Empty Vessels do that confusing
category thing, where you can't tell if they're hardcore punk or
something of a metal outfit. And their guitarist is female, which
messes up the possibility of baritone gang choruses and awesome macho
promo shots with crossed, muscly forearms. They sound heavy and
dangerous - aggressive even. But also like they're having fun, and not
taking themselves too seriously. They sing about cool metal shit like
alien spacecraft, betrayal, owls, and Michael Cera? The whole thing
just pisses me off.
The Restraining Order EP is dense with
substance that is heavy yet unfamiliar and thrilling. "Saucer Country"
has a Motorhead quality, with stuttering to the point riffs. Its evil
highway burning vigor yields no uncertainty or passiveness by its
performers. "Court of Owls" was when I really fell for Empty Vessels,
mostly due to the Atlantic City-esque chord progression that serves
as a melodic undertone to a triumphant beat down. The urgent set up
borders on the anthemic, where there’s always a fringe of melody to
accent hollow distortion. Lyrically, Empty Vessels dwell on token
word, with a delivery that ranges from throaty metal-core to an
unhinged scream. Passages of spoken word take the wind out of epic or
grandiose interludes, so don't expect any soaring breakdowns with
angelically clean Bon Jovi clap-alongs. Their always keeping it
hairy, which I appreciate.
"Everything's About Michael Cera" unfolds
with creeping, down tuned doom-jazz. Restless punk chords ensue, with pure brute
taking the place of calculated riffs. Guitar that appeals to
the gut rather than the head is the primary attack of Empty
Vessels. Their energy is undeniably live sounding,
capturing the direct amp-to-listener feel. Restraining Order is much
more than some rough demo, or sampler plate. It stands on its own as a
solid piece with top notch caliber. This is a triumph for both the
Connecticut metal, punk, and Michael Cera scene.
No comments:
Post a Comment