Review Summary: The mostly good, the slightly bad, and the lots of breakdowns.
Have you ever seen it where a bunch of great ideas get put together but the end result is just shy of living up to them? That's how I feel about 156/Silence’s most recent album,
Narrative. The album, by and large, is pretty damned good. There are a ton of really great ideas, fun riffs, and haunting passages, but those positive aspects can sometimes to be hampered by the band’s insistence on being brutal.
I’ll get the lowlights out of the way. As someone who has listened to nearly every kind of breakdown imaginable, I have no problem with them. But when a band relies on them as a crutch or to serve as filler, it becomes glaringly obvious. 156/Silence don’t do it all the time, but in between the generally excellent effort there are points where the band throws in breakdowns that just shouldn’t be there. Not only that, but the breakdowns throughout the record have a tendency to sound very similar, which doesn’t really help 156/Silence’s cause. This ends up breaking the flow or rhythm of the album as a whole at points, and the effect can be slightly jarring.
That being said, when these guys get it right, they get it
right. The album wastes no time establishing that 156/Silence know how to do heavy and that they know how to get the heart racing and blood pumping. But not to be a one-trick pony, 156/Silence add in brooding melody to their songs, creating atmospheric space from the relentless riffing and barrage of breakdowns. Other than the sometimes random breakdowns mentioned above, the flow of these passages is seamless and showcases musicians who are able to ably balance their approach to metalcore.
While there is nothing outrageously technical or outstanding but there is nothing bad to be said either. The songwriting itself is well-crafted enough for the band to not have to draw attention to musical virtuosity rather than experiencing the music for itself. Special kudos to their drummer, however, who finds ways to throw in very tasteful writing on his own instrument.
So yes, this is an album worth listening to, despite my relatively minor complaints about it. And honestly, sometimes I just want an unnecessary amount of breakdowns. So next time I get the itch, at least I know where to look.
