By: Ernesto
Aguilar
Album Type: Full length
Date
Released: 15/12/2017
Label: Holy Roar
Records
Minors manages
to make a big splash with its debut album "Atrophy," a
confrontational collection of nihilistic but unassailably captivating songs and
is one of the more enjoyable hardcore debuts listeners got with the wrap of
2017. The possibilities for a group like Minors seem limitless. May 2018 see a
lot more from this promising young band.
“Atrophy”
CD//DD//LP track listing
1.
Somnolence
2.
Bone Pointer
3.
Leper
4.
Dark Clouds
5.
Void
6.
Miseranaut
7.
Soothsayer
The Review:
As
much as one can make an impression in seven tracks over about 18 minutes, the Windsor, Ontario
sludge/hardcore band Minors manages to make a big splash with its
debut album "Atrophy," a
confrontational collection of nihilistic but unassailably captivating songs.
You
will discover some gems on "Atrophy."
"Miseranaut" rains down
monster chords and distortion in one of the long-player's most sustained cuts.
By the time it settles into a hard charging rhythm, you're exhausted from its
thrashing, dense composition. It peaks
at the end with unforgettable feedback and a nod to the sort of hardcore you love.
Hat tip thereafter to post-production, which flows "Soothsayer" exceptionally well into it. By now, Minors
grind into a depressive, cold groove. Although the rhythm almost teases you for
a second with a hint of "Miseranaut,"
the band shocks you with a clubbing riff and unrelenting drum sequences. It too
wraps with just a hint of feedback that makes the cut feel like a perfect
pairing with its predecessor.
Some
critics have noted a bit of unclassifiability to Minors' sound. However, there is
a good chunk of post-hardcore in the All Pigs Must Die vein that you might find
common lineage with. The quartet are able capable of bringing both frenetic
energy to its tightest selections, such as "Dark Clouds" and "Bone
Pointer," while offering a deliberate attack on music like "Somnolence" – here, with a dash of
punk/noise in its open. The result is a perfectly executed first album, one
that gives listeners a sense of what this group is capable of creating, while
providing room for the imagination to consider more.
If
fans will have any complaints with Minors, it is that "Atrophy" is almost unforgivably short. Granted, there is a lot
provided. A debut album of seven songs of impeccably rugged quality is
something to appreciate. The fact they
clock in at just less than 20 minutes may be understandable, but that just does
not make the pain go away. You may walk away wanting to hear much more from
these Canadian bombers, but one has to guess that's what the new year is for.
"Atrophy" is one of the more
enjoyable hardcore debuts listeners got with the wrap of 2017. The
possibilities for a group like Minors seem limitless. May 2018 see a lot more
from this promising young band.
"Atrophy" is available here
