I have learned something over the past sixteen months: if you find the Blue Swan Records logo on an album, you can just go ahead and buy it. There is no way you won’t be satisfied by the quality of what you’re going to be listening to…even more so if you’re into post-hardcore. Despite all the previous releases being in the same vein, yet different enough to avoid repetition, today’s record wanders off in new territories, while still staying true to the label’s main genre. And let me tell you: Degeneraterra by Eidola manages to open even further horizons for this promising label!
As mention before, the quintet plays post-hardcore, but of the very experimental fashion, with many elements borrowed from other directions. At times you get a progressive metal vibe, which blends into a blues-inspired part, before erupting in an explosion of complex and heavy riffing. Just when you think you figured the guys’ music, they throw something new at you. This can be demanding to you as a listener at times, but trust me when I tell you that the effort you put into paying close attention and feeling the music, is rewarded tenfold.
Especially the ingenious and well-structured songwriting plays a huge role in fusing all these various elements into thirteen songs that are a blast from start to finish. Add to that the fact that it’s a concept album which, as the name might suggest, deals with the decline of the world and the environment we live in, as well as a glass-clean production and you find yourself having a hard time letting go from the Uthans’ music. Small side note: they’re also genuinely nice people that deeply care about their fans, which became very clear when I found a personal note in my package, that contained their previous record, with them thanking me for my support…definitely a first for me.
If all that wasn’t enough already to make a brilliant album, the instruments are only a part of the goodness…because the vocals take this hour-long musical journey to a whole new level. I have to admit that I am not one hundred percent sure about which of the three vocalists sang, or screamed, which parts, but the result is simply hypnotic, to me. Especially, the “main” singer has some phenomenal pipes and keeps pushing his vocal chords further and further on each song, delivering a brilliant performance. This being a concept album, the lyrics are also everything but your typical “oh no, she broke my heart, now I’m sad” run-off-the-mill read.
While I did not have a doubt about it to begin with, Degeneraterra has really cemented Eidola, as well as the earlier mentioned label, into being a force to be reckoned with. Mainly due to the fact that I’m confident in saying that this band, just as their labelmates, truly feels the music they make and shares that enthusiasm with their listeners…it doesn’t hurt that said music moves on a very high level of intensity and ingenuity either. If I managed to make you curious, be sure to listen to their song below and head over to their Facebook page. Last but not least, make sure to keep your eyes peeled on May 5th, when this gem hits the (digital) stores!
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mnd37EToqA4]