Circle Takes the Square

This trio embarked on the beginning of what has proven to be an immensely fruitful labour four years ago in Savannah, Georgia. They have already released two previous discs, a demo EP and a seven-inch split with Pg. 99. Their first full-length, As The Roots Undo, is currently out on Robotic Empire, with Hyperrealist also printing a vinyl version of the album. This latest effort was the product of several weekends’ worth of recording and mixing at Rock Studio in Brunswick, Georgia. They drive heart-wrenching melodies and grind tendencies into twinkling strumming and textured declarations. The male and female vocal duel is immediately a tremendously provocative aspect to bone-shaking music, becoming the centrepiece as well as the masterpiece that distinguishes this record. Every song is elegantly composed, maintaining an air of contemporary disgust while focusing on individual reflection. Their acute sense of rhythm and the use of singing, screaming, speaking and whispering gives the words a heavy-hitting nature. The album holds an entirety that sounds out like a brutal saga, a story of passion and survival. An eerie whistle that launches the record haunts songs ranging from three minutes to sprawling eight-minute epics. The dichotomy between sweetened ideals and cruel reality contrasting soft, clean picked riffs and symphonic grinding chords throughout an inspiring 45 minutes.