Review Summary: What an age we live in
There’s no denying that the internet has had an immense impact on the music industry. From ease of access to new music with the touch of a button to virtual no-name artists getting recognized the world over, the internet has served as a turning point in the music industry and in how music is even being created. The internet, coupled with state of the art software has resulted in a plethora of DIY musicians coming into the fold and trying their hand at making a name for themselves in the ever evolving landscape that is professional music. People who are extremely talented and want to have full creative and production control of their music have been going down this road in recent years and the result has seen many aspiring musicians breaking out. One of the most pertinent success stories has been that of Cloudkicker, who exploded onto the scene through the internet and word of mouth back in the early 2000’s. Following in his annals has been American comic creator and artist Jeph Jacques, out of Massachusetts with his one man DIY band Deathmøle.
Created in 2005, Deathmøle was originally started as an accompaniment to Jeph’s web comic series "Questionable Content", as a band in the series. Jeph would write the music in the form of individual songs here and there for fans of the comic until he realized it was a fun process for him and he began taking it more seriously. The Deathmøle name has been churning out full albums as of 2009 and for this 2014 album, Jeph announced a Kickstarter campaign to help in having the album professionally recorded. The goal was achieved in spades and the hidden gem that is
Permanence arrived in full swing in early 2014, and boy does it deliver.
Permanence is a solid 8-string guitar orgy of instrumental metal, mixing many different styles and shifting its focus at every turn. From full on djent/shoegaze riffage to soaring atmospheric highs, Deathmøle manages to cover all of its bases and then some, with absolute confidence and precise execution. The opening track “College” displays this dichotomy perfectly, starting with a solid beat and a nice plucking/post metal atmospheric trade-off, followed by a massive down-tuned section worthy of contending with the best in the progressive metal field. All the tones are hit perfectly and it’s clear Jeph really understands the genres and the exact sound he was going for on the album.
The songs bang in and out, starting off on a massive scale before turtling back for a couple sections, only to return with a full on wall of sound. Gracious leads, such as 1:19 of the track “No Thanks” & mid-way through the song "Everything is Permanent”, flow in and out of thick riffs; bringing about a perfect balance to the sound and overall song writing of the album. There are tracks that do the complete opposite as well; serving as complete aural assaults of extremely heavy, downtuned riffage for their entirety. “Snow in Sun” is a perfect example of this. From the get go the track establishes an idea of completely pummelling its listener as melodic pieces weave and flow their way through chunky rhythms seamlessly before building into perfect post-metal perfection to a gigantic climax to finish the song.
The DIY formula has proven it works time and time again in this new age of music. One person bands who believe in their own vision and power of their songwriting have continuously expanded their repertoire through the numerous technologies of the modern age of art, and Deathmøle is no exception. The song writing and range of riffs employed on
Permanence, an album that only took a full week to record, is a testament to do-it-yourselfers everywhere and really displays just how deep of an artist Jeph Jacques really is. It also makes you wonder just how many more hidden gems there are out there trying and waiting to be discovered.
