Review Summary: GAME OVER. CONTINUE? (Y/N)
Back in 2019, the Dallas-based dastardly-duo that is Cara Neir released
III/IV, undoubtedly one of the most interesting blackened skramz records in recent memory. Now in 2021, Chris Francis and Gary Brents have chosen to present the populace with
Phase Out, which is,
erm, something
else.
Whereas
III/IV involved the careful balancing of a muddled myriad of genres - including, but not limited to mathcore, grindcore, screamo, black metal, post-hardcore, electronic
AND ambient -
Phase Out throws nuance completely out the window in favour of a rather extreme deviation from the band’s staple sound. What we have here is a straight-up cybergrind-ish RPG-concept album, the idea being that (and I will
try to keep this brief) an interdimensional being known as “The One from Trimjrtle” has transported Chris and Gary into an alternate videogame reality (referred to as “the mysterious universe of GNAX”) for the sole amusement of that aforementioned being, with each song constituting a different in-game level that the now sword-swinging / spell-slinging duo are tasked with overcoming. It is, in no uncertain terms, a very silly album.
Chiptune beepboops, some
authentic lo-fi hip hop beats
to relax/study to, the occasional uninterrupted riff, back to the chiptune, some vague reference to “GATOR BATS” and “a fucking moat”, a brief bm crescendo, then I guess more wholesome
beats: that’s
Phase Out in a nutshell, probably, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. If absolutely nothing else, Cara Neir’s latest fork in the road is a highly entertaining distraction, representing the most outlandish and colourful manifestation of their tendency to stitch mismatched genres together. Their latest explorative LP is indeed lighthearted, endearing and remarkably well-realised for what it is.
What it is, however, simply pales in comparison to the glorious emotional and compositional heights of their previous releases.
Phase Out certainly suffers when placed beside its more solemn and sincere big brother,
III/IV, and whilst it may be unfair to compare like-for-like when each clearly seeks to achieve something very different, their temporal proximity coupled with the lofty expectations generated by
III/IV leads to a mild sense of disappointment when wading through their latest adventure.
Please don’t be dismayed by my apparent glumness. Despite its shortcomings,
Phase Out still contains everything that makes Cara Neir worth raving about, buried within its beeps, boops, chuggs and
chugga-chuggas, so long as you’re willing to sift through the muck to get to it. The duo’s Jumanji-esque escapade is a journey still worth partaking in, provided you’re adequately provisioned. Fear not! Having ventured through the wastelands of GNAX myself, all you’ll need to survive is as follows:
- two swords, one steel and one silver, obviously;
- a well-worn copy of The Lusty Argonian Maid and at least twenty-two pitchers of the finest Skooma;
- a shirt of pure Mithrill, nasty little hobbitses optional;
- at least 441 of the 900 Korok seeds, for the smell (mostly);
- one healer per party, lv. 23 and below need not apply; and, most importantly
- the ‘Really Not Very Funny Joke’ skill tree maxed-out, extra points in both the Regret and Shame abilities highly recommended.
