of a sudden though you know and you’re once again treated to what can only be described as a prog masterpiece, the guitars taking one line, the drums another and the vocals another at the same time – how this can be performed I’ll never know. Relentlessly heavy, this track seems to almost conclude everything on the album as if to say – this is what we can do, like it or not we’re here and we’re making you listen. It’s almost a shame when Finale kicks in, purely because you know it signals the end of proceedings. Heavy once again from the outset, this is a track which finishes everything off, closes the album and leaves you wanting some more. Fading out into nothingness, all I was left thinking as this track finished was that I wanted to go back and do it all over again.
There is a second CD to this album, but I don’t have that part so can’t comment on it. What I can say is that I’ve been genuinely moved by what I’ve heard on this album. Uneven Structure take prog and put it on steroids, creating a Frankenstein like monster combining the finest elements of prog with pure downright dirty metal and all out heavy creativity – the result – something which will change the face of music forever. What comes next from these guys is my biggest question, because following this is going to take a hell of a lot of work!
To find out more about Uneven Structure, check out their Facebook page HERE.