2007-02-03
Twelve Tribes is probably best known for its "support group" spot alongside well-established metalcore giants such as
Lamb Of God,
Killswitch Engage,
Hatebreed and
Zao. On this, their 4th release so far (after on EP, and two full-lengths) they seem to have grown stronger and taller, no longer needing to lean on catchy choruses and melodic hooks to get some attention (like they did on 2004's "The Rebirth f Tragedy"), and floating out of today's foul-smelling-commercial-metalcore quagmire.
Things were quite different ten years ago (1997), back when Twelve Tribes was formed, a lot of clear metallic water has run into the metalcore quagmire since, and has only circulated since. Twelve Tribes got their nutrition from the likes of
Shai Hulud, Hatebreed,
Slayer and Zao, meaning they were fed well with all the major food groups a good band needs. So it is no wonder that this album opens with such a stiff wall of sound ("National Amnesia") and shoots bursts of drums in the air, just to make sure you're really paying attention, and continuing right into the first single "Muzzle Order" with well incorporated guitar melodies and full-hearted/throated screams by vocalist and founding member Adam Jackson.
The Dayton Ohio quintet doesn’t deny its hardcore roots in the tracks to follow, like in "Televangelist" where the aforementioned Zao comes to mind and with its traditional sing-along chorus, or in the beginning of "History Versus The Pavement", which later kinda messed up by its textbook melodic chorus, but is also kinda saved by its post-hardcore mid section break, and the post-hardcore/post-rock references don't stop there. It is on the next track, "Monarch Of Dreams", that we get some more of those overused repetitive melodies and tremolo-picked guitars we know from the likes of
Cult Of Luna and
Godspeed You! Black Emperor, finally leading to the well crafted "Librium".
Among the mentionable tracks you could also find the tight "Pagan Self Portrait" (have some groovy Lamb Of God-like riffing), the aforementioned "Librium" with Shane Shook's solid drumwork & both Andrew Corpus's and Kevin Schindel's prominent riffing, and the completely chaotic title track.
Among the highlights are the superb hardcore anthem "Verona", where Adam truly shines as a hardcore screamer, and its dynamic follower "The Nine Years Tide" - starting with a simple bass line and swelling up until it explodes with slaughtering riffs, ear damaging dissonance, and a melodic chorus before and after yet another post-hardcore break (this time a good one). Despite those two, the absolute highlight here, making this album worth the purchase, is the closing 8:51 minute "The Recovery : In Three Parts" opening with a dramatic piano melody (hinted in the title track) played above eerie ambient effects and actually going into an epic (yes, and epic), with melody reprises, loads of dynamics and a real sense of a grandiose finish.
Something definitely rubbed off from all the bands Twelve Tribes have been touring with so extensively over the years, and hopefully the next album will be their absolute masterpiece, resulting with not a Twelve Tribes headlining tour but also a well earned place above the boiling quagmire.
Ofer Vayner
