For the Mathematics - We Impend
Rating
RIYL
At the Drive-InAt the Drive-In
At the Drive-In
Tracklist
1. The Transient2. A Versus
3. Apparatchik
4. Meta
5. Term Satiety
6. We Impend
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It’s been six years, but Cedric Bixler-Zavala and Omar Rodriguez-Lopez have finally settled their differences with Jim Ward and the rest of the Sparta boys to finally re-unite At the Drive-In. Yup, they’re back together under the new moniker For the Mathematics...
...well, not quite.
For the Mathematics is a so-called “experimental” band from Ontario, Canada who experiment in nothing other than identity theft. Well actually, they don’t really experiment in that either since they’re only ripping off one band – that being At the Drive-In if you haven’t caught on yet. With their new EP, We Impend, For the Mathematics offer up 20 painfully irritating minutes of mindless At the Drive-In worship. Rather than picking up where At the Drive-In left off six years ago and doing something new and refreshing with that style of music, For the Mathematics has simply released what sounds like re-hashed b-sides of Relationship of Command.
Honestly, I hate writing reviews that simply compare bands, but in this instance it is absolutely unavoidable. Every single track on this record sounds like a poor imitation of At the Drive-In. If you have never heard At the Drive-In and still want to know what this album sounds like, think of indie rock that aims to be chaotic and catchy at the same time, yet fails miserably on both fronts. The band themselves mention that they wanted this record to be “as unlistenable as possible while still remaining within the confines of pop music.” I’m not going to make an obvious crack like “well, this album is unlistenable alright, har har,” but instead I’m going to argue that this album has to be one of the worst attempts at pop music I’ve ever heard, and by pop I don’t mean Britney Spears or top 40 hits. Jesu’s Silver was a masterpiece of non-pop pop music, The Blood Brothers release unbelievably poppy albums that are “unlistenable” time and time again, and even At the Drive-In was ridiculously catchy, butWe Impend doesn’t even come close to being as memorable as any of these. Every song on this album fails to be accessible, catchy, and most importantly memorable. After five dreadful listens to this album (believe me, I wouldn’t have listened to it more than once if I didn’t have to review it) I never once had a song lodged in my head and only once caught myself humming along to one of them. Isn’t the main appeal of pop music the fact that it is memorable upon first listen?
Overall, I wouldn’t really bother with We Impend if I were you, unless you are a big At the Drive-In fan. As for For the Mathematics, I would like to say, “Why did you guys have to go and ruin the name of a subject I enjoy so much?” but instead I’d like to wish them the best of luck, because it takes more than wings to make shit fly.
--Armand Babian
Comments
Minnesota
Find me EVERYWHERE:
Los Angeles
and yeah, looking back i think i was a bit harsh
postrockpaperscissors
Fart rock.
And I was under the impression that The New Science was a DYI effort. Some research has proven me wrong. Anyways, the review was fair enough. I just wanted to add two cents in case anyone was thinking of checking this out.
Los Angeles
postrockpaperscissors
PA
Music Blog.
Depths blog. (my band)
Fishers, Indiana
If you had reviewed their debut, I would've totally agreed that it was straight up ATDI worship.
However, We Impend has managed to warp their sound from ATDI derivative to straight up unlistenable noise. The vocals are trash and the instrumentation is nothing short of a labyrinth of musical death.
I was expecting so much after I heard The New Science.
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Los Angeles
postrockpaperscissors
Minnesota
Anytime, pal. That's what editors are for. I make you guys look goooooood.
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Minnesota
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Atlanta
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