2013/07/16

The Measure Of - Sword Swallower Split



01. The Measure Of - Morosely
02. The Measure Of - Vile
03. Sword Swallower - Vice Principles
04. Sword Swallower - Meatmouth

The Measure Of starts out this short four song split, launching directly into their slightly droney, heavy plodding textures. When the vocals come in they are quiet and understated in a way that perfectly fits the slow moving tempo of the song. By the middle of 'Morosely' all subtlety is gone, and the drums are blasting behind screamed vocals and raging distorted guitars. The band melds both the heavy intense parts and the cleaner plodding parts perfectly to create a wonderful dynamic that keeps the listener engaged. Rather than being content to grow stale within an overpopulated screamo scene, The Measure Of attempt to bring slightly unfamiliar elements to their sound to explore newer ground within the genre. Sword Swallower round out this split, and from the get go they come off as slightly more conventional screamo/hardcore. The drums start off galloping before jumping into a heavy punctuated beat that compliments the fast strummed guitars perfectly before going full bore into a blasted part. These songs tend to rely on intensity and speed over nuance, but that does not translate negatively. The band uses heavy and fast passages emotionally and deftly, creating a sound that while not altogether groundbreaking is definitely solid and impressive.

Reviewed by Justin.

[ download ]

1 comment: