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| Track list: 1. Falling Figures 2. Idle Vessels 3. Division Formed Thus 4. Instrument 5. Playsets With Lights 6. An Equation 7. Twenty Six O'One Running time: 27 minutes Released: 2001 |
So this disc was my first exposure to hardcore. A blind gift, I found myself loving it completely unexpectedly, not that I went out and bought myself a load, but I did acquire the rest of the Robots available material - I think it was all free on LastFM at one point (some demos still are).
All I knew before I heard it for the first time was that it was derived from punk, so I was expecting tunelessness and anger. Cliched view, I know. When it opened with a great melodic riff I dropped my jaw and was sucked in. There is definitely anger here... Falling Figures builds to an explosive release, screamed vocals faded down behind twanging guitars and punchy drums. The edgier playing is evident in places too but mostly it has tune that engages. To be honest, after the first bout, I could leave the shouting behind quite happily, but the emotion driving it is part of what makes the track one I love. The rest of this mini-album does not quite reach the same standard for me, but then Falling Figures would be a longshot for a place in my top 10 tunes ever so that does not condemn the rest.
To be honest, I could take or leave Idle Vessels, and I am leaning towards leave. There is less melody and the vocal is far messier, general shouting rather than targeted rage, but then the melodies come back in for Division Formed Thus. The tune has drive, pace and space for a more melodic vocal to shine over that engine that keeps it loud but controlled throughout. That is something else I was expecting but did not receive on first listening to these songs: to be blown out of my seat by exceptional volume. No - the levels are sensible, well controlled and set so that the noisier parts of its constructions do not overshadow the more musical. I came in with so many incorrect preconceptions and poor expectations, and - as with Fig 4.0 - had them peeled away one by one. That was a good few years ago now, and I am still enjoying this a lot. Division Formed Thus runs to 6 minutes, which is a little excessive, and I think the song loses its way a bit in the middle but that is about the only real criticism I would chuck at it.
There is a nice, noisy rumble to Instrument - it is more typical of what I was expecting, in my former ignorance, but far better performed and much more palatable than that former position would have held. I would never want to listen to this particular track more than once in a blue moon, but as the midpoint of the album it fits nicely, guitars humming into my skull, but all at a volume that is suitable. It, like Idle Vessels is noisier and less melodic but sandwiched between 2 songs that play up the melodies more. It is a nice little artefact of the construction. Smooth, rough, smooth. Loud, quiet, loud etc. These have been used by other bands in other areas before and they work here too. OK, so the "smooth" has rough edges, but that is a feature not a bug. Playsets With Lights has a nice rhythm and swell to it but the main line that always sticks in my mind is the top end, the guitar melody, and how it closes.
The last two tracks have not memory association to play on, so what is there? An Equation (free download here) splits the loud/quiet dynamic up with elements of both but errs on the loud side, it is also very short and sweet, before giving in to the hooky guitar intro to Twenty Six O'One. This is an intro melody that gives way to the now familiar spiky chorus of a wall of guitars and screamed lyrics which is over like a flash leaving a very sparse tune to bridge to the next hit of rage and fire. Pretty intense stuff, because you are constantly switching between modes, on edge knowing that it could all kick off any second, and yet 4 of these songs give you the opportunity to settle back and enjoy too.
I love the dichotomy of it, the execution is accomplished and so the whole disc works. Was I thinking of ditching something? Not anymore. I think the album would be weaker without any of these tracks. The energy from the loud tracks sustains whilst the melodies of the more musical ones builds an interest that lasts. I do not believe robots could make music this good.
All I knew before I heard it for the first time was that it was derived from punk, so I was expecting tunelessness and anger. Cliched view, I know. When it opened with a great melodic riff I dropped my jaw and was sucked in. There is definitely anger here... Falling Figures builds to an explosive release, screamed vocals faded down behind twanging guitars and punchy drums. The edgier playing is evident in places too but mostly it has tune that engages. To be honest, after the first bout, I could leave the shouting behind quite happily, but the emotion driving it is part of what makes the track one I love. The rest of this mini-album does not quite reach the same standard for me, but then Falling Figures would be a longshot for a place in my top 10 tunes ever so that does not condemn the rest.
To be honest, I could take or leave Idle Vessels, and I am leaning towards leave. There is less melody and the vocal is far messier, general shouting rather than targeted rage, but then the melodies come back in for Division Formed Thus. The tune has drive, pace and space for a more melodic vocal to shine over that engine that keeps it loud but controlled throughout. That is something else I was expecting but did not receive on first listening to these songs: to be blown out of my seat by exceptional volume. No - the levels are sensible, well controlled and set so that the noisier parts of its constructions do not overshadow the more musical. I came in with so many incorrect preconceptions and poor expectations, and - as with Fig 4.0 - had them peeled away one by one. That was a good few years ago now, and I am still enjoying this a lot. Division Formed Thus runs to 6 minutes, which is a little excessive, and I think the song loses its way a bit in the middle but that is about the only real criticism I would chuck at it.
There is a nice, noisy rumble to Instrument - it is more typical of what I was expecting, in my former ignorance, but far better performed and much more palatable than that former position would have held. I would never want to listen to this particular track more than once in a blue moon, but as the midpoint of the album it fits nicely, guitars humming into my skull, but all at a volume that is suitable. It, like Idle Vessels is noisier and less melodic but sandwiched between 2 songs that play up the melodies more. It is a nice little artefact of the construction. Smooth, rough, smooth. Loud, quiet, loud etc. These have been used by other bands in other areas before and they work here too. OK, so the "smooth" has rough edges, but that is a feature not a bug. Playsets With Lights has a nice rhythm and swell to it but the main line that always sticks in my mind is the top end, the guitar melody, and how it closes.
The last two tracks have not memory association to play on, so what is there? An Equation (free download here) splits the loud/quiet dynamic up with elements of both but errs on the loud side, it is also very short and sweet, before giving in to the hooky guitar intro to Twenty Six O'One. This is an intro melody that gives way to the now familiar spiky chorus of a wall of guitars and screamed lyrics which is over like a flash leaving a very sparse tune to bridge to the next hit of rage and fire. Pretty intense stuff, because you are constantly switching between modes, on edge knowing that it could all kick off any second, and yet 4 of these songs give you the opportunity to settle back and enjoy too.
I love the dichotomy of it, the execution is accomplished and so the whole disc works. Was I thinking of ditching something? Not anymore. I think the album would be weaker without any of these tracks. The energy from the loud tracks sustains whilst the melodies of the more musical ones builds an interest that lasts. I do not believe robots could make music this good.
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