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| REVIEWS |
And
You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead
Source Tags & Codes
(Interscope)
Every so often the boundaries between tranquility and sheer
chaos are blurred. Harmony is entangled with madness creating
a more complex, unexplainable entity that one can only hope
to fully understand. One a musical front, …Trail of Dead’s
Source Tags & Codes is such an entity; so complicated,
so chaotic, yet so beautiful and at peace all at the same time.
Taking the listener to the edges of turmoil just long enough
before pulling them back into the comforts and sensibilities
of calmer plains (the track "Homage", violently loud
and crashing until it hits you with it’s smooth transition).
In waiting anticipation, the build up so subtle, the release
so intricately divine, ("How Near How Far" with it’s
machine gun drumming and eerie slowdowns) it leaves an earnest
haunting feeling.
With Japanese Haiku acting as it’s predecessor, the brilliant
"Heart in the Hand of the Matter" is captivating audio
poetry. Shifting back and forth between heart clenching and
melancholy, “I’m so damned. I can’t win. With
my heart my hands down. Take your hurt. A muse or sin”.
It’s followed by ‘Monsoon’, reminiscent of
the Doors; it’s a lingering painting of words and music.
Within these levels, there is so much to be uncovered, so much
to discover. The sounds of hard-hitting drums, striking guitar
and bass work accompanied by unconventional vocals, tantalizing
piano and orchestral violins and cellos are brought together
in one magnificent collection. It is not often that chaos and
beauty can be blurred together and still resonate so clearly,
so terrifyingly in one’s ear. Source Tags & Codes
could very well be the most important major label release of
the past decade and the years to follow.
Reviewed by
Billy Maulana |
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