Mouth of the Architect // Kenoma
Split
6.9
The latest offering from the folks at Translation Loss is intriguing not just because it includes new work from Mouth of the Architect, although that’s certainly reason enough, but also because this split serves as a reunion of sorts. Mouth of the Architect and debutantes Kenoma are both a product of the Ohio metal scene, and the members have played together in varying configurations for years, most notably in the short-lived but super impressive Rune.
Time and Withering, the first effort from Mouth of the Architect, may not have garnered the amount of attention it deserved, but those in the know recognized the album as a formidable entry to the Neurosis/Isis movement, just as it seemed to really catch fire in 2004. The band’s proper follow up effort is due to be released at the end of the year, but in the meantime fans can sink their teeth into the seventeen minute “Sleepwalk Powder”, which opens the proceedings. The bands have said that creating this split was about reconnecting as friends and overcoming particularly dark and trying times through “an almost therapeutic release of emotion and expression”. That process and context shines through on “Sleepwalk Powder”, which radiates a distinct impassioned plaintiveness in its typically delicate, slower gait. The track is also more focused and consistent, which some may point to as an improvement, although I’m not in that camp. These guys clearly know how to create a mood and draw the listener in, but “Sleepwalk Powder” doesn’t quite have the measure of the material on Time and Withering. The song is a bit too consistent and linear in its development given its length. The shorter opening and closing movements respectively build gently and crescendo mightily, but the meat of the composition, the lengthy middle section, would have gained from more variation or truncation. The final movement of the track is the most impressive, with its tribal drumming and interesting layered vocal patterns. “Sleepwalk Powder” may have worked slightly better on a full length where it would be contrasted by other songs and moods. Regardless, it’s a respectable effort that leaves the listener wanting more than a single serving from this band.
The Mouth of the Architect song is probably enough to make most genre fans pony up for this split, but newcomers Kenoma make sure listeners get their money’s worth. “The Nature of Empire” and “1913" combine for twenty minutes of impressive instrumental post-metal, recalling the serene moments of Isis and instrumental genre toppers Pelican. Like the MOTA track, Kenoma’s contributions unfurl in a leisurely, measured progression. But the band demonstrates a firm grasp of the juxtaposition of tension and release, and skillfully balance expansive, quieter stretches with periods of noisy outbursts. “The Nature of Empire” is the longer of the two tracks, and builds quite slowly with effectively sparse, echoing riffs, while the second half of the song flexes and releases with tense, crashing melodies. The split closes with “1913", the shortest and arguably strongest set of the album’s three. Although it doesn’t come across as a rehash of its predecessor, the song is built on the same formula. The first half of the track contains slower, downcast riffing and full drum work, but the melodies and tempos build to a raucous, passionate finale. Both songs employ rich, tasteful melody and frequent variation, which assures that the listener never bothers to wonder when the frontman is going to chime in. Kenoma is going to make a name for themselves, and I hope they put out a proper full length in the near future. As unfortunate as Rune’s demise is, Mouth of the Architect and Kenoma are one hell of a silver lining, and I look for both bands to improve on future efforts.
Time and Withering, the first effort from Mouth of the Architect, may not have garnered the amount of attention it deserved, but those in the know recognized the album as a formidable entry to the Neurosis/Isis movement, just as it seemed to really catch fire in 2004. The band’s proper follow up effort is due to be released at the end of the year, but in the meantime fans can sink their teeth into the seventeen minute “Sleepwalk Powder”, which opens the proceedings. The bands have said that creating this split was about reconnecting as friends and overcoming particularly dark and trying times through “an almost therapeutic release of emotion and expression”. That process and context shines through on “Sleepwalk Powder”, which radiates a distinct impassioned plaintiveness in its typically delicate, slower gait. The track is also more focused and consistent, which some may point to as an improvement, although I’m not in that camp. These guys clearly know how to create a mood and draw the listener in, but “Sleepwalk Powder” doesn’t quite have the measure of the material on Time and Withering. The song is a bit too consistent and linear in its development given its length. The shorter opening and closing movements respectively build gently and crescendo mightily, but the meat of the composition, the lengthy middle section, would have gained from more variation or truncation. The final movement of the track is the most impressive, with its tribal drumming and interesting layered vocal patterns. “Sleepwalk Powder” may have worked slightly better on a full length where it would be contrasted by other songs and moods. Regardless, it’s a respectable effort that leaves the listener wanting more than a single serving from this band.
The Mouth of the Architect song is probably enough to make most genre fans pony up for this split, but newcomers Kenoma make sure listeners get their money’s worth. “The Nature of Empire” and “1913" combine for twenty minutes of impressive instrumental post-metal, recalling the serene moments of Isis and instrumental genre toppers Pelican. Like the MOTA track, Kenoma’s contributions unfurl in a leisurely, measured progression. But the band demonstrates a firm grasp of the juxtaposition of tension and release, and skillfully balance expansive, quieter stretches with periods of noisy outbursts. “The Nature of Empire” is the longer of the two tracks, and builds quite slowly with effectively sparse, echoing riffs, while the second half of the song flexes and releases with tense, crashing melodies. The split closes with “1913", the shortest and arguably strongest set of the album’s three. Although it doesn’t come across as a rehash of its predecessor, the song is built on the same formula. The first half of the track contains slower, downcast riffing and full drum work, but the melodies and tempos build to a raucous, passionate finale. Both songs employ rich, tasteful melody and frequent variation, which assures that the listener never bothers to wonder when the frontman is going to chime in. Kenoma is going to make a name for themselves, and I hope they put out a proper full length in the near future. As unfortunate as Rune’s demise is, Mouth of the Architect and Kenoma are one hell of a silver lining, and I look for both bands to improve on future efforts.
