Review Summary: Nightmares 2.0
For those that don't know (sadly there are many), the Arusha Accord was a peace agreement signed to end the civil war in Rwanda back in 1993. The agreements aim is not synonymous with the bands caper.
After receiving some well-earned acclaim for their Nightmares of the Ocean EP, many were eagerly awaiting the release of UK's six-piece genre mashers. Well, its finally here and i can say that its Nightmares on performance enhancing drugs. The production on The Echo Verses really enables the band to put across their vision for the album quite well. The guitars sound much thicker and on most tracks have been tuned lower than before. I'm constantly impressed by the vocals from brothers Alex and Paul Green as i feel they are close to perfecting their vocal dynamics in terms of the screaming to singing ratio. What I'm most pleased about is the rhythm section and in particular the bass. Luke Williams is more than proficient and thankfully being audible you will be able to hear all his pops and slaps. Drummer Mark Vincent is without a doubt what holds this cacophony of sound together. The Vince loves smashing out everything from blast beats to fills that must have been done by some grotesque see creature with a large number of appendages.
What really stands out with The Arusha Accord is their ability to bring in a melodic bridge or interlude out of whats seems like complete musical disarray. These, at times constant staccato riffs fall prey to almost jazzy-esque moments quite often. None are more impressive than on Night Of The Long Knives. Opener Dead To Me does a wonderful job of setting up the vibe as it showcases most of the sextets qualities. The catchiest chorus is present on the aforementioned track in amongst constant time changes, bass bursts and all-out dissonant riffage. The clean interlude of title track, The Echo Verse slowly gives way to the heaviest moment of the LP in The Resurgent. Make no mistake that even at their heaviest groove the boys from Reading still throw you off with some stop-start writing.
Mr James Clayton and Tom Hollings are certainly not an original duo on guitar and everything on here you would have at some point heard before. What they lack in originality they make up for in seizure inducing riffs. They rarely ever repeat anything they play and make good use of dynamics to keep fairly fresh. Unfortunately in their endeavor to be interesting most of the time, they succeed in also being repetitive in their attempt at non-repetitiveness.
While being an excellent debut I still feel the album doesn't have enough variation to keep most interested. The re-recorded tracks lead me to believe they were running out of ideas but with that being said, the standout for me is in fact Night Of The Long Knives. Of the few that were re-recorded it's this one that really shines through. The tracks here don't take long to blend into one another and while this may not be a problem for most seasoned listeners of more extreme metal, it just may be the stagnant sword that kills it for casual listeners.
With The Echo Verses, The Arusha Accord have released a debut full length that many have hoped for and with it i hope they gain the accolades and respect they deserve.
