Review Summary: Boris reinvent themselves once more with a record that sounds both fresh and familiar.
It does not take long to realize that
Praparat is a relatively dramatic departure from Boris’ 2011 offerings. While said albums dabbled in hard rock, shoegaze, and even J-pop, the metal behemoth’s latest is a beautiful return to the heavy, dense, and murky sounds that made them such a beloved institution to begin with. Although the Japanese trio can effortlessly pull off just about any musical style with gusto, they display a keen understanding of music with a darker, heavier persuasion.
Praparat is indicative of this, as it is an all-encompassing celebration of Brois’ past and present; a decidedly metal album that brings together a bevy of different styles into one absorbing and intense experience.
Praparat will feel wholly familiar for fans of Boris’ early material. It features a “sludgier”, more drone oriented sound than anything the band has produced in years. Yet there’s something lurking underneath the surface that seeks to alter the dark and mysterious aesthetic. There’s an undeniable sense of brightness here, even amongst the darkest of tones. Despite the insistence that it is Boris’ return to what made them a household name,
Praparat is much more than a bare bones metal record. It’s a practice in subtlety, though, with mellow guitar and luxurious melodies sprinkled about the mammoth chords and reverb. But if anything, Boris know how to pull off an intricately layered song. Bouts of dreamy pop and shoegaze are found all over the album and stand as stark contrasts. These moments appear irregularly, however, as much of the album is spent creating a massive and explosive sound, full of slow and deliberate guitar and ground-shaking bass. Added to this, much of the record takes a page from
Heavy Rocks and
Pink, and holds some of Wata’s most intense work yet. The tones used are deafening and the solos are simply mesmerizing. All of this helps to make the album the stylistic potpourri that it is; a hodge podge of different influences that simply works thanks to Boris’ always impressive songwriting abilities.
With their latest musical foray, Boris once again prove that they are masters of their craft.
Praparat is yet another statement by the band, declaring that they will make the music that they want to make, rather than the music they should. As always, it is endearing to be caught off guard by the enigmatic trio. In the end, Boris transform themselves once more and release their most fully realized, expansive records to date.
