A Massive New Album from Bannered Mare
Finally, the new album from Bannered Mare drops, and honestly, it's way more than I thought it would be. I'm not just saying that to kiss butt. This is a record that crushes all expectations I thought it would present, and the reasons are simple.
First of all, previous to this, I'd only heard a single track from the band that is on the album, and it was a banger of a single, but this record has so much going on, it's crazy. The guitar work alone is something that blends alternative, grunge, math, heavy rock, and more by layering in intricate hooks and bleed sections that are harmonizing and fast-paced.
It's such a cool approach to blending alternative and emo rock while remaining heavy and current, honest, and anthemic.
A lot of the tracks have big fat choruses that are fists in the air, sing-alongs, but there's a lot of other aspects to the record that hit just as hard.
One of the tracks that features some of this particular guitar work is a track called 'Finger Rolls". It's all in the title.
When you listen to it, it does have such a great sense of emotion behind it and power as well. The vocals are sort of belting out, and the guitar work does have those great rolling attributes, but it also has great progressions and other Staples of how the band does their thing.
So, this is a bit of a theatrical record as well. It's theatrical, heavy rock, and it's experimental as well. Some of the experimental side of things comes from these breakdowns, time signatures, and vocal approaches.
There's a lot of melodic and flowing vocals along with front-man style rock vocals, and the combination of those two approaches really works wonders because you get halfway through the album and you begin to expect the unexpected.
I definitely adore a record that keeps you on your toes, and this is certainly one of those.
"Tetra" is an example of a track that combines those two vocal attributes, and the flowing harmonious vocals add this wonderful depth to the song.
You can find this a lot throughout the record as well. These layers of depth that come in and out. Waves of intensity that come and go. It's very well thought out in terms of how they arranged the stuff, but I think there was a lot more attention to detail in the tones of their instruments and how they wanted the aesthetic and atmosphere of what they were doing to feel.
The drumming is also heavy-handed in terms of being fun, outside the box, slightly experimental, bringing a fresh liveliness to the songs, and creating unique flows and time signatures that the rest of the band can lean on to build something with.
"Pet Particular" was one of my favorites on the record, and part of that is because you get a lot of this intricate and math guitar work, but you also have that same level of intricacy and experimental style with the drumming.
So, when you listen to this song, there's so much going on that it feels almost scattered but not at the same time.
I love how they're able to create something whole from a sound that feels like this. It's very cool how they put this whole record together and made it flow in a way that gave it a slightly vast undertone and overcoat.
This kind of approach is not something you hear all the time, so when you come across it, it's very refreshing.
One of the biggest things is the energy level. The energy for pretty much all the songs is absolutely through the roof. The vocals always have a great balance and help push that energy along with the rest of the band, as does the guitar work.
When everyone comes together to perform these songs, it almost feels like you're right there in the moment with them.
The energy is more like a synergy between the band members, and that aspect of it all becomes super infectious, and you end up wanting more and more of it. They do deliver plenty of it.
Cinematic and impactful, spacious and slightly ambient, songs like "Football" deliver so much to hold on to, and listening to this record from start to finish puts you in a certain headspace.
I feel like the sonic drive and presence, soundscape, and overall tone of this album are really unique. They aren't reinventing the wheel, but they're definitely putting a different spin on alternative and progressive rock music by incorporating a slew of different styles into one record.
The cool thing is, as I mentioned before, getting halfway through the record, you do begin to expect the unexpected, but you also begin to expect some of those staples that you've been hearing so far.
You get a knack for the feel and the sound, the static and the approach of this album.
The record is called He's Only Sleeping.
If you go through the whole record in one shot, it's quite an awesome experience. You come out of it and have to sort of shake it off so that you can come back to reality again, and I'm a pretty big fan of any record that can pull that off.
So, what is this record exactly?
It is an unbelievably performed and intricate set of songs that still come through with anthemic and a powerful heart that showcase intelligent songwriting but without losing personality.
Hopefully, you get my drift, but even if you don't, you should absolutely listen to this record. This is for fans of rock music with layers, depth, and something more to offer. Something unique and refreshing, along with some familiarities that are welcome.
Anyone who is a guitar player is going to absolutely love this release.
That's just a side note. It had to be said. I am a guitar player, and I love this release.
Either way, jump into this record right now. It is brand new, just dropped, and waiting for your ears.
It's more than worth your time.
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