Of all the bad things to occur in the metal scene in the time I’ve been aware of its existence is the creation of the audible twaddle spew: deathcore. Sadly, given hardcore’s influence on many extreme metal genres it is inevitable such sound found its way into the wider, heavier metal canon. Deathcore is one of few reasons I don’t recognise the death metal world as the most extreme or advanced or postmodern metal genre as others have claimed over the years and I’d go on but this is an album review not some essay on musicology. Anyways, hardcore punk related genres have now found their way into the black metal world – the genre for me that is the greatest cultural phenomenon of the past 40 years. Before you get your hopes up and think I’m going to tear this fusion apart as I just did to the aforementioned bilge, you are very wrong indeed.
Calligram, hailing from London are such a group who have fused some of the more angry, politically charged, violently nihilistic and outspoken roots of hardcore punk with black metal’s dark and vicious atmospheres, and are now back on the scene with their sophomore release: Position | Momentum. The first thing you’ll notice about this release is how the band mean business from the first decibel and are something to be taken seriously in comparison to the deathcore cowardice that has tarnished many a decent metal scene.
Since I first discovered them half a decade ago, it is plausible to call Calligram enigmatic given how much of their lyrical themes are open for interpretation and I’ve never found out exactly what language their lyrics are written in. (I would be banking on Portuguese as some of the lineup hail from Brazil but do correct me if I’m wrong). And that is what makes this a band worth looking at. Their reputation is not one tarnished with sketchy activity and their association with labels and bands who promote more accepting ideas in metal is makes them a band to keep your eye on.
Position | Momentum is best described 40 minutes of shrieking bliss with all the machine-gun style drums, jagged tremolos and somewhat ethereal breakdowns. Even though breakdowns are not unheard of in black metal, Calligram have perfected the art of making them take you down into the depths you’d expect from a metalcore band yet retain the atmosphere of a delightful black metal sojourn into a fantasy world.
Having landed this audible gem onto the black metal table, Calligram have concocted a juicy and succulent meal of metal that has detail and thought in every sliver. I came away from this album seeing the band as hard working and worth all their shows I’ve caught over the years. While they still have a shroud of mystery about them, Calligram are emerging more and more into the wider metal canon with this release, so expect to hear more of them in the years to come.
(8/10 Demitri Levantis)
Leave a Reply