Atmospheric, dark and heavy post-metal is what Codespeaker dispense. According to the band, “Scavenger” lacks the warmth of their first album, and is more vitriolic and desperate.
The album starts with “Usud” (You). Shadow, haunting and heavy, the build-up is deliberate. Harsh vocals complement a strong and epic instrumental line. The heaviness and ferocity recall Cult of Luna in full flow. “Signum” continues the assault. The fury is interspersed with moments of relative quiet before the heavy party begins again. The bass accompanying the big statement from the rest of the instrumental section is strongly in evidence as you’d expect. Time for a bit of hammering and pounding: “Rescission” gives us this. To almighty roars, it drags us through the imaginary mud. I could understand why Codespeaker have been tour companions of Hundred Year Old Man. It’s all weighty, but Codespeaker do manage their transitions to slower sections well and without losing power or tension as they do towards the end of “Rescission”. This is no monolithic slab. So too “Hecatomb” moves from creeping moodiness, supported by a sampled voice, to expansive and epic power. It is a dark, leaden heavy, sombre march. But then so is it all.
“Samsa” brings us more crashing heaviness. It’s as if the world is coming down and we’re being subject to an angry and violent attack. From this monstrous piece, Codespeaker start “Enso” more quietly but it’s not long before the post-metal rhythm mounts and the roars pour forth. It’s a rare event when the faint sound of distant activity can be heard but this is before once again the scene develops into one of intense and eventually explosive anguish. By contrast “Kant” is slow and pedestrian, hypnotically building up in power: post-metal in other words. “Verte” swings between haunting sadness and furious. A little bit of quirky bassy technicality finds its way into “Hiraeth” before the familiar expansion takes place. A further holding section lifts the tension again. Its extended length brings anticipation before a dark heavy rock vibe and the reprise of tension as the album fades out. Somehow “Hiraeth” didn’t complete its mission in my book beyond being a series of sounds but it doesn’t take away from the overall strength of this 51 minute work.
This album follows a pattern which fans of Neurosis and Cult of Luna will be familiar with. The moods are as the band says vitriolic and desperate, but they can be sensitive too. Codespeaker manage them well and produce on “Scavenger” many moments of epic tension and power.
(7.5/10 Andrew Doherty)
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