Review Summary: A damn good album from one of the most promising solo artists in the business, and if that doesn’t sell it to you, I don’t know what will.
It’s sort of refreshing to hear some new talent from England. I mean, I live there and I really struggle to think of any new bands that have come out over the past few years with any real potential. Hell, if I were to make a list of the best current British bands it would probably include Porcupine Tree, Iron Maiden, Akercocke and now, Indigent.
Indigent play a very unique form of progressive death/black metal, some would say that it also has a very post-metal feel, while others say that it is almost doom-like in execution. Me, I would say that it really doesn’t need categorising any more. One thing that Indigent definitely do make though, is damn good music. Indigent’s music is a mix of often technical riffs, really prominent and well played bass, snarled inhuman vocals and a really good atmospheric production. Did I mention this was all the work of one man?
Yes, Indigent is a one man band. Whether you look upon these favourably or not should be irrelevant when faced with the music, as this is as well written and professionally made as any full time band out there. The production, despite being a home job, is perfect for the atmosphere created giving just enough emphasis to the vocals while the bass and guitars crash around in an often chaotic manner. Simulacrum is completely crushing in its execution, overwhelming in its essence and destructive in its ambition. Listening to it is absorbing mostly because of the intense atmosphere it creates, and even at its most hectic and frenzied moments it still emits a controlled and relentless feeling of despair. Although this sort of feeling is commonly associated with black metal, it is only unique to Indigent because it does not feel like a black metal album, the guitar work is inspired by death metal, while occasionally very progressive, the bass is a huge element of the sound which is very rare in extreme metal genres and the song writing approach is much more expansive and unconventional than you might expect at first.
The quality of each songs different approach is what gives this album such a uniquely enjoyable edge. While opener ‘Voice from the Head’ impresses with its haunting and quiet interludes, ‘Sin’ instead focuses on the technical guitar playing, with catchy riffs and suitably impressive bass playing which both flows around the guitar playing effortlessly. ‘Ages Past Weeping’ is very doomy and dominating, before fizzling out into a melodic guitar based climax. Simply put, this album is diverse as hell, yet every song definitely sounds like Indigent. Maybe it’s the atmosphere that does it or the production, but most likely it’s a combination of both. Even ‘The Hidden Epidemic’, which basically comes off as a post metal song, focusing on its simply huge climax still maintains similarities to the black metal tracks thanks to the style of riffing. It’s hard to believe that one man could write and make this on his first attempt, as it comes off as a very well produced and written album.
Simulacrum comes off as a very complete release, one that is both a shining example of how to create a music as an individual, and furthermore how to produce it. Still though, as an album, it is not without its faults. As with a lot of bands who showcase such a varied and free way of making their songs, the album as a whole comes off as slightly unfocused. The refusal to pigeonhole into any one genre is both a blessing and a curse, but maybe there is just too much going on some times. I can’t quite pinpoint it, but there is definitely something holding Simulacrum back from being a truly essential album, but as far as debuts go, it is a truly fine work of art.
Now, I don’t think this album is for everybody, nor do I feel that it is especially hard to get into. It’s just that people who might be less inclined to listen to something which isn’t completely focused will be thrown off some time by the third track, but those that come into this album knowing what to expect might find something just a little bit special. Call it what you will, Simulacrum is a damn good album from one of the most promising solo artists in the business, and if that doesn’t sell it to you, I don’t know what will.
