Nodes of Ranvier The Years to Come
Facedown Records FR047 September 13th, 2005
By Jason Jordan
Anymore, its practically impossible for a band to reside under just one subgenre without getting extra, descriptive appendages tacked on at some point. Thus, not to forget my prior statement, Nodes of Ranvier could be characterized as hardcore at times, and as metalcore at others. At any rate, and in spite of the fog that rests on the boundary between hardcore and metalcore, The Years to Come does indeed bear the markings of a band that have experience under their belts.
Now, the third observation by Nodes of Ranvier is good, but its going to clash with an unfathomable amount of contenders for this years best of show. Musically speaking, though, the record has its shit together in most places. The production suffices, the instrumentation speaks highly of its originators, and el grooves are forces to be reckoned with. Almost Pantera-like in their confidence, some of the grooves on this disc are gonna jar ya. Listening to the opening number, namely The Renewal, will give you a glimpse of what Im talking about, but its not quite optimal in the sense that its an instrumental piece. So, if I may direct your attention to Relentless, coolness reigns when the quartet sucker-punch the audience by toning the aggression down a mere fifty seconds into the song, in order to dwell upon tambourine-infused mellowness. For boisterous riffage, consult The Dawning Age at multiple points, Predisposed, and What Goes Around Conversely, the worst attribute of The Years to Come is the clean vocals, which summon thoughts of Nodes of Ranviers crappier contemporaries. Thankfully, Nicks distorted vox are easy on the ears, and suited to the style in which the band plays.
Those fond of the groups labelmates or even uber-popular Shadows Fall and such will be able to find a spot for Nodes of Ranvier in their burgeoning collections. The Years to Come isnt so much a masterpiece as it is a solid effort by a solid crowd of musicians, though the word masterpiece may yet find usage in reference to the aforesaid in their years to come.
8/10
UltimateMetals Interview with Nodes of Ranvier
Official Nodes of Ranvier Website
Official Facedown Records Website
Facedown Records FR047 September 13th, 2005
By Jason Jordan
Anymore, its practically impossible for a band to reside under just one subgenre without getting extra, descriptive appendages tacked on at some point. Thus, not to forget my prior statement, Nodes of Ranvier could be characterized as hardcore at times, and as metalcore at others. At any rate, and in spite of the fog that rests on the boundary between hardcore and metalcore, The Years to Come does indeed bear the markings of a band that have experience under their belts.
Now, the third observation by Nodes of Ranvier is good, but its going to clash with an unfathomable amount of contenders for this years best of show. Musically speaking, though, the record has its shit together in most places. The production suffices, the instrumentation speaks highly of its originators, and el grooves are forces to be reckoned with. Almost Pantera-like in their confidence, some of the grooves on this disc are gonna jar ya. Listening to the opening number, namely The Renewal, will give you a glimpse of what Im talking about, but its not quite optimal in the sense that its an instrumental piece. So, if I may direct your attention to Relentless, coolness reigns when the quartet sucker-punch the audience by toning the aggression down a mere fifty seconds into the song, in order to dwell upon tambourine-infused mellowness. For boisterous riffage, consult The Dawning Age at multiple points, Predisposed, and What Goes Around Conversely, the worst attribute of The Years to Come is the clean vocals, which summon thoughts of Nodes of Ranviers crappier contemporaries. Thankfully, Nicks distorted vox are easy on the ears, and suited to the style in which the band plays.
Those fond of the groups labelmates or even uber-popular Shadows Fall and such will be able to find a spot for Nodes of Ranvier in their burgeoning collections. The Years to Come isnt so much a masterpiece as it is a solid effort by a solid crowd of musicians, though the word masterpiece may yet find usage in reference to the aforesaid in their years to come.
8/10
UltimateMetals Interview with Nodes of Ranvier
Official Nodes of Ranvier Website
Official Facedown Records Website
