Scarve - Irradiant
Listenable Records - posh048 - 2004
By Philip Whitehouse
Scarve have been plugging away insistently at breaking into the upper tier of modern extreme metal bands for some time now, releasing two full-length albums previous to this one and gradually honing their sound, gaining new fans and critical acclaim along the way. Their third full-length Irradiant could finally be the one to see them breaking into the extreme metal scene in a big, big way - simply because it is an awesome effective, breathtakingly accomplished album. Building on their technical death metal blueprint of old (with cited influences from Coroner, Cynic, Atheist et al), Scarve have spiced things up with an added dash of mechanical efficiency and precision, off-kilter time signatures, and sheer ball-blazing aggression. Picture Death, Soilwork, Meshuggah and Strapping Young Lad kitted out in 40 foot mech suits battling it out in a post-apocalyptic wasteland and you're close to the almighty racket that Scarve conjure within.
Impressively varied songwriting keeps the album fresh and interesting throughout, and excellent grasp of dynamics gives the tracks added impact - see for instance the midsection of album highlight 'Irradiant', where all goes very quiet save for a metronomic bass drum beat and a quiet, barely-distorted but very speedy riff - then an explosion of noise as the drums come in with full force and the rest of the band is right there with them, pinning the listener to their seat with insanely rapid-fire riffage. 'Asphyxiate' too is a blinder of a track, featuring Fredrik Thordendal from Meshuggah and showcasing Scarve's ability to simultaneously confound and entrance with truly bizarre time-signature shifts and pummelling riffage.
The production by Daniel Bergstrand proves to be the icing on an already particularly sweet and fattening metal cake (if you'll forgive the clumsy metaphor), balancing the searing guitars, stampeding drums and varied vocal styles perfectly.
And look, I managed to get through the whole review without making a joke about the French!
9.5/10
Scarve Official Website
Listenable Records Website
Listenable Records - posh048 - 2004
By Philip Whitehouse
Scarve have been plugging away insistently at breaking into the upper tier of modern extreme metal bands for some time now, releasing two full-length albums previous to this one and gradually honing their sound, gaining new fans and critical acclaim along the way. Their third full-length Irradiant could finally be the one to see them breaking into the extreme metal scene in a big, big way - simply because it is an awesome effective, breathtakingly accomplished album. Building on their technical death metal blueprint of old (with cited influences from Coroner, Cynic, Atheist et al), Scarve have spiced things up with an added dash of mechanical efficiency and precision, off-kilter time signatures, and sheer ball-blazing aggression. Picture Death, Soilwork, Meshuggah and Strapping Young Lad kitted out in 40 foot mech suits battling it out in a post-apocalyptic wasteland and you're close to the almighty racket that Scarve conjure within.
Impressively varied songwriting keeps the album fresh and interesting throughout, and excellent grasp of dynamics gives the tracks added impact - see for instance the midsection of album highlight 'Irradiant', where all goes very quiet save for a metronomic bass drum beat and a quiet, barely-distorted but very speedy riff - then an explosion of noise as the drums come in with full force and the rest of the band is right there with them, pinning the listener to their seat with insanely rapid-fire riffage. 'Asphyxiate' too is a blinder of a track, featuring Fredrik Thordendal from Meshuggah and showcasing Scarve's ability to simultaneously confound and entrance with truly bizarre time-signature shifts and pummelling riffage.
The production by Daniel Bergstrand proves to be the icing on an already particularly sweet and fattening metal cake (if you'll forgive the clumsy metaphor), balancing the searing guitars, stampeding drums and varied vocal styles perfectly.
And look, I managed to get through the whole review without making a joke about the French!
9.5/10
Scarve Official Website
Listenable Records Website
