The dependence on melodramatic dynamics in modern metalcore has gotten overbearing. Sure, it's courteous to give a listener a slight reprieve by interrupting the breakneck riffs and breakdown beats with pretty melodies, but sometimes it's just as well to actually break your neck.
That's exactly what Dwell do on Innate, on which the main dynamic is the contrast between the crushing low-end chugs and the screeching high-pitched panic chords. (Imagine if Turmoil came out post-The Dillinger Escape Plan, when those dissonant dis-chords became not just the norm but a requirement, and you'll be close to understanding the North Carolinians' mix between bludgeoning and piercing.)
The speed is, for the most part, consistent — consistently fast, that is, accentuating the anxious energy as it feels like it's about to derail at any moment. Instead, the songs barrel through brick walls, through crunching breakdowns towards the destination. Innate flows incredibly well, with multiple songs continuing over the track changes. "Seasons and Trials" is an extension of "Forfeit," itself the continuation of "Open Vein." That latter song provides the album's sole tender moment before a sudden swell and scream end the song to jarring, powerful effect.
With albums like this coming from young bands, the idea that metalcore stopped being good at the turn of the millennium can be put to rest.
(Blood and Ink)That's exactly what Dwell do on Innate, on which the main dynamic is the contrast between the crushing low-end chugs and the screeching high-pitched panic chords. (Imagine if Turmoil came out post-The Dillinger Escape Plan, when those dissonant dis-chords became not just the norm but a requirement, and you'll be close to understanding the North Carolinians' mix between bludgeoning and piercing.)
The speed is, for the most part, consistent — consistently fast, that is, accentuating the anxious energy as it feels like it's about to derail at any moment. Instead, the songs barrel through brick walls, through crunching breakdowns towards the destination. Innate flows incredibly well, with multiple songs continuing over the track changes. "Seasons and Trials" is an extension of "Forfeit," itself the continuation of "Open Vein." That latter song provides the album's sole tender moment before a sudden swell and scream end the song to jarring, powerful effect.
With albums like this coming from young bands, the idea that metalcore stopped being good at the turn of the millennium can be put to rest.