Review Summary: The shadow figure on the cover serves as the perfect figurehead for this dark and emotional parting album.
Of all the songs on Sever Your Roots, “Mutiny” may be the most gentle of the lot. Not gentle in the sense of a whispered serenade or light drizzle, but gentle in its execution. Though the song crescendos to blasting choruses channeling both Dredg and The Dear Hunter, the greatest excerpt the listener will take away with them is the softly-sung outro. Vocalized in an empty tone, the cryptic tongue carries the song as it slowly falls, “everyone is a home unto themselves; but you’ll never be home until you become a home to someone else.” Through countless repeats, the phrase becomes almost addicting, nearly to the point of singing it over for minutes at a time attempting to formulate some kind of definition. It is these nuances which create an identity for the dark, murky sound executed on Sever Your Roots.
Still, subtleties are not enough alone to warrant a listen. Even the most informed listener may second guess themselves looking into Sever Your Roots, perhaps even creating a mental checklist. Sure, The Felix Culpa is a name which doesn’t exactly paint the best mental picture. Yes, the idea of a dark sound with punchy, distorted basslines may seem overdone. The influences are obvious and similarities can be drawn with ease. The Felix Culpa is nothing new. Yet, it is not fair to dismiss the music here based on the work of peers. The level of quality presented on The Felix Culpa’s second (and final) record is consistent from start to finish. Albeit running a bit long at well over an hour, the band seems incredibly confident with their direction, especially through longer compositions such as “Escape to the Mountain, Lest Though be Consumed” and the cinematic-feeling tune “An Instrument.” Just a bit more than halfway through, “Mutiny” serves as a dominant centerpiece, taking every trick at the band’s disposal and stringing them together coherently. A long list of artists being drawn on could be listed for this record which would serve to further confirm the niche appeal of an album such as this.
The bassist must be thanked a great deal for the atmosphere present on Sever Your Roots. His thick, grimy, distorted bass tone drives the album forward through its most personable moments. With a great deal of instrumentation going on at times in the treble range, this tone provides an extra layer of depth to the music which stands out from the compositions. Strangely, it seems the album art carries its own unique personality along with the music. The shadowy figure at rest in a murky pond acts as an excellent figurehead to represent the emotion of The Felix Culpa. Their music can feel dirty and unwelcoming, and yet beckoning the listener to wade into the dark waters and take a drink. Coexistent to this, the music scrawls out a gentle underside as a remedy.
This lighter side of The Felix Culpa defies the darker side to the music almost exclusively due to the lyrical work. Lines such as “to be in love with love” and “peace be still, my son, find peace” contrast the instrumentation surprisingly well, providing some unexpected sing-along lines. Though certainly derivative in style, the vocalist does a fair job throwing out a partially diverse array of vocals to contrast what is obviously an instrument-driven album.
Although it definitely fills a niche appeal, Sever Your Roots will not sit well with all listeners. The bloated length may give air to some listeners, while other listeners may wish for songs to be condensed or omitted entirely. Lasting through over an hour of music which follows a specific formula and style can be tiring, but also rewarding. Sever Your Roots is a solid parting album from a generally unknown band; it is a record which should be judged on its own merits. Though not perfect by any means, The Felix Culpa are genuine in their ways, crafting a dark, often atmospheric album. The grandiose scale may overwhelm, but there is subtlety in the nuances. These small segments stick in the mind and leave the listener wondering “what are you waiting for?”
