Biolich
The Space Between Home & Today
6.9
Biolich's The Space Between Home and Today is another one of those scatter-brained death metal hybrids that seem to be getting more prevalent in recent years. This is one of those albums that I would recommend everybody listen to, but not buy. Biolich wields the all too common double edged sword, with a an appeal that is initially exhilarating, but ultimately frustrating.
There are so many compelling references to be found here. I hear Demilich in the opening track "Morals like Frozen Piss." Anyone familiar with the groundbreaking Nesphite will instantly recognize the lurching harmonic breakdown that serves as the perfect conjunction between sets of denser, more frantic riffs. The song is concluded by crashing into an enormous wall of sound constructed out of buzzing arpeggios. This kind of creativity, and restraint is hard to come by in modern death metal. Unfortunately, "Frozen Piss" features the unwelcome nod to acts like Between the Buried and Me and Glass Casket with a piecemeal acoustic interlude that works as nothing more than a desperate display of quirkiness. "Extensive Autumn Necrony" is easily the most cohesive track to be found on on this EP. The Demilich reference shines ever brighter here, along with a series of luminous galloping riffs in the vein of another death metal oddity, Lykathea Aflame. This is what's the frustrating part about Biolich, they've got great ideas and deliver some of the most gratifying and intelligent riffs I've heard all year. They don't need to buffer themselves with sensitive emo interludes and zany references to dance-hall techno to establish themselves from the pack. But for the remainder of this EP, that's basically what they do. "Twin Faced Exorcism" is more in line with something you might hear coming out of Black Market Activities, with a slightly more refined edge. It's not bad by any means, but the lumbering breakdowns and driving rudimentary chord progressions are a total blue ball after the promise hinted at in the first two tracks. "Unfortunately, They Don't Allow Us to Store Bodies in the Dumpsters at Work" is essentially a seven minute long series of programmed keyboard and drum loops. It's not unpleasant, but again, it's just less of the band doing what they are damn near amazing at.
I don't want to come off like Dr. Evil trying to prove that he's "still hip, still with it," but I can understand a young band's desire to spread their wings beyond the confines of a single genre. But, believe me when I say this, the things this band could actually accomplish withing the spectrum of death metal far outweigh anything they could do via awkwardly appended techno tracks and cutesy clean singing. There's so much promise here, really. But there's also a lot to be frustrated by on The Space Between Home and Today. I am genuinely interested in hearing a full length by this band.
