Heteromorphic
Extol & Extirpate
5
Heteromorphic are a one-man band from – wait for it – Kansas! Yes, when Chris Sanders isn’t in the cellar taking shelter from tornadoes, he’s working on his industrialized metal project – Extol & Extirpate being a result of such labor. As a whole, one could reasonably compare Heteromorphic to a band like Red Harvest, but when one dissects the device and examines each component, veterans such as Strapping Young Lad, Fear Factory, and any group with a gravel-gargling growler come to mind. Though Sanders has done a fairly good job of arranging and playing the songs on this 34-minute record, the general approach has not only existed for some time, but has also been done better.
A large portion of Extol & Extirpate is instrumental, which does not bode well since the mechanized feel eventually leads to monotony. The buzzsaw, razor-esque guitars combined with the machinelike rhythms of the drums do construct an industrial setting, however, and that is not a task achieved without a hefty dose of motivation, effort, and experimentation. Still, Heteromorphic aren’t covering ground that hasn’t been trodden on before, even several times over. So the overriding problem is the lack of personality. “Corroded” has a few moments – due to the keyboards – that are in tune with Strapping Young Lad, whereas the rhythms, grooves, and drums (particularly the double-bass and snare assaults) borrow liberally from Fear Factory akin to Sybreed and Threat Signal.
The guitar melodies, riffs, and accompanying drums stand out on “Three Points of Execution” mainly because seldom does time pass without some sort of aural, focal point catching your ear. Nonetheless, those who decry computer manipulation will take issue with Heteromorphic due to the synthetic drumming, and perhaps even the soundclips included within “Monday May 12,” though the shoddy production does leave much to be desired no matter who you are.
At any rate, despite the hang-ups, Extol & Extirpate is a decent offering, but the potential audience should also understand that there is little originality here. This path was blazed quite a while back, and Heteromorphic seem content to mirror the pioneers and/or the current forerunners who pepper their music with industrial spices. Maybe Sanders’s talents would be best used elsewhere – as part of a group, or discovering a way to deviate from this tired norm.
