Review Summary: An inconsistent barnburner.
Australian metalcore and deathcore group Gravemind have been honing their craft for a while now in the underground scene. Their sound portrays the "aussiecore" sound strongly, with riffs that have a bounce that really makes you want to move. It's the approach to production along with how they write their riffs that's able to create this. There will be pockets of space left in between the grooves. The drums also have that distinct pop in the snare that's reminiscent of hardcore. This hardcore-esque rhythm has something similar to that classic hardcore "two-step" rhythm, but it's not quite that.
A very important thing is that Gravemind can lean into deathcore, and it's often the case. They are surely one of the heaviest aussiecore bands around, portraying an unrelenting force throughout most of their album
Introsphere. The album sees the band further refining their unique sound, and it's mostly met with good results. In the album's best moments, songs absolutely slam, delivering nu metalcore-esque riffs that just bludgeon you over and over again. These nu metalcore riffs incorporate the trademark pick scrape action that's seen throughout many of the tracks. This guitar technique is able to maintain constant urgency, as it's a pretty high frequency, and it's a sound that really stands out. The album probably peaks in quality in
F.E.A.R., featuring Jamie Hails of Polaris. Polaris are one of the more well-known aussiecore bands, and the songs really deliver. Jamie's featured performance really packs a punch, and it could have easily been the final track to the album, but there's one more...
Most songs will include some post production that always puts you on edge. It feels like there's something lurking behind you as you listen. These glitching synths in the background also bring a feeling of futurism to the tracks. They make things feel larger-than-life which is able to immerse the listener fully.
However, the album is pretty inconsistent, containing an equal amount of songs that are thrilling and also a bit underwhelming. On the good side of things, choruses can really hit, and in their best moments, they can provide some nice reprieve from all the chaos within most of the record. Vocalist Bailey Schembri can really convey a lot of conviction at times. Particularly, at times when he hits some falsetto notes, it can be really satisfying. His vocal approach is nothing too unique, though. His style can be pretty akin to Invent Animate a lot of times, though it is still commendable that he's able to pull this style off very well.
There's also one chorus that doesn't particularly hit the mark, and it's not actually at the fault of Schembri. It's particularly of Reba Meyers featured vocals on the track
Anhedonia. The chorus here feels pretty post-hardcore, like Underoath. It's a style I have never jived with too much. While there's certainly post-hardcore out there that really works, the style here is very off-putting. It comes off as pretty whiny and grating. It's hard not to imagine a pre pubescent boy in his mom's basement yelling these lines after breaking up with his first high-school crush.
The heavier tracks portray similar inconsistencies. While there are a good few songs with song structures with a lot of coherency and catchiness put into them, there's an equal amount that doesn't seem to even attempt to achieve this. In the album's peak moments, those scratching riffs, along with those unrelenting rhythms, will usher a recipe for pure serotonin fuel. The rhythms can be incredibly fun, and a good reason for it is that the songs will have a lot of direction to them. There's sections that are clearly defined as the chorus riffs, and so on. It's just a shame that a good amount of the album doesn't portray this.
Those other heavier tracks I speak of do not portray this sense of coherency at all, and they will often times come and go without much of an impression being made. Listening to the tracks, there should be something about the songs that standout, but it just doesn't seem like it's the case. They aren't anymore heavy than the other heavier songs on the album that fair better. The incoherence in arrangements can be really frustrating becomes the chaotic approach isn't anchored by any riff or rhythm that is particularly memorable. These kind of riffs can linger in the listeners mind once the track is finished. However, these tracks don't portray this effect.
The most head-scratching one has to be
Failstate with Mick Gordon. This track seemed like it should have been a recipe for success. Mick Gordon is the composer behind the soundtrack for the DOOM game franchise, and if you know anything about that soundtrack, you know it hits hard with those crushing, djenty chugging grooves. It's just perplexing that none of that translates on the track, with it being even difficult to determine what it was Gordon contributed to this track. The production value seemed pretty similar to the rest of the tracks on the album, and none of the riffs seem to have that trademark Gordon chugging style. And it doesn't help that the song completely lacks anything particularly catchy.
The closing number
Pranic Lift falls flat too, only this time it has a long drawn out intro before diving into more incoherent djenting. There's really not much to say about the track, it's really underwhelming. It doesn't contain any clean vocals that may have helped it standout a bit more, too.
All in all,
Introsphere is a pretty clear split down the middle in terms of songs that are good to ones that are downright average. Still, those standout tracks really do shine, and the band definitely have a unique sound going for them. Taking that aussiecore sound into a very heavy direction is a very awesome take. It's just a shame more songs fall flat than expected.
Strongest tracks: F.E.A.R., Rorschach, Deathtouch, House of Cards, Aloy, >_TERMINAL
Weakest tracks: Anhedonia, Failstate, True Life, Pranic Lift
