Review Summary: Finally some djent that doesn't suck!
Djent is a genre that I've never been able to fully appreciate. Other than the creators, Meshuggah, I've always found it to consist of bands that are severely watered down. Riffless chugfests and almost robotic drumming just never did anything for me. Sure, there are some exceptions, but largely, the genre itself just never gave me anything to latch onto. For most metalcore bands in recent years, it seems to be the aforementioned mindless chugging with no riffs in sight and super twinkly production. Meshuggah didn't ask for this. When djent was created it was all about off-kilter time signatures and thrashy riffs mixed with some absolutely technically proficient drum performances. Above, Below is a band that I discovered recently and their new album,
I Guess It Was Nowhere, isn't exactly an ode to Meshuggah, but it definitely provides a lot more than most djent bands nowadays.
The main thing that I noticed about this album is that it actually has riffs. The production is super clean, yes, but the actual leads themselves are more than just boring chugs. Everything here compliments the other elements to perfection and production isn't even close to being a distraction as it is with most bands in the genre. I wouldn't describe it as twinkly as much as I would say everything is able to breathe. We don't have a situation where all the instruments are compressed to hell and back, every last element is decipherable and the riffs actually riff and don't just chug along with no direction. It doesn't have the feeling of raw, early/mid-90s metalcore, but it does have some bite unlike most bands in this genre.
Vocally, this stuff is absolutely killer. The cleans aren't too whiny or nasally and are used sparingly to the point where when they come along, they add a nice extra element to the album. The harsh vocals are intense and mix between high-pitched screams, painful howls and lower death gutturals. The sheer variety is enough to separate Above, Below from their counterparts and offer a plethora of different vibes throughout the runtime. The production, again, on the vocals is perfect and doesn't drown out all the riffage going on behind the scenes. This goes back to each element of
I Guess It Was Nowhere complimenting each other to absolute perfection.
This album isn't reinventing the wheel by any means, but it is putting a positive spin on a genre that is absolutely generic drivel 95% of the time. As I mentioned, the production job itself is enough to warrant multiple listens, add in all the sick riffs and a drumming performance that is varied and technically sound and you get a full album that is completely worth the price of admission. I do know that djent isn't for me most of the time, but every once in a while, certain bands/albums will knock my socks off and Above, Below's
I Guess It Was Nowhere is certainly one of those cases.
