RSJ / The Final Sigh - Split EP
Self released - 2004
By Philip Whitehouse
It's split discs like this that make me proud to be a Brit. Two tracks each from two bands who, in a sane and rational world, would be up there with the likes of The Dillinger Escape Plan and Will Haven. Well, before Will Haven went broke and split up, obviously. *cough* You know what I mean. Anyway. *ahem*
RSJ start off the disc in truly punishing fashion - 'Delusions Of Popularity' goes in a flash from a choppy phased guitar intro to an absolutely crushing metalcore blast, lots of one-note chugging riffs bolstered by a huge bottom-end to the raw-as-fuck production, tempered with quieter, scratchy upper-register palm muted interludes and then adrenalised with supercharged double-bass flurries. Big Will Haven influence here, which is always good in my eyes.
Then, in come The Final Sigh, opening their first track 'Self Abuse Is A One Person Sport' with a quiet, arpeggiated clean guitar melodies with some nice clean singing and odd background effects... and then it all goes a bit noisecore, in a good way. Utterly insane riffage, drums flailing here there and everywhere, the vocalist screaming like a man who's just seen blood in his urine, that whole band-falling-down-a-flight-of-stairs skronk - fantastic stuff. It all slows down for a crushing down-tempo moment, which does show that the clean singing could do with some work, but otherwise, all is well here. Kinda reminiscent of Converge and Hopesfall in a knife-fight. Which is great, obviously.
Just when you think The Final Sigh have stolen the show, RSJ swagger back into sight with the monstrous opening riffs of 'Gein', which recall sadly-defunct UK metalcore bruisers Snub at their most belligerent. More chuggy bludgeonings, more agonised howls, some nice harmonic squeals, and a spiralling riff-maelstrom before the home stretch. Top notch.
Finally, The Final Sigh return to the fold. And promptly lay waste to the rest of the EP with 'Safety Blanket'. This one's intro recalls the atonal dissonance of Tangaroa on a bad acid trip, all lurching malevolance and willfully out-of-tune confrontational noise-mongering. This quickly segues into insanely technical computer-noise guitar riffs, then a quick chug-a-thon, followed by squeaky slidey notes, a dive-bomb, a gentle, almost emo-like break... you can never tell where these guys are going next, but it's always the right destination. The raw production actually makes them sound more dangerously unhinged than the disjointed, angular savagery of their music would already suggest. Brilliant stuff. Oh, yeah, hang around after the track ends for some truly mangled electro-gabba-headfuckery which messes about with what you just heard to startling effect.
Absolutely essential.
9.5/10
RSJ Official Website
The Final Sigh Official Website
Self released - 2004
By Philip Whitehouse
It's split discs like this that make me proud to be a Brit. Two tracks each from two bands who, in a sane and rational world, would be up there with the likes of The Dillinger Escape Plan and Will Haven. Well, before Will Haven went broke and split up, obviously. *cough* You know what I mean. Anyway. *ahem*
RSJ start off the disc in truly punishing fashion - 'Delusions Of Popularity' goes in a flash from a choppy phased guitar intro to an absolutely crushing metalcore blast, lots of one-note chugging riffs bolstered by a huge bottom-end to the raw-as-fuck production, tempered with quieter, scratchy upper-register palm muted interludes and then adrenalised with supercharged double-bass flurries. Big Will Haven influence here, which is always good in my eyes.
Then, in come The Final Sigh, opening their first track 'Self Abuse Is A One Person Sport' with a quiet, arpeggiated clean guitar melodies with some nice clean singing and odd background effects... and then it all goes a bit noisecore, in a good way. Utterly insane riffage, drums flailing here there and everywhere, the vocalist screaming like a man who's just seen blood in his urine, that whole band-falling-down-a-flight-of-stairs skronk - fantastic stuff. It all slows down for a crushing down-tempo moment, which does show that the clean singing could do with some work, but otherwise, all is well here. Kinda reminiscent of Converge and Hopesfall in a knife-fight. Which is great, obviously.
Just when you think The Final Sigh have stolen the show, RSJ swagger back into sight with the monstrous opening riffs of 'Gein', which recall sadly-defunct UK metalcore bruisers Snub at their most belligerent. More chuggy bludgeonings, more agonised howls, some nice harmonic squeals, and a spiralling riff-maelstrom before the home stretch. Top notch.
Finally, The Final Sigh return to the fold. And promptly lay waste to the rest of the EP with 'Safety Blanket'. This one's intro recalls the atonal dissonance of Tangaroa on a bad acid trip, all lurching malevolance and willfully out-of-tune confrontational noise-mongering. This quickly segues into insanely technical computer-noise guitar riffs, then a quick chug-a-thon, followed by squeaky slidey notes, a dive-bomb, a gentle, almost emo-like break... you can never tell where these guys are going next, but it's always the right destination. The raw production actually makes them sound more dangerously unhinged than the disjointed, angular savagery of their music would already suggest. Brilliant stuff. Oh, yeah, hang around after the track ends for some truly mangled electro-gabba-headfuckery which messes about with what you just heard to startling effect.
Absolutely essential.
9.5/10
RSJ Official Website
The Final Sigh Official Website
