Intronaut - Null

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Forest: Sold Out
Jul 5, 2003
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Intronaut – Null
Goodfellow Records – GFR038 – February 28th, 2006
By Jason Jordan

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Working full-time sucks the will to live right out of you. And by the way, if you work eight hours a day or more and claim to love your job, I don’t believe you. When I manage to tuck away the suicidal urges, however, I then like to write about music…for the 20 minutes before I collapse onto my bed, exhausted. So aside from that angry little introduction – barring smooth transitions in the process of course – say hi to newcomers Intronaut. Goodfellow fans knew Null would be good, as the label’s track record is impressive, and this EP is a tasty slice of what’s to come. Methinks this four-piece are best examined in acrostic format. Or not, but I’m going to build one anyway.

I:mpaled. Leon del Muerte (guitars, vocals) used to be in that band, and currently plays bass for Exhumed.
N:ull was originally an independent release until Goodfellow signed Intronaut. Though an EP with only five songs, it stretches close to 30 minutes in length, and I’m sure the price reflects said details.
T:he sound itself is obviously technical, but more approachable and less chaotic than output by The Dillinger Escape Plan and August Burns Red. They’re darker than The Esoteric, though quite similar as far as tone and edginess are concerned. Walker (drums, samples) recalls Mastodon’s Dailor due to his ability to fill any passage suitably, pepper any section with utter panache. Neurosis-esque ambiance, you ask? Yeah, that’s here too.
R:evolving doors: I just don’t like them.
O:peth and Cynic, like other reviewers have stated, do appear intermittently on “Sores Will Weep.” Also, I hear Mastodon welded to various forms of substantive –core, punctuated by a flurry of drum fills and bass injections.
N:ew full-length in the works, which is set to drop in June of this year. When the musicians began this side project, they intended for it to remain a side project, but after an influx of self-satisfaction and positive feedback, they decided to elevate Intronaut to full-time.
A:nubis Rising is Dunable’s (guitars, vocals) gig. The Californian group spewed Funerary Preamble in the summer of 2005. Interestingly enough, I don’t think Intronaut sound like any of the members’ other endeavors.
U:phill Battle was one of Walker’s (drums, samples) stomping grounds for a while, until their demise in 200*cough*. Disciples of Relapse Records will recognize them, as well as Anubis Rising followers. The two unleashed a split together in 2002. Because, I mean, how could you unleash a split separately?
T:he only member I didn’t mention goes by the name Joe Lester. He’s a bass player who has his roots embedded in jazz – which shows – as well as a few obscure styles of music.

All in all, this is a well-conceived, well-played effort with numerous traits worth extolling. Intronaut don’t quite overpower their fellow competitors, but they do put up a decent fight. In sum, I’m awaiting the full-length as Null – though not magnificent – is a reputable EP. You’ll probably like it, too. Just writing about it energized me, even though I was dog-tired before I started.

8/10

Official Intronaut Website
Official Goodfellow Records Website