Akela/Lithium 694
(Split CD)
0
For those of us who appreciate the spontaneity of existence, there must be something fundamentally appealing in the idea of Dillinger Escape Plan and bands that both spawned their sound and have benefited from it. DEP seems to be the band that has caught most peoples' imaginations so that’s why I kind of use them as the benchmark for “Chaos” metal. Music that seems to evolve from pure musicianship and rehearsal, the music that makes ALMOST no sense, comes closer to pure spastic noise than anything since late sixties experimental jazz…yet seems to pull off something transcendent.
But whatever the reason, it seems to have sparked something in quite a few of the underground types. And for a few years it was exciting to hear how different bands took on the problem of chaos core. But now the problems inherent with the style are becoming obvious: chaos can’t be done as a style for long. DEP has necessarily started imposing more structure to their songs, and I would venture to guess most of the bands that helped define the style with them will follow suit. Because chaos core…really…sounds mostly the same, no matter who is doing it.
Akela play fractious, maniacal metal the way so many other bands do. Screamed vocals, ridiculously convoluted timing and riffs, and tastes of melody thrown in at obtuse angles, more to confuse than anything else. All in all it’s another testament to tightness within the band, but really doesn’t bring much to the table as far as excitement or invention. If I were to suggest, I would perhaps advise attacking the melodic elements more seriously next time. But any band that can play like this has enough talent to make some real noise in the extreme scene.
On the other hand, Lithium 694 is a simple hack hardcore metal band doing what all of the other ones do. Half DRI, Half Sepultura…sound familiar? Much better produced than Akela, but much less relevant to a metal scene that is currently drowning in its own metalcore vomit. If I were to offer advice to this band it would be tear it down and start over. Find your own sound. Or just get real drunk and suck the metalcore teat for as long as you can get away with it.
As a split, these six songs really aren’t moving me. Akela wins my interest, but more as a project than a band you need to hear.
