We, The Undersigned

Coming up with witty intros to these things can become quite a chore after awhile. Then again, the alternative of: (city name)’s (band name) have released (album name), their (album number) in (years of existence) on (record label) is pretty lame, too. Thankfully for you, kind reader, I’ve included BOTH right here, without really doing either! My little melee of an intro echoes the variety found in We The Undersigned’s Bleed The Constants, though thankfully for you, kind listener, that melee isn’t nearly as forced or mockingly self-aware.

Though you could probably label it a spastic slice of metal, Bleed The Constants is loaded with not-so-hidden hints of several other kinds of heavy music. In any given track, the band is able to shift between stoner rock riffs and grindcore shreddery quite smoothly, which is without a doubt one of the true strengths of the record. “Burning Bodies” is a really strong track, and perhaps the quintessential example of the band’s formula at work. The track features a propelling rhythmic base, atop which some really great riffs are laid – from mean metal pull-offs to those aforementioned stoner jams worthy of a slow, steady head bob. Tyler Feeney’s chaotic croons really add to the intensity of the track, while also anchoring it with a totally memorable vocal melody. Great use of the triplet, gents.

Throughout the record, the time signature shifts are tasteful and, most importantly, logical. Cohesiveness = often the missing ingredient in a spastic experimental metal record.

The title track is another great one worthy of isolated insight. The vocal variance within is certainly notable, and the track has a brutally heavy breakdown that propels it to a new level of freshness instead of pushing it down to predictability. “Samadhi” sounds like a lost session from Protest The Hero’s Kezia, albeit with a much different vocal performance. The track is certainly a good one, as like the other named tracks above, it creates a nice hybrid of a straightforward melodic plot line with some chaotic, dizzying moments thrown in the mix.

We, The Undersigned are at their best when bouncing off-the-wall with that brand of insane asylum audio – and there’s plenty of that to be found here. Still, that sound is best presented in short, spastic bursts, and at times, the band’s intensity is a bit diluted by over-drawn passages. The instrumental track is an example of a few musical minutes the album could do without. That said, the majority of the record is loaded with seizure-inducing sweetness, and it’s so much fun being unaware of which direction your body will be thrown next.  [ END ]

Track Listing:

01. IDDQD
02. Pangaea Mind
03. Burning Bodies (in the Distance)
04. Flight of the Teratorns
05. Tonight I Dine on Turtle Soup
06. The Eschaton
07. Bleed the Constants
08. Samadhi
09. Making a Break for the Ocean
10. Strassman’s Child

Run Time: 43:42