By: Mark Ambrose
Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 14/07/2017
Label: Sargent House |
Daymare Recordings
From the opening track, “D.O.W.N. –Domination of Waiting Noise–“, Boris
conveys punishing volume so effectively that your ears will ache at practically
any level. Every note and every layered vocal has been
obsessed over, placed perfectly in the mix, and acts as a distillation of
twenty-five years of intense collaborative synthesis.
Dear CD//DD//LP track listing
1. D.O.W.N. –Domination of Waiting Noise–
2. DEADSONG
3. Absolutego
4. Beyond
5. Kagero
6. Biotope
7. The Power
8. Memento Mori
9. Dystopia –Vanishing Point–
10. Dear
The Review
There is a unique feeling of terror when
diving into the sprawling works of prolific musicians: where do you start with
a catalog as huge as say, Frank Zappa? Ani DiFranco? Napalm Death or Earth or Neurosis – bands that
have entire ERAS that are written off or championed? What are the agreed-upon masterpieces? The overrated tracks? The overlooked gems? If you wade into the world of jazz or jam
bands or any other artist where specific performances are dissected just as
intensely as studio cuts, you may as well surrender yourself to a hermetic life
of obsessive collecting and analysis. Imagine
the trepidation, then, for any newbie to Japanese avant-garde metal / electronic
/ rock / experimental legends Boris, who have, to
date, released over twenty full-length records – not counting their live and
studio works with fellow musical outlier Merzbow, collaborative
efforts with SUNN O))), splits, rarities, remixes,
and compilation albums. “Dear”,
their twenty-fourth offering, was originally intended as a farewell record,
marking 25 years since the band’s inception.
It’s also my first introduction to their unique blend of droning,
buzzing, melodic, invigorating, and crushing mastery. God help me… I may need to do a full dive
into their discography.
From the opening track, “D.O.W.N. –Domination of Waiting Noise–“, Boris
conveys punishing volume so effectively that your ears will ache at practically
any level. The sheer amount of space
between chords leaves room for sickening, pulsating feedback, brilliantly complimented
with the clean vocals. Remarkably, Boris manages to retain undeniable heft when blasting
uplifting, major key progressions. The
turns to sinister, minor key melodies and softy, whispered vocals in tracks
like “DEADSONG” or “Beyond” is even more powerful when juxtaposed
with the cathartic, rocking crescendos that punctuate the record.
When Boris edges toward the
ethereal balladry of Sigur Ros, their dark
instincts to destruction and dissonance always pulls the band away from the
precipice of twee post-rock. The sheer
filth of the riffs on “Kagero” and “Memento Mori” earn every falsetto
phrase, making passages that could be cliché totally sublime instead. “Absolutego”
is the closest to a lead single on the record – a grunge rocker that shares its
name with their 1996 debut album. But
then Boris eschew any of this pop rock
sensibility on droning, doom instrumental “The
Power” or the sludgy title track, opting for sheer sonic bombardment that
will rattle the fillings right out of your teeth. Yet there’s always an uncanny feeling that
despite the idiosyncratic rhythms, the synthesized noises sputtering at
seemingly random intervals, the feedback so furious the whole band sounds like
it may just keel over and fall apart, this is a meticulous production. Every note and every layered vocal has been
obsessed over, placed perfectly in the mix, and acts as a distillation of
twenty-five years of intense collaborative synthesis.
If there’s one complaint you can lob at “Dear”, it’s the unwieldy runtime. At nearly seventy minutes, there are moments
that drag slightly. A two disc version
appends three more tracks and over twenty more minutes. It’s hard to imagine, but enough songs were recorded on top of these for at least two more
full-length albums. At times you can’t
help but wonder what the editing process even looks like for Boris when the album itself is so huge, so disparate, and,
truth be told, so consistently compelling.
I’m certain that well after Boris puts out that
FINAL final album, there will be plenty of outtakes, demos, alternate remixes,
and live versions for completists to pore over for years. With “Dear”
as my first entry into their legendary, sublime canon, I may one day count
myself among the obsessive’s.
“Dear” is available here
