With new album Atrophy, Windsor, ON sludge/hardcore four-piece Minors have submitted a welcome late addition to heavy music in 2017. What can only be described as a master class in feedback and noise, the record finds the band carving out a unique space within the overcrowded hardcore scene.
Minors aren't afraid to showcase their influences openly in their music. "Bone Pointer" pays homage to Converge, with its seamless interchange of blast beats and melodic guitar passages; the band's ability to stop and turn tempos quickly would make Kurt Ballou proud. Minors even show their admiration for American sludge band Eyehategod with "Leper," the sonic equivalent of drowning the listener through feedback. Minors shine brightest, however, when they flex their hardcore roots. Their extremely catchy, heavy tune "Void" perfectly complements the vocalist's honest and coarse delivery.
Feedback plays an incredibly important part in the band's sound on Atrophy, allowing the guitar to act as a percussive instrument and giving the drums and bass the opportunity to shine through and carry the melody at crucial moments. It is clear that Minors' goal was to create a truly bleak and depressive record; there's no moment here untouched by feedback and grit. Listeners who enjoy chaotic heavy music won't want to miss this.
(Holy Roar)Minors aren't afraid to showcase their influences openly in their music. "Bone Pointer" pays homage to Converge, with its seamless interchange of blast beats and melodic guitar passages; the band's ability to stop and turn tempos quickly would make Kurt Ballou proud. Minors even show their admiration for American sludge band Eyehategod with "Leper," the sonic equivalent of drowning the listener through feedback. Minors shine brightest, however, when they flex their hardcore roots. Their extremely catchy, heavy tune "Void" perfectly complements the vocalist's honest and coarse delivery.
Feedback plays an incredibly important part in the band's sound on Atrophy, allowing the guitar to act as a percussive instrument and giving the drums and bass the opportunity to shine through and carry the melody at crucial moments. It is clear that Minors' goal was to create a truly bleak and depressive record; there's no moment here untouched by feedback and grit. Listeners who enjoy chaotic heavy music won't want to miss this.
