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36 Crazyfists - Time And Trauma review



Reviewer:
5.6

28 users:
6.39
Band: 36 Crazyfists
Album: Time And Trauma
Release date: February 2015


01. Vanish (We All Disappear)
02. 11.24.11
03. Sorrow Sings
04. Lightless
05. Time And Trauma
06. Also Am I
07. Translator
08. Silencer
09. Slivers
10. Swing The Noose
11. Gathering Bones
12. Marrow

What makes a really good metalcore album?

Yes, it's possible; stop trying to be edgy. My own first answer would be "passion"; then I'd most likely align the words "dynamism" and "maturity." Even if the latter often comes with time and encompasses a certain mastery of a band's instruments, the first two can be lost along the way, or can sometimes never be found in a discography at all. Fortunately for 36 Crazyfists, their twenty years as a band brought them the experience and perspective necessary to avoid sounding like acne ridden seventeen-year-olds.

Now I'm left debating with myself: is the problem with Time & Trauma to be found in the very subjective amount of passion it holds, or the very empiric level of dynamism it displays? Both. Written during and after several losses in the band's immediate circle, this sixth album certainly sounds driven by the suffering of some of the members, but unfortunately it never quite reached me. Lindow's vocals might be the reason of that: it almost feels as if it's "Lindow And Associates" I'm listening to, a singer and his backing band. There is almost no room for the instrumentation to shine and drive those feelings home. There is no room for long intros, no tension-building bridge long enough, no instrumental track. No pause for our ears, or place for a catchy riff to develop. Being constructed on a rock base rather than the usual metal/hardcore structure, the tracks really are focusing on the clean singing. Thus, it renders the whole experience rather irritating, or dull to say the least.

36 Crazyfists' latest effort feels a bit like a return to their nu metal influences in some passages, even if the whole opus is a lot more tame and civilized than you'd expect it to be. The accent was put on the emotional content, and there's no effort to innovate within their sound, or outside of it for that matter. However, I still think the gap of five years between the release of this and their previous did do some good: the cohesion between the songs and the unified feeling of despair that come out of them make it an album no one can accuse of being disjointed.

Is Time & Trauma a disappointment? Not really, since it's a step up from the previous release. Is it accomplished? No. Even if it could be satisfactory for a 36CF fan, it really shows that not much is going on in mainstream metalcore anymore. The trend has been stone dead for a long while, and thankfully, because that makes room for really promising underground bands to grow. Need a recent example? Here.


Rating breakdown
Performance: 6
Songwriting: 5
Originality: 3
Production: 8

Written by Ilham | 28.01.2015




Comments

Comments: 5   Visited by: 77 users
31.01.2015 - 10:56
Rating: 6
AssailantForce

Pretty neat review! It's very hard to come by a metalcore review that actually makes sense besides the cliched bashing for being 'generic'. Secondly I think your calm,mature approach should be acknowledged, in an environment that is too quick to judge this category.
I admit checked out 2 songs. One being the video clip of 'Also am I'. Literally that clip served no purpose except to familiarize the faces behind the in sound. The instrumental part was extremely uninspired. Sounds to me all the trauma and tragedy you mention only reflects in the voice and verses of the vocalist. songwriting and originality ratings are spot on if the entire album in this vein. I remember this one song I liked in my early listening days titled 'End of August'. It had a typical nu metal arrangement and simpler chords/rhythm. But, the song writing atleast connected. But here - It's like they just don't care. There's even an short awkward phrase between the verse and chorus(50 second mark) which is 'trying' to bridge provide a smooth transition but it is soo freaking ridiculous. All I could think of was a Seinfeld episode where George was trying out glasses and the others were so bored they'd be like - 'yeah that looks good, yeah pick that one, pick something!' I imagine that's exactly what the rest of the band told the creatively worn out guitarist just so they could pack up and call it a day.
On the other hand I liked the second track I heard. Well, it was a 2 minute album teaser but just one song with the words 'Time and Trauma' in the chorus so I'm guessing - the title track? It had a little pain in the ear kind of tone, slow-mid doomy approach. It sounded like it belonged on the recent Arctic Sleep's Passage Of Gaia but mildly spiced up with koRn-like nu metal seasoning. a It wasn't really all that great but, hell, these guys are done for in the metalcore category, unless they do some drastic line up changes to come up with a sound that may appeal to even the mainstream metalcore fanbase. (maybe the singer could go on a diet while they're at it.) Or, they should seriously consider stoner/doom approach. The singer definitely has a unique clean voice that is, well - Alice in chains's and mastodon's guitarists whose name I forget comes to mind if not as awesome.
It's not just the title track, I mean, look at all those song titles! 'Lightless' 'Gathering Bones'. It's like this was a doom metal album that could not come out of the closet. They must have really tight fanbase, to be a major signed band and play metalcore like this and even release it. I almost wish I could counsell them to go Doom. Thank you for reading my rant
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31.01.2015 - 13:03
Rating: 5
Ilham
Giant robot
Written by AssailantForce on 31.01.2015 at 10:56

Long but interesting comment.

First of all, thanks for the effort. I like metalcore, that's why I don't bash the album for being what it is, a metalcore album; I have absolutely no merit . What you heard and understood from those two songs can totally be applied to the rest of the album. If you end up listening to the whole thing, there are big chances we'll agree. We don't have +1s for comments but that Seinfeld reference would have got you one.
But I don't really understand why you'd want them to go doom solely on the vocalist's type of voice. They can barely make very simple nu metal riffs interesting.
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31.01.2015 - 13:17
Uldreth

Written by Ilham on 31.01.2015 at 13:03


First of all, thanks for the effort. I like metalcore, that's why I don't bash the album for being what it is, a metalcore album; I have absolutely no merit . What you heard and understood from those two songs can totally be applied to the rest of the album. If you end up listening to the whole thing, there are big chances we'll agree. We don't have +1s for comments but that Seinfeld reference would have got you one.
But I don't really understand why you'd want them to go doom solely on the vocalist's type of voice. They can barely make very simple nu metal riffs interesting.

This band used to be really good though, at least on "A Snowcapped Romance", "Rest Inside The Flames" and "The Tide and Its Takers".
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31.01.2015 - 13:19
Rating: 5
Ilham
Giant robot
Written by Uldreth on 31.01.2015 at 13:17

This band used to be really good though, at least on "A Snowcapped Romance", "Rest Inside The Flames" and "The Tide and Its Takers".

I should have specified I was talking about this album .
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31.01.2015 - 15:44
Rating: 6
AssailantForce

Written by Ilham on 31.01.2015 at 13:03

First of all, thanks for the effort. I like metalcore, that's why I don't bash the album for being what it is, a metalcore album; I have absolutely no merit . What you heard and understood from those two songs can totally be applied to the rest of the album. If you end up listening to the whole thing, there are big chances we'll agree. We don't have +1s for comments but that Seinfeld reference would have got you one.
But I don't really understand why you'd want them to go doom solely on the vocalist's type of voice. They can barely make very simple nu metal riffs interesting.


Your welcome! Sorry for the long comment hah! Writing a shorter, concise takes lot more effort oddly and less fun. From the tracks I heard, it is less likely I want to sink my nostalgic bearing with 36C further so I'll take your word for it

It's like 36C's marriage to nu/metalcore has gone stale so maybe seeing new people. lol I said doom out of whim because, the title track had a doomy approach although nothing stellar, it was still better than that video single. Maybe any change of style would give them a fresh perspective.
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