Transmission0

Simply making Isis and Cave In references isn’t enough to describe the sonic sprawl created by Transmission0, for this Dutch quintet takes the best qualities of said bands then adds a palpable mechanical atmosphere to the proceedings. The end result pulsates with brilliance and the ancillary keyboards of Michiel van der Avoird (much like Faith No More’s Roddy Bottum) allow every chord to linger in the subconscious. Album opener "Journey” begins with an ambient, calm-before-the-storm tapestry — the kind that Mindrot used to weave — then rips into an Isis-like passage. The maelstrom subsides after six minutes or so, and the whole heavy attitude distils down to just bare-boned drum beats and keys, with the aggression returning in waves. "Vs. Vampire” is a real head turner, possibly an amalgam of the quieter moments from Cave In’s Antenna and U2’s The Unforgettable Fire. "San Miguel,” however, is a full-on metalcore assault, and the untitled track four forms a brief, techno interlude of resonant, mind-numbing bass. "The Return” begins with AC/DC-like guitar tones, and later sports doom reminiscent of Tiamat’s Wildhoney. "Dust like Sand” could’ve been taken from the notebooks of Isis’s Oceanic, while the luxurious "Ether” taps into the primal energy behind Initiation-era Course of Empire, a band that was way before their time. "Serenity” is another solid instrumental that hearkens back to early the Moon Seven Times, with cascading guitars punctuated by Pink Floyd-ian keyboards and ends generously with lots of Cave In-like reverb. Another moody instrumental, track ten (also untitled) has electro-drums that remind fans of Ewigkeit’s debut. A giant step in the evolution of Neurosis-styled texture-core, 0 signals a phenomenal introduction to Transmission0 and one of the year’s best albums.