Search - Intronaut :: Null

Foreshadowing good things

Miller Truby | Escondido, CA USA | 05/26/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"For a debut release, "Null" is a hell of an accomplishment for Intronaut. It makes a statement about what the band hope to accomplish on future releases while simultaneously drawing the listener into a world where the standard rules of metal simply don't apply. And all this in only 4 songs (the first track is a short intro).



For my tastes, the first two songs are by far the strongest, but every thing here is interesting and entertaining. "Sores Will Weep" starts off with a very Converge-esque feel to it and doesn't let up, although the mood of the song definitely changes midway through, turning into bludgeoning death-metal. "Fragments Of Character" is my absolute favorite track, and what a spot-on song title! This song will no doubt draw some comparisons to the current crop of doom-metal bands like Isis and Neurosis and maybe even some of Justin Broadrick's work (Jesu and Godflesh). Sadly, those comparisons will sell this song (and the innovative promise of the band as a whole) short. The track starts out in a fairly standard, albeit strikingly heavy, way that will keep you listening long enough for them to build some steam and get you comfortable before they yank the rug out from under your feet. The first short breakdown hits with an off-time, very original choppy riff executed with razors-edge precision. Now that they have your attention, they're not going to let it go and they procede to drop into one of the heaviest death metal parts I've ever heard. Right as the audience gets comfortable with that, it falls away into a slightly spacey softer section that sees the band infusing a beautiful melody into the cacophony, but not in a cheesy or heavy-handed way. From there the song builds back to its original starting riff and then ends abruptly. Fragments of character indeed! 7 minutes of metallic perfection.



What really sets Intronaut apart is the momentum they develop with their songs. The doom-metal bands seem to mostly rely on punishing the listener with the things they're NOT doing, repeating riffs over and over and droning on and on. That can make for an interesting listen, but there's not much room for originality in that the style stifles any attempts at progression. An 11-minute song that relies on only one riff is, by definition, very hit or miss. It can be done well but it had better be a damn good riff. Intronaut take the same style of chugging guitarwork and song structure and add a frenetic rhythm section, a few moments of genuinely fast riffing, and nothing that even resembles clean singing. And while they're heavy as all hell, they stay away from the tenets of modern "American metal" and the dubious "Gothenburg sound". No screeching pinch harmonics after every measure, no group vocals, no flailing solos, no keyboards or sound samples.



All in all, this is a great debut and one of the best EP's I've ever heard. I'm not going to give it 5 stars because not every song on here is wonderful. "They (As In Them)" has some brilliant moments but also has some disorganized ones. "Burning These Days" has not managed to catch much of my attention. It simply doesn't stand out. That said, I will definitely be picking up their full length when it comes out. These guys show a tremendous amount of talent and originality in a package that is genuinely heavy. With the possibility of more songs like "Fragments Of Character", there's no reason not to spend a little cash and give Intronaut a try. At worst, they're something frighteningly heavy to scare your friends with. At best, they might be the future of metal.



Standout Tracks:

Sores Will Weep

Fragments Of Character"