Manifest – The Sinking

Share this on Facebook | Share this on Twitter

From their Bandcamp page, “Making this album was kind of like working with concrete…labouring at first, but as we got the machine rolling it just came pouring out. The result we feel is solid as, well, concrete…It´s definitely not easy-listening. It’s about as subtle as a horny bull and equally gentle. We had a blast making it, and that really shines through in the final result!” The album contains nine songs.

“The Origins (of Beebee & BB)” is the first cut. Thick bass notes open the song, which then turns into a bit of a Hardcore groove. The vocals are shouted…my least favorite kind. The riffs are fairly trite, and the cadence is rap-like. “Upriver” features a similar cadence, but the vocals are harsher. Don’t look for much in the way of melody here…for there is very little. “Jobkill” is a shorter and faster song, again with that annoying rapped vocal style. I would call this music Hardcore rather than Groove Metal, but that is just me. “Final Curtain Fall” is a darker offering. The riffs remain fairly elementary and there is some eerie ambiance here as well.

“Mistakes” is the first song with some variation. Meaty bass notes open the song, with semi-clean vocals and smooth guitars. The song is reflective of the title, as you contemplate things you have done in the past. “Infant Rage” is another short burner. In anger, Stian raps the vocals super-fast, and the music is fairly dissonant. “The Sinking Pt. 1” is another dark and mysterious offering, which I am having trouble finding out why it is on the album. These slower songs are nicer on the ears, compared to the hard-edged songs. But again, why? “The Sinking Pt. 2” begins with odd spoken word and is much more alive than the first movement. At times, you can hear some solid musicianship out of the band, but these moments are fleeting.

“Better Ideas & Worse Solutions” closes the album. Sadly, it’s more of the same. Although there was some variation on the album, it didn’t do much to produce a memorable effort. Unfortunately, it’s the production that is the best part of the album. Although the bassist and drummer in particular are pretty good, the songs really suffer from that drop tuning and grating vocal style. This is a hard pass for me.

Songwriting: 3
Musicianship: 7
Memorability: 1
Production: 8