Thursday 18 September 2014

Close The Hatch - To Collapse In Absentia: Green EP (Review)


Album Type: EP
Release Date: 26/8/14
Label: Red Moth Records


To Collapse In Absentia: Green” DD track listing:

1). Purple on Green 07:08
2). Wax & Purpose 05:52
3). Grit & Fire 05:47
4). False Hopes & Gun Smoke 08:32
5). And to All Things... 05:52

Review:

Traveling in rarefied air of twisting genres and groundbreaking original sound, Close the Hatch has a different take on post-metal that cannot be ignored. Eschewing the layered minimalism and tribal buildups of Neurosis for a more expansive melodic palette, Close the Hatch loses none of the intensity needed for the sonic immersion that we all love about post-metal.

A blend of hardcore style vocals blended with some pleasantly nice clean singing and a fantastic production; the drums sound HUGE on this. An impressively balanced and clear mix on this one as well as all the instrumentation sound great and can be clearly heard allowing the wall of sounds to enter even deeper into your headspace.

The second track “Wax & Purpose” moves into more post-rock territory with airy tremolo picked reverb melodies ghosting over dreamscape vocals. “Grit & Fire” enters into some deep Deftones territory particularly around the two minute mark with the song entering into what could be an outtake off “Diamond Eyes.” The coda of this song firmly enmeshes into Explosions in the Sky territory as well with dueling atmospheric guitars. A really cool stylistic blend I like is that Close the Hatch has integrated some less underground elements effectively into their sound.

“False Hopes & Gun Smoke” has what is my favorite sonic part of the album in the vamp for the first couple minutes, a really nice slow burn with some excellent minimalist guitar work and VERY cool use of effects. The longest track on the album, it boasts some long form songwriting more typical of the genre and similar to what Cult of Luna does often in that it builds quiet-heavy over a couple cycles until the last section of the song which makes it feel as if the entire song is building to those moments. The plodding and powerful rhythm guitars during the coda are perfectly placed in this appearance on this song and Close the Hatch definitely picked the right spot to use them.

The closer “And to All Things...” is the most “post-metal” sounding of all the songs boasting riffing/and lead work more typical of the genre. Not to knock it down at all because it's very well done and fits perfectly at the end of this EP leaving you with the feeling the other songs were building to this moment. The interlude in the middle is pretty exceptionally layered as well with some pretty great interplay between the piano and guitars. This is my favorite track on the album and the monolithic singularity of the atmosphere it presents is perfect for those long car rides at night alone. A great EP and I'm sure these guys crush live. Based in Dayton, OH it looks like they have been playing shows in that region and if you're in the area check these guys out. Available on bandcamp below for name your price or from Red Moth Records on CD. Check it out.

Words by: Chris Tedor

It is available here for name your price DD



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