You Can’t Go Back is the third full length from Toronto progressive post-everything metallers Sarin, taking them a step closer to achieving ‘beyond classification’ status. They have a sound which is difficult to define; containing elements of post-rock, post-metal, sludge, doom, doomgaze, shoegaze and shoesludge… (I may have invented the last one). You Can’t Go Back is based around the need for change and the conscious effort to change oneself, while recognising factors that cause unhappiness and limiting their influence on life. It’s an intriguing theme, one which may resonate with many of us in these strange times. The album itself was written in the midst of several close relationships falling apart, which may, or may not, relate to the parting of ways with two original members. You Can’t Go Back then, is not only Sarin’s first release with a new line up but also their first with label Prosthetic Records.
Previous album Darker Lakes (2017) exhibited much melding of genres but leant more towards atmospheric post-rock soundscapes, with the heaviness sporadic. You Can’t Go Back feels a tad different, maybe pertaining to the aforementioned changes, but lead-in ‘Cold Open’ is noticeably heavier; it’s a slow burner with dirge like guitars and growled vocals from David Wilson. The vocal style was used sparingly in the past on tracks such as ‘Amber Guide’ and ‘As Well as the Body’ but is more prominent here. Sarin can’t resist tinkering, introducing clean melodic guitars halfway through, before returning to the heavier doomy tones to finish. ‘When You Melt’ mixes quiet/loud dynamics; a slow start builds before heavier guitars crash in, unexpectedly bringing proceedings to a screeching halt. From the wreckage gentle ethereal melodies begin to bloom; it’s surprising and all rather lovely. It’s strange and a little out of context with what came before, but it works, gradually the guitars and the riffs get heavier while still flanked by harmonies.
The album feels heavier and bolder than past releases, but another noticeable change is just how much groove has been added, and You Can’t Go Back is all the better for it. ‘Reckoner’ is an undoubted highlight, featuring an extremely catchy killer sludgy riff that oozes from the speakers, a huge groove and more growling incoherent vocals. It’s glorious and wouldn’t seem out of place on recent albums by bands such as The Ditch and the Delta and 16. This stand out track certainly piqued my interest and is swiftly followed by ‘Thick Mire’; these two back to back packs an impressive one-two punch. The latter is an instrumental of epically addictive proportions, cruising along on a throbbing bassline and a pulsating drum beat; there’s a hint of early QotSA about it, building tension to the point of fever pitch before a cataclysmic freak out riff driven finale.
You Can’t Go Back may only feature six tracks but boasts a myriad of wildly inventive ideas in each, never following standard conventions. Sarin don’t like to be constrained, freely mixing elements of post-rock such as Explosions in the Sky with a sludgy post-metal sound à la Isis, Pelican and Cult of Luna, unafraid to experiment with light and shade. From a purely selfish point of view I can’t help wondering what the album would be like if there were more tracks with the immediacy, dynamism and playfulness of ‘Reckoner’ and ‘Thick Mire’. Sarin’s progressive nature may rob some tracks of their momentum but a quick fix isn’t the name of the game here, instead experimenting and wandering off the beaten track to explore is imperative. You Can’t Go Back offers plenty to get excited about; it’s unpredictable and shows that beauty, brains and brawn are not mutually exclusive.
(7/10 James Jackson)
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