I had absolutely no idea what this was going to sound like until I decided to just throw it in the player and find out. Apparently although now based in Brooklyn, Beast Modulus started out in New Orleans as a project based on composition of sound around drum structures only. Building up from this we now have all the instruments you would expect current and correct and some unexpected ones too as opener ‘Twrk’ starts out with some electronic drum and bass sounds making me think I was possibly going to get thrown into some sort of guns a blazing rap metal mosh pit. Fun though that might have been that is not actually the modus operandi of this crew at all and after this brief burst we take an entirely different path with gruff, ruff vocals and a sludge laden pit full of ugly. This sounds like it was laid out over several slabs of beer in a deep, dark man cave and has plenty of grit and growl about it as it bruises away. Despite initial thoughts and trying to allude this to standard Eyehategod, Iron Monkey conventions things are far from formulaic here and lots of different elements reveal themselves over the duration of this six track (six pack) EP.
A locust like swarm and guitar lurches that make you feel a bit giddy come into form with ‘Accustomed To Dysfunction’ and there’s a definite although at the moment subtle Mathrock feel about the musicianship. The likes of Keelhaul and Coalesce are mentioned in the blurb that came with this and it’s something I can easily see, one thing seemingly missing is Steve Albini at the helm but the production is beefy enough as it is so perhaps that’s for the future. Smoky guitar licks and a near yeah haw groove bounce in on the fiery ‘Barnburner’ and this is at first a straight up beefy sludge monster, which probably could do with a few gallons of water thrown over it to calm things down. Strangely they do though with some Mastodon sounding riffs and some clean vocals which I would normally hate but sound spot on. This is the sort of thing that fans of the aforementioned and even Baroness are likely to sit up and take notice of.
Side B unlocks with ‘Skeleton Key and some drum patterns that may hark back to ideas at band formation. This starts like a ballad in a way before getting its heavy on and stomping around, merging the two elements well with a sound that reminds in part of both mellow Fugazi and Deftones. Electronics and the sound of someone playing Space Invaders, drumming sounding like it is being played almost backwards, odd time signatures and big roars and screams sums up just what is being created by ‘Running Backwards’ it’s odd and just kind of shows how many disparate ideas this lot have going on. Throwing everything into a pot last number ‘Everything’s Shocking’ goes all over the place and definitely has an unconventional streak with the mathy elements getting more experimental over the sludge backbone.
I haven’t reviewed anything like this for a while and like to keep my toes in with something a bit different and in that way Beast Modulus did not disappoint and certainly kept me on my intrigued. Not sure I would have coped fantastically if it had been double the length but the eclectic nature here is bound to appeal to those who like their heads stewed.
(7/10 Pete Woods)
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