Subscribe have always been a colorful band. Ever since their 2004 debut „Sanity Has Left the Building”, they’ve been known for incorporating a vast majority of genres into their mostly metal and hardcore influenced sound. On their third full-length “Bookmarks”, they manage to pull of the frequent genre-shifting in an even more tasteful manner than ever before. There’s always a lot going on sonically, yet the record feels like a cohesive whole, and the sudden changes in dynamics all seem to have a grander purpose.
After the short instrumental intro, the record kicks off with “Anxiety Found Shape in Contradictions” part I and II, two of the heaviest and fastest tracks on the album. These metalcore influenced songs are nothing new for the band (or the genre for that matter, the two tracks wouldn’t sound out of place on a SikTh or Protest The Hero album for the most part), but the band sounds tighter than ever, and they manage to seamlessly incorporate Mr. Bungle-ish jazz and soul breakdowns into the spastic madness.
The two singers Csongor and Tilk adapt perfectly to the ever-changing instrumentals, exchanging screams and growls over the heavy riffs, harmonizing on the memorable choruses and showing off their versatility on the soul and jazz parts. Subscribe makes the most of having two vocalists on Bookmarks as Tilk and Csongor both lay down the best vocal performances of their careers.
After the heavy and furious first ten minutes, the band presents some of their most accessible and anthemic songs yet. The choruses of the more straightforward, radio-compatible “Bitter Boundary” and the hardcore banger “Orchitis” are bound to get stuck in the listeners head. But even when going for a more straightforward sound, Subscribe manage to keep things exciting. The band always adds a unique, experimental element to every track that keeps them from becoming dull or tedious. There’s always an eclectic idea lurking around the corner and the songs never quite pan out exactly the way the listener would expect them to.
The sole low point on the record is “Alomtegla”, the only track with Hungarian lyrics. It’s the most pop influenced song on Bookmarks, using a more straightforward song structure, and relying heavily on a simple and catchy chorus. It feels like this song only exists so the band could have a radio hit in Hungary. While it certainly achieved that goal, the track feels completely out of place on the record, missing that unpredictability that sets Subscribe apart from most other bands in the genre.
Luckily the band gets right back on track for the last part of the album with two of the best songs in their entire catalogue. The almost 8 minute long ballad “Between Heaven and Her” is the most ambitious track the band has ever written. Slowly and beautifully building towards the bone-crushing final 30 seconds, the song features some of the most emotional and atmospheric passages on the record, never failing to grab the listener’s attention for its entire runtime.
Closer “Gay Rodeo” perfectly captures the essence of Subscribe with its constant genre-shifting, even incorporating brass instruments towards the end of the song. It’s eclectic, exciting and ultimately a lot of fun.
Six years after its release and two years after the band’s breakup Bookmarks sounds as fresh and relevant as ever, and marks the career-highlight of the most successful and influential Hungarian metal band of the 2000’s.
