If you’ve read any of my reviews you’ll be pretty accustomed to the fact that I’m not all that sold on instrumental music. However, this tends to mostly be interludes, intros and the like. In some weird paradox purely instrumental music is a winner with me. In fact, just to add to the oddity of it all one of my favourite Metallica songs is The Call Of Ktulu. I’ve been known to dabble in the likes of Post-Rock and Metal too with bands like Mogwai, Sunn O))), Russian Circles and Year Of No Light. Especially so in a live setting, this music is totally immersive and at the same time can just be in the background, a great combo.
Today we look to a band whom defy genre in every sense. I guess you could pin them down as Post-Metal if you wanted to be bland. However, I’d likely brand them as Free Jazz influenced, Technical, Progressive, Grind Post-Metal/ Rock, now that’s a genre tag! Jokes aside though Convulsif hail from Switzerland and aim to bring something weird and new to the table. I’m normally pretty dubious of this kind of thought as it normally translates to generic. Will the bands fifth full length record Extinct fall short of the mark?
Slapping the bass with rumbling ferocity comes opening track Buried Between One, this foreboding intro is creepy, haunting, experimental, Post-Metal and weird. A lovely Prog touch that slowly builds with notions of Drone into a chaotic more metallic version of Godspeed You! Black Emperor. This is instrumental music and for that fact Metal done very well. The chilled opening of Five Days Of Open Bones is almost hypnotic and yet keeps you on edge. Again, the track plays with Prog-like ideology and certainly Post-Metal themes, it’s very beard stroking nerd music. Some of the bands Jazz influence seeps in at the tracks later portion, a weird amalgamation of all manner of instruments to create a hellish fury, but a captivating one at that.
Crossing the middle of the album is Surround The Arms Of Revolution, an almost groovy track at points that teases the line between Post-Metal and Post-Rock. The catchy riffs certainly cement the solid structure of an instrumental band, a very difficult feat to pull off I feel. Getting very Jazz is Feed My Spirit Side By Side, it’s weird all over the place timings are bizarre and almost Funk laden at points, a short but entertaining mix that still gives us plenty of Metal. Final track The Axe Will Break is the albums longest at just under fifteen minutes. It’s a great closing song full of Convulsif’s signature sound, melding together Jazz, Post-Metal/ Rock, Noise, Drone, Prog and even to an extent Extreme Metal. It’s a perfect end and a good flagship product for Convulsif’s music.
Firstly to write a fully instrumental album is a feat in itself. Almost everyone has that make or break moment in the vocals I feel and without that element we’re left a bit lost. So, for Convulsif to produce something in Extinct that is not only good but captivating start to finish is a huge accomplishment. I tend to have this kind of music on when I’m either busying myself or sleeping but I was hooked throughout. I found the twists and turns interesting and the music and riffs really came alive. This is a hugely impressive record and one which I really think deserves the title and genre tagging of Post-Metal.
(8/10 George Caley)
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