Review Summary: The introduction of electronic and metalcore influences gives Engines of Creation a honed edge over Clawerfield's past work.
Switzerland’s Clawerfield look like your typical European heavy metal act, and if you were introduced to them with their first LP Circular Line, you wouldn’t have much fault in thinking that.
Circular Line was a gritting, energized metal fist to the face, one that took more influence from rough-edged death metal than any other genre. The group’s new EP
Engines of Creation couldn’t be more distant from that early influence. By introducing atmospheric electronica and metalcore rough-clean vocal combos,
Engines of Creation shows Clawerfield developing panache, something the metalcore subgenre of metal has been desperately lacking for years.
Clawerfield stick to a lot of the same musical philosophies as their metalcore brethren. You get the rough vocals across the verses, before diving into a hooky clean vocal chorus. The slamming guitar rhythms rip right from the book of
Messhugah (though certainly not as complex in structure), especially in the crowd-pleasing “Emotion Zero.” The opening instrumental “Nautilus” is a rush of adrenaline, with waving keyboards sliding atop crushing guitar riffs. Clawerfield channel metalcore to the bone (sometimes too much so), but the most enjoyable moments still hold tight to the metal sound they’ve defined since their beginnings.
Engines of Creation definitely has a heavier emphasis on melody than
Circular Line.
Circular Line was a very brutal record, but
Engines of Creation removes a lot of the brutality and replaces it with atmospheric electronica. The decision to temper down the heaviness and give the songs some texture ends up being a good one, as many songs significantly benefit from the added dimension. The Drop Rmx remix of
Circular Line’s “Redemption” is a powerful improvement over the original, with a cleaner chorus and an electronic beat. It might not have the intensity of the original, but the improvements clean off a lot of the dirt on the edges. “Symbiosis” marks the strongest balance of brutal metal intensity and cleaner texture, mixing up the rough and clean vocals in smart and interesting ways. The songwriting does tend to follow an unnecessary formula, though, as evident in the underwhelming “Halo”, whose awkward melodies don’t provide enough fluidity to be catchy nor do they have the power to stir the crowd.
Overall, Clawerfield are making some great steps with
Engines of Creation. Behind the rough exterior of
Circular Line, the band had plenty of interesting ideas, and with this EP, they’re finally starting to find their own voice. There are moments of dullness in songs like “Halo”, but the introduction of atmospheric electronic complements the already killer riffs and crushing percussion. If Clawerfield continue down this path, they have a chance of standing out from their peers in the crowded metalcore scene. Here’s hoping the engines keep turning.
