Music: Groove/Metalcore
Website: http://www.contrive.com.au
Country: Australia
Cool songs: By Way Of Choice, A Vigil For The Lost, At Ease, Todoroki, Divided
CONTRIVE is a good example of the fact, that metal is popular on every continent. This Australian band, formed in early 1999 by brothers Paul and Andrew Haug, is doing quite nice when it comes to giving gigs. Considering their album release, they are quite average.
The Meaning Unseen starts very powerfully, with heavy riffs and dynamic drums. The hammering does the effect. The guitar sound and riffs are quite original. Plus that extreme yelling of Paul. Everything sounds cool. Later on it is once heavier, once lighter. The songs try to represent all styles, from rock, to heavy play, with more or less aggressive elements. The instrumental At Ease is a little pearl here. An excellent prelude to Shifting Focus. Which is full of motif and style swaps from heavy and fast aggressive play, to quite poetic chorus. The compositions are varied inside each song is a puzzle made of different pieces, but those pieces already appeared in the previous songs and are repeated in those which are later. It seems that the musicians had one leading idea and parcelled it between eleven songs, and named it differently. Todoroki is a quite different composition. It is played on those old tribal drums, an ethnic track, which enriches the whole. It is very, very good. And Divided is an excellent appendix to it. From the technical point of view, there is nothing to pick on. The band have had enough time to master their skills and to find the proper sound.
CONTRIVEs first studio album could have been better. If it werent for that monotony in ideas. There are some interesting elements, but that is simply not enough. Listen at your own risk.
note: 6/10
Tracklist
1. By Way Of Choice
2. Prepare To Fall
3. A Vigil For The Lost
4. At Ease
5. Shifting Focus
6. The Meaning Unseen
7. Beside Yourself
8. Todoroki
9. Divided
10. Communion (Armoured Angel Cover)
11. Relate
Total playing time 43:01
Line-up
Tim Stahlmann – Bass
Paul Haug – Vocals/Guitar
Andrew Haug – Drums/Percussion
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