Intronaut - Valley of Smoke
Rating
RIYL
NeurosisBotch
Mastodon
Isis
Release Date
10/12/2010
Label
Century MediaTracklist
1. Elegy2. Above
3. Miasma
4. Sunderance
5. Core Relations
6. Below
7. Valley of Smoke
8. Past Tense
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Los Angeles, California's Intronaut have been making a name for themselves in the post-metal realm for a few years now, impressing many with 2006's Void and the 2008 follow-up, Prehistoricisms. The band's style has shifted to something slightly less metal with each album, but rest assured, the typical Intronaut sludge is present on Valley of Smoke. Sascha Dunable and crew have returned with their most atmospheric and melodic album yet, employing innovative ideas and a stronger singing presence, in addition to bringing out the big guns with a stellar guest appearance by Tool's Justin Chancellor. So does Valley of Smoke mark a natural progression since Prehistoricisms' launch? Absolutely.
The album's first single, “Elegy,” also happens to be its first track. The heavy introductory motif is reminiscent of “The Literal Black Cloud” from Prehistoricisms in many ways, and it definitely welcomes to the listener into the world of Intronaut. As usual, the song takes many different forms, switching in between grimy fretless bass grooves and the newer, more subdued take on vocals from Dunable. The second track, “Above,” continues the softer theme and experiments with layered, ethereal vocals that echo early Jesu material in both timbre and melody. “Miasma” works on combining the two different sides of the band and does so well enough to be one of the album's standouts. The song begins with a signature groove secured in odd-phrasing and a vocally led section that really makes the song before exploring more areas of the band's sound. The second half is carried by beautifully delay-drenched guitars from both Dunable and Dave Timnick, as well as Joe Lester's equally melodic and supportive bass performance. “Sunderance” is one of the more straight-forward songs on Valley of Smoke and is certainly welcomed as a nice break after the first few lethargic tracks.
The next big attention-grabber is the title track, which features Justin Chancellor of Tool in addition to Lester, as well as Timnick playing drums alongside Danny Walker. The song is definitely an experiment in excess, but is nonetheless pretty mind-bending. The sheer amount of rhythms occurring at once is hard to process, while at the same time, the simple idea of two snare drums alternating between ears is enough to make someone completely disregard what else is going on. The eight minute instrumental, which sounds exactly like a Tool / Intronaut collaboration would, is definitely the highlight of the album. The final track, “Past Tense,” seemingly comes out of nowhere following “Valley of Smoke,” with Joe Lester's Robin Zielhorst-esque bass playing bringing everything together for a solid closer. It doesn't bring anything new to the table, but just ends up feeling solidified.
Valley of Smoke is a unique album that has so far received varying reviews. While it doesn't seem to offer the edginess or drive to create something new that Prehistoricisms did, it is first and foremost an Intronaut album and feels more comfortable than either of their previous releases. The decision of whether or not that is good is up to the listener, however. At the very least, Valley of Smoke is an accessible and enjoyable album that still stands above many other recent releases. Fans of forward-thinking music and the sludgy realm of things need to pick this up.
--Cody Rogers
Comments
PA
Great review, Cody. Definitely digging this CD. On first listen I was like "Yeah Prehistoricisms is way better." but the more and more I listen to this I'm really fucking digging it. It's more up my alley so I should like it more right away...but Prehistoricims just like tops out experimentation in this genre imo. Either way, this CD rules. Great band. So much talent.
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Fishers, Indiana
This is good shit.
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Infinitely Inwards
I would not hold this against anything ISIS or Neurosis has ever done, but they are good enough to warrant some praise.
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Illinois
never heard of these guys, but i do enjoy mastodon. might have to take a listen.
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Raleigh, NC
I wouldn't say they sound like Mastodon, per say, but they have the same kind of "feel" and ethics as a band, I guess. Either way, check this out.
San Diego, CA
Agreed.
Too old to bother, too young to give a shit.
Baton Rouge
Can't wait to hear this. Does Lester's bass sound as good on here as it did on Prehistoricisms?
Boobs
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Dallas, TX
Good review Cody. After a couple of listens I can tell this is just going to get better and better, although right off the bat it seems like it's missing that unique, fresh groove that Prehist. had. I doubt it'll touch it but I don't doubt it'll make my end of year list.
Edmonton, AB
I definitely get a Leviathan era Mastodon vibe from this album. I like how every album from Intronaut has a different feel, while still remaining heavy with awesome grooves.
San Diego, CA
Agreed.
Too old to bother, too young to give a shit.
Minnesota
Wow. It took me a bit to really get into this album, but now that I have this is definitely Intronaut's best release. I'm loving it.
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