REVIEW: 156/Silence - Irrational Pull [2020]
Artist: 156/Silence
Album: Irrational Pull
On amolecular level, the chaos thatgoverns thermodynamic and quantum physics makes sense. Random atomic motion isjust that—random—it is unthinking,unwavering and purely unpredictable. As we zoom out, however, we start to seeorder emerge. We see electrons and neutrons form matter; we see matter organizeinto structure—sediment, stone, flesh and bone. These creatures of higher order—us—act not out of mayhem, chaos andentropy but out of passion, curiosity and desire. We don’t collide withoutpurpose—we’re guided by something intangible to one another—we’re victims of anIrrational Pull. This notion, anintangible channeling of molecular chaos, is the very same energy that drives156/Silence’s 2020 full length record. IrrationalPull is a powerhouse. Simply put, it stands to be one of the biggest, mostdiverse and raw releases the genre has seen this year and possibly in some timebefore that. With moments of eerie atmosphere to break up brutalizingbreakdowns and sharp, metallic riffs, IrrationalPull is a fresh metalcore record that reminds the listener of all theexcellent things the genre truly has to offer.
Irrational Pull sees 156/Silence buildupon the eerie—or more bluntly, weird—stylingsof their previous record, UndercoverScumbag. However, where much of UndercoverScumbag felt as if it were trying a little too hard to be “out there,” IrrationalPull nails it to a tee. Built on a backbone of bold, unrelenting metalcore,156/Silence’s 2020 barnburner takes all the staples of traditional andcontemporary metalcore and adds a creepy, cryptic flair—abundantly evident onlead single and titular track “Irrational Pull,” but sprinkled elsewherethroughout the record, be it in “High Dive in a Low Well” or “A Taste of Ashes.”Regardless of the track, however, the truth is this: 156/Silence put their allinto the instrumentation that serves as the soundscape for the entire record.From the explosive one-two punch of “High Dive in a Low Well” and “God’sDeparture” to the raunchy “By a Thread, I Suspend” and all the way to the finalseconds of “Denouement,” the band never lets up. Driven, dynamic percussionprovides catchy, fun patterns that contrast against bare-bones, simplisticsegments and flashy fills, tastefully running the gamut on –core percussion.Meanwhile, beefy bass pumps up the metallic, energetic moments and weighs downthe crushing breakdowns that define songs like “By a Thread, I Suspend.”Elsewhere, on songs like “Irrational Pull,” the bass establishes a smooth,stunning dialogue with guitars that add nu metal, post-metal and even moreoff-the-wall styles mixed between shellings from an arsenal of aggressivemetalcore fretwork. “Problem Addict,” as well as “Conflict of Interest” see theband’s dynamic working to create a comprehensive take on contemporarymetalcore, where “By A Thread, I Suspend” is an all-out attack on the listener,and the record’s title track is more subdued (for the most part). The point isthat 156/Silence do a lot of what one would hope to hear in a metalcore record,but the fashion in which they do it—and the things they add in combination withthe monotony and predictability they lack—iswhat stands to make Irrational Pullsuch an incredible testament to the genre.
Many of theoddities that made Undercover Scumbagsuch a divisive effort remain on IrrationalPull, but expanded upon and perfected through a more mature and intenselens. Take, for example, the record’s lead single (and title track). Here, wesee perhaps the most vocal variety, where the band uses everything from spokenword to shrill shouts to assault the listener’s sanity. Not all tracks are this bizarre in theirapproach to creating a unique environment, but all of the tracks do create that same aforementioned environment. Irrational Pull is an incredibly uniquerecord, in great part to 156/Silence’s vocal effort, which uses lyrics thatfeel like something out of an old He is Legend record with vocals that couldjust as easily be 2018 metalcore, mid-2000s Norma Jean or late-2000s nu-metal—andit makes sense, which is probably thesingle hardest thing to wrap one’s head around. “Irrational Pull” or “High Divein a Low Well” see more overt nu-metal stylings clashed against contemporarymetalcore, where “Problem Addict” or “Conflict of Interest” feel more like anhomage to tried-and-true metalcore. When you try to break down all the vocaland lyrical elements at work on IrrationalPull, it gets daunting and, on paper, it looks scattered and unfocused—but inpractice, its dazzling from start to finish, 156/Silence have taken influencefrom across the heavy music spectrum—vocally and otherwise—to create somethingthat, while uncomfortable, is totally breathtaking.
Irrational Pull is a hard record todescribe—it’s dynamic, catchy, crushing, unpredictable—and so much more. To themetalcore newcomer, it may be overwhelming—hell, to someone who’s spent thebetter part of two decades neck deep in heavy music, it’s a little daunting—butit has that…well, irrational pullabout it that keeps the listener glued. It’s heavy in all the right places,riff-laden, entertaining and unbelievably energetic, making it one of preciousfew 2020 must-listen records.
9.5/10
For Fans Of: Norma Jean, DeadCulture, Extortionist, Orthodox
By: Connor Welsh