Coalesce - OX
Rating
RIYL
BotchStarkweather
Deadguy
Release Date
06/09/2009
Label
RelapseTracklist
1. The Plot Against My Love2. The Comedian In Question
3. Wild Ox Moan
4. Designed To Break A Man
5. Where Satire Sours (Instrumental)
6. The Villain We Won't Deny
7. The Purveyor Of Novelty And Nonsense
8. In My Wake, For My Own
9. New Voids In One's Resolve
10. We Have Lost Our Will (Instrumental)
11. Questions To Root Out Fools
12. By What We Refuse
13. Dead Is Dead
14. There Is A Word Hidden In The Ground
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Sometime during the mid-1990’s, underground music began undergoing a subtle transformation. Hardcore bands formerly content with bludgeoning listeners using similar tempos and time signatures began to incorporate elements of thrash and death metal into their sound, which eventually led to the emergence of metalcore. From the birth of this new genre came a slew of new bands willing to push the envelope even further with the addition of rhythmically complex passages and dissonant guitar lines. Bands like Converge, Botch, Starkweather, Rorschach, Deadguy, and Bloodlet are all credited with leading this charge, and right there in the middle of everything was Kansas City’s Coalesce.
Led by renowned vocalist Sean Ingram, Coalesce have performed an ungodly heavy form of dissonant, off-kilter metalcore since forming in 1994. Unfortunately, the group is frequently overlooked with regards to their importance to the metalcore genre, due mostly to their tumultuous history and five year hiatus spanning from 1999 to 2004. Their influence on an entire generation of new bands, for better or for worse, cannot be overstated enough. Today, ten years after their last release, 0:12 Revolution in Just Listening, the mighty Coalesce have returned with their newest album, OX. While not nearly as forward-thinking as their landmark releases, this album showcases all of the elements that made Coalesce so special to begin with.
The band has lost none of their aggression and brutality in the ten years since their last album. As crushing and sonically devastating as ever, Coalesce are still driven by Ingram’s distinct bellow and the off-time riffing of guitarist Jes Steineger. Any fears of the band commercializing or streamlining their sound are instantly put to rest by the opener “The Plot Against My Love.” Picking up right where they left off, Ingram screams into the microphone like a man possessed while drummer Nathan Richardson propels the song over Steineger’s nimble riffs. There is no shortage of heaviness on this album – this is “turn the volume to 11 and destroy your fucking neighborhood” heavy. Every track on the album, outside of two instrumentals, is recorded with the heaviest, loudest sound possible. “The Villain We Won’t Deny,” “New Voids in One’s Resolve” and “In My Wake, For My Own” are particularly overwhelming, though almost every track has one or two “wow” moments that will make you stare at your speakers incredulously.
“Wild Ox Moan” switches things up with a lo-fi country twang and blues vocals before exploding into one of the catchiest songs on the album. Apart from their trademark riffing and song structures, it’s the softer, introspective moments on OX that show Coalesce’s progression as a group. Songs like “Dead is Dead,” “The Purveyor of Novelty and Nonsense,” and “The Comedian in Question” all display the group’s new found penchant for injecting bits of melody into their sound without sacrificing any overall heaviness.
The best complement I can give OX is that it sounds like a Coalesce album. Considering the group has released two of the most revered albums in the history of their genre, I’d say that’s fairly lofty praise. If by some unfortunate circumstance you’ve never heard Coalesce this is as good a time as any to jump on the bandwagon. Fans of past Coalesce releases will not be disappointed in the least with OX, while new fans everywhere will be kicking themselves for not listening to the band sooner. Do yourself a favor and pick this one up.
--Matt Murphy
Comments
Lehigh Valley, PA
Matt, great review. I have yet to get a chance to check this album out. After reading this I definitely have to make a point of it.
Los Angeles
This will be top 5 of this year for sure. Great review.
Kansas
pretty cool these guys are from KC. Gonna hafta check this out for sure
http://rateyourmusic.com/~benny06
Ann Arbor, MI
great review, great cd
DETH ROK!!!!
Lehigh Valley, PA
Finally got around to listening to this...HOLY SHIT!
Atascadero, CA
this is really that good? blake was telling me on xbox the other day its epic but wasnt sure if i was gonna check it out yet. guess i have to now.
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Lehigh Valley, PA
Boston, MA
I finally got around to listening to this album. All I have to say is... wow. This reminds me why I used to listen to metalcore. 0:12 Revolution in Just Listening was one of the first metalcore albums I heard and also one of my favorites. I have to say this exceeds what I expected after such a long time off. More people should be talking about this release.
Stereo Typing
Tweet at me, bro