Review Summary: A more matured and focused effort leads not to a more creative, innovative, and enjoyable release, but instead a more tedious EP that remains somewhat worthwhile.
The Crinn's debut EP “Kills Curiosity” was an excellent compilation of pure, unadulterated aural assault riddled copiously with spasmodic overtones. Most of this convulsiveness came not from the instrumentation, which was technical and stimulating to say the least, but the vocals which were capable of the highest registers known to the vocal cords, and whose delivery was thought-provoking. The vocals simply redefined the term abnormal. So needless to say, I was concerned with the future direction of the band when the news of Johnathon Peterson's departure came to me.
I had never heard of John Nelson, or Van Dam when the news of Nelson's arrival into the band hit me. And to make his influence on the band a surprise to me, I simply refused to listen to their material. I wished to be utterly shocked by the new direction of the band, and not knowing what John Nelson sounded like or what his forte was would be the only way to have pure objectivity towards their new work. And it is definitely new for The Crinn, but not so new for several other bands.
The first noticeable change on this EP compared to their debut is the prominence of the musical technicality which is quite similar to that of Spiral Architect. However, this, for me, is a positive aspect of the album, as the vigorous nature of this album shows the progress of the instruments that hold a certain prowess that was absent on “Kills Curiosity.” That album, in comparison to this one musically, seems almost unsubstantiated or shallow. The staccato tremolo picks on the guitars are of such tremendous speed that they add depth to the music. The bass is oddly prominent, and really only adds more richness to the music. The drums are just the same as the guitars, and stop and start almost randomly. They suit the guitars' dissonance very well, and portray more of a experimental grindcore, or perhaps experimental metalcore, feel than their earlier work more akin to avant-garde metal.
However, along with the unique vocalizations, most of the experimentation and spastic eccentricities are lost. No longer are there any baby screeches that segue into random ambiance. No longer are there any grind sections reminiscent of Naked City. No longer are there violin-driven soundscapes or random, obnoxious moaning. Instead, technicality reigns supreme throughout almost all of every single track on this five-song EP. And the vocals here show less range than they used to. They also do not possess the ever-so-present charismatic charm that was so evident on “Kills Curiosity.” Instead, they have a less eccentric vibe, which is albeit more accessible. And the accessibility spreads like wildfire on this EP to all of the tracks.
“Tearing Through Synoptic Skies” begins with the aforementioned technicality, and seems to fly by with all of the randomly placed notes and excessive dissonance. Its fast-pacing is nothing special, but it is as energetic as a lion cub, and as vicious as its father. “Barbie Smells Like Band-Aids” is very similar to “Tearing Through Synoptic Skies” but it is less draining than the aforementioned. However, these tracks' similarities are copious, and I often confuse one with the other. Some of the tracks show some obvious jazz influence, which is a treat, but overall it cannot counter as many of the negatives that are with this album (mainly vocals and experimentation). And overall, The Crinn have produced a sophomore slump of which they can hopefully improve upon in the future. But as for now, I prefer to listen to their vintage spasmodically-themed “Kills Curiosity.” However, if you are one who prefers more accessible music that has some inhuman technicality, raw vigor, speed, and an overall more mature effort, than this EP would probably be your preference rather than the aforementioned.
FINAL RATING 3.4/5-I just prefer the old one. Sure, this one is definitely more focused, but it lacks the energy and orignality that the band seems to have abandoned.
