Review Summary: Just lay back and get lost inside.
After failing to conjure up a third album in the late 90’s due internal and musical differences, Quicksand reunite with their first release in over 20 years. Despite the reunion’s absence of second guitarist Tom Capone, the remaining band members manage to give this record a massive sound. Quicksand, after a two decade absence, seek to push their band’s sound forward in a different direction. The direction taken here may not be completely new to the band, a classic track like “Delusional” can serve as an example of the direction the band has opted to revisit and delve deeper into. Walter’s guitar playing either interplays with the riffs laid down by Sergio and tight drum beats by Alan or Walter adds ambience and melody as he lets the tight rhythm section take over. The tempo changes that switch from heavy to soft may even draw comparisons to the same type of bands that Quicksand influenced, namely Deftones. Opener, “Illuminator”, sets the tone for what listeners have in-store on Interiors. Songs such as “Cosmonauts” or the title track fully display the bands reimagined sound and also show themselves to have an almost psychedelic quality to them. The final song, “Normal Love”, also proves to be a highlight as it makes good use of a more stripped back sound of bass and drums during the verses before exploding into a mesmerizing chorus.
With the manic episodes of aggression from their classic albums absent here, Interiors instead focuses on infectious grooves, driving riffs and melodic passages to entrance its audience. However, the riffs and rhythms throughout the album are as infectious as they are repetitive. Although this flaw is shown throughout to different extents, “Sick Mind” may be the best example of this shortcoming. As Walter and Co. play some tight rhythms on this track, the listeners expect a build up to something much bigger but instead we get a slow burn of a track with repetitive riffs whose tension built from the start only boils underneath the surface and proves to give us an underwhelming listen. These type of moments can be further amplified by Schreifel’s, at times, monotonous delivery as he goes for a more subdued and laid back vocal delivery on this record when compared his hardcore delivery of their records of the past.
Despite the flaws, Interiors is as massive a record as it sounds. Unlike other comeback albums, Quicksand mark their return by making the album they want to make rather than trying to recreate some old magic or trying to fit the sound of what nostalgic fans want Quicksand to sound like. This reincarnation engraves itself into your mind with rhythm and melody. Just lay back and get lost inside.
