Review Summary: A tapestry of sounds inside a certainly not so Quiet World. An inspiring story told as music history unfolds from a band that is here to stay.
Native Construct are a trio coming from Boston's Berklee College of Music who were fresh into their first semester of studies when they decided to stir up the waters of the modern progressive scene. Their ambitious and clear goals are worthy of praise even before one throws their debut LP, "Quiet World" for a first spin.
"Quiet World" is a concept album, both lyrically and musically. Its dynamic is unchallenged from the symphonic introduction in single "Mute" till the curtain call brought by the 12-minute epic "Chromatic Aberration". The story told is about the mental escapade of a rejected from love and mute protagonist into his very own dream world, a world where silence is society's only golden rule and therefore no one is forced to be an outcast. A Quiet World indeed!
The multitude of sounds found within the "Quiet World" are better described as a jigsaw puzzle of classical-influenced symphonic music, pop, rock, jazz, metal and funk elements. The symphonic compositions of guitarist
Myles Yang give the appropriate feeling of grandeur while the 8-string guitar ties the passages together. There's djent to be found in here but it's not in the spotlight, just another arrow in Native Construct's quiver.
Max Harchik's bass sound is crystal clear throughout the record and along with the intricate drumming (don't expect another virtuoso musician behind the execution though - everything is carried out by Superior Drummer) breakdown many parts into jazz fusion moments. The whimsical nature of the world that the trio constructed is also showcased by the tight songwriting of short songs like "Your Familiar Face" which feels like it's coming straight from Queen's "A Night At The Opera".
Overall production values are sky high and the mix is almost flawless, with the only downside being the vocal volume level.
Robert Edens has a distinctive voice that has the potential to overshadow the instrumental performance with either his clean or growled vocals. This has led to a slightly toned down vocal track at parts of the album. However, this is hardly noticeable and by no means detracts from the overall listening experience.
In contrast with most metal albums that feature a plethora of instruments, "Quiet World" does not simply utilize them as a background or an ambient element. Each instrumental track is composed in isolation with every instrument treading a musical path fit for its own distinct sound. The highlight of this songwriting approach is the band's ability to synthesize a coordinated play where every separate element fits into the whole, be it the leading riff in "The Spark Of The Archon", the saxophone solo in "Passage", or the unexpected crescendo right at the end of the short instrumental track "Chromatic Lights". Perhaps the band's definition of their music as
theatrical metal can be interpreted as a clever metaphor that sees every instrument as an actor playing its part in the musical spectacle that is the story of the "Quiet World".
Native Construct certainly made an impressive entrance into the music arena and have the nerve to challenge everyone and everything that is referenced through their music. The list of combatants used to push the creative limits is wide indeed. Staples like Queen, Mr. Bungle, Opeth and Cynic, or new artists like Between The Buried And Me and Haken, can fit into the throwbacks of Native Construct's sound. Let's allow ourselves a slight overstatement instead of an epilogue. The final product should be above all these fragmentations, given the mastery with which it was conducted. "Quiet World" may as well be the pinnacle of modern musical fusions. Ultimately, it proves to be more than the sum of its parts, resulting in the best possible introduction to modern experimental music in just under 50 minutes.
