Review Summary: In their most consistent and coherent effort to date, Rishloo once again bring the onslaught of bombastic, moody vocals mixed with their own brand of delicately devilish musical arrangements.
It's not too often that we find a band making steady progress with each step in its career. In an hype-driven era, Rishloo have quietly been the picture of consistent quality. They have certainly grown significantly since their 2004 debut and as anyone who has been around since their inception knows, it's been enjoyable every step of the way.
In their third studio album,
Feathergun, Rishloo find themselves in a much more confident stage within their evolution as artists. They open the album with a safe transition from
Eidolon in
Scissorlips. This track is somewhat misleading in that one might think that Rishloo is in danger of simply re-treading old ground, which might be bad for most bands, but not this band; however, in about the last minute and a half of the song the listener is treated to one of the best displays of instrumentation and then Mailloux puts the finishing touch on it, thus letting the listener know that he is in for something special the rest of the way.
What impressed me most about this record was Rishloo's ability to provide something unique in each song while still remaining true to themselves and their sound. Every song has the ability to project it's own story while still remaining focused on the record as a whole. One will find something enjoyable in each track so that listening to the album from tracks 1 to 11 never feels tired or boring.
I don't want to make the mistake of pumping up this album as the best of all time, let alone the best that Rishloo will ever be able to offer. There are certainly a few instances in the album where I wasn't too excited about what I was hearing, but in the end
Feathergun provides a wide spectrum of sound, enough to satisfy and pull me back in when my ear might begin to stray. If I have learned anything about Rishloo, it is that they are all about progression and moving forward, so I look forward to their future endeavors.
Overall,
Feathergun offers up another fantastic glimpse into the creative minds behind Rishloo. This is probably their most consistent and coherent effort, which is actually impressive to me considering that their previous two albums were already pretty good. The album is not without it's minor hiccups, such as the rare occasion when Mailloux seems to bite off more than he can chew thus inhibiting the instruments a bit, but the good vastly outweighs any negatives. If you haven't heard of Rishloo, generally like progressive rock, and are looking for something new, this is definitely the album for you.
Recommended Tracks
Turning Sheep into Goats
Keyhole in the Sky
Diamond Eyes
Katsushika