Intronaut

Continuing Hamilton, ON-based Goodfellow Records’ near unheard of streak of excellent releases, Intronaut have delivered a four-track EP with more clout than the average full-length from established groups. No doubt, the members’ pedigrees with noise/sludge act Anubis Rising and the under-appreciated Uphill Battle have a hand in just how impressively written and performed Null is, although Intronaut are an entirely different beast. While certainly inspired in part by the currently burgeoning sludge/doom movement, most notably later Isis, the group have included a number of expertly placed streaks of diversity. Bursts of ferocious metallic hardcore keep the waters from becoming too placid, and the occasional hazy, stoner-influenced passage, in conjunction with the vocals, occasionally gives the release a slight Mastodon-ish feel. Intronaut also manage to avoid becoming too dreary or lethargic in pacing — every opportunity to slack and lose momentum is quickly banished by some new, unexpected progression or shift in delivery. The production is fairly punchy and clear, but arguably lacking the fullness and polish needed to allow the more delicate moments to ring through crisply enough. All nitpicking aside, this is one of Goodfellow’s high points of the last couple of years, which is saying a lot, and easily one of the strongest aggressive EPs to ever be released. With a full-length offering due in the summer, don’t expect Intronaut to recede from the limelight anytime soon.