Review Summary: Judging by their music, Humanfly are obviously not from this world...
Awesome Science is the fourth full length from UK atmospheric sludgesters Humanfly. It incorporates a mind boggling diversity of musical arrangements, from dreamy atmospherics to punk-esque hard rock riffs. It is an extremely unique release due to it being not like anything heard before on this world.
Straight from the outset, the album gives you this impression, as the intro to “Golden Arrows” slowly immerses you into the album’s atmosphere with a calm and dreamy soundscape, whilst lead singer John Sutcliffe sings “just as the earth orbits the sun”. Similarly, “A Majestic Story” features a rather sinister atmosphere in its introduction with the use of synths. The album features a lot of space effects and samples much like the atmospheres created by Ufomammut in their quieter moments. This album is very space inspired, as are the majority of the lyrics which complement the ethereal vibes which dominate the album.
Another aspect that links “Golden Arrows” and “A Majestic Story” is that they both go on epic prog tangents which showcase a diverse range of ideas, as the band swiftly move linearly through sludgy riffs to alien and unfamiliar musical concepts. This is most apparent through the 15 minute prog masterpiece “The Armour Of Science” which is full of alien fretwork and extra-terrestrial riffs as well as the intergalactic heaviness created through the opening riff. This album is extremely progressive, with every musical idea having a somewhat uncanny and unpredictable nature to it.
“The Apple That Never Fell” features one of the strangest riffs ever which occurs after the opening sequence of distorted chimes. It also includes some of the album’s bleakest lyrics which include “into a void of darkness”, and a weird synth passage which actually makes you feel like you’re on a spaceship. Odd time signatures infest every song on the album, a notable one being the bridge into the heavy as *** outro of the last song, “Frozen in Time, Billions of Light Years Away”, a rather bleak number. Furthermore, the album contains lots of high fretwork which makes for a nice change from the usual down-tuned distorted riff.
Overall, this album is a triumphant success. Awesome Science initiates a strange journey for the listener, guiding them through unexplored territory through its flurry of eccentric riffage and outlandish atmosphere. Be prepared, this album has the ability to blow minds.
