Band Origin: Metz, St-Etienne, Montpellier, France
Genre: Progressive / Ambient / Djent
Label: Basick Records
Running Time: 56 minutes (+35 on Disc 2)
Release Date: October 31, 2011
Best Part: This album flows seamlessly from start to finish, was my favorite record from last year and is one I continue to listen to in part at least every other day.
Favorite Tracks: Awaken / Frost / Hail, and Buds / Awe / Quittance
Grade: Over 9,000
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Februus in way more than 20 words or less:
The debut full-length album from another thinking man's European band, Februus takes Uneven Structure another step forward with its unmatched combination of ambiance and progressive rhythm.
The Band:
Uneven Structure is a six piece progressive metal band from France, which originally consisted of members playing out of France and Sweden. Their debut eight track EP, simply entitled 8, was released in late December 2009, and garnered them a fair bit of attention. It served as set piece to introduce another very talented group fusing progressive, rhythmic complexity and ambient sounds into a delightful brain massaging experience. The reception and comments received through the self-release of their EP would earn them spots alongside some of most familiar names in their respective 'niche', with a spot in last years Euroblast festival, as well as a tour with Paul Ortiz (Chimp Spanner) and TesseracT. Uneven Structure would go on to sign with Basick Records in 2011 while in the recording process of their first full-length record which was released later in the year.
Uneven Structure is a six piece progressive metal band from France, which originally consisted of members playing out of France and Sweden. Their debut eight track EP, simply entitled 8, was released in late December 2009, and garnered them a fair bit of attention. It served as set piece to introduce another very talented group fusing progressive, rhythmic complexity and ambient sounds into a delightful brain massaging experience. The reception and comments received through the self-release of their EP would earn them spots alongside some of most familiar names in their respective 'niche', with a spot in last years Euroblast festival, as well as a tour with Paul Ortiz (Chimp Spanner) and TesseracT. Uneven Structure would go on to sign with Basick Records in 2011 while in the recording process of their first full-length record which was released later in the year.
Jay's Take on Februus:
A few weeks ago now, I wrote at length about my Top 20 Metal Albums for 2011, including a real mammoth of an explanation behind why Februus was my choice as favorite among the pack. You can read the whole thing, if you hadn't previously by going through the second post which contains my choices for #10 thru #1, or by skipping through to the end, and reading what I had to say about Februus specifically.
For brevity's sake I've decided to rip the part about the album in that post and use it here, since it still follows the same general way I do this part of my posts.
Uneven Structure follows the formula they had with 8 and channeled it to another level with Februus in creating a record that flows seamlessly from track to track, and covering an array of various elements, styles and moods. On my first play through I found myself wondering when certain tracks would end, when they had actually crossed over into the next track nearly a minute prior. The tracks Frost and Hail are a perfect example of this, and are probably the best combo tracks on the entire record - Frost also being my favorite song from last year. The thing that makes Februus so different from other albums which follow the same ideals is the level of ambiance that is emphasized by the band. The enjoyment, and the experience of listening to Februus transcends the instrumentality itself when its in full swing, the ambient effects are really what make the album flow together so well, and help solidify the moods carried through the music. Februus also happens to be a double album, with the second disc comprising three purely ambient tracks. While the instrumentation and ambiance do well enough on their own to garner a nod as a phenomenal album, the vocal work and lyricism of the record fit perfectly with each track and explore the various emotions and concepts conveyed through the different songs. It helps in a way to let you relate to the music, and the messages being conveyed, which is probably the best feeling you can get when you listen to a song.
Since I've gotten my hands on Februus I've listened to a portion of it, if not all of it at least once, nearly every day. It's an album that I can listen to under nearly any circumstance, whether I'm working, trying to catch some sleep, just relaxing or want to get some musical enjoyment. It's basically the triple threat that made my decision to make it my favorite album last year final: it has genius level musicianship and quality, absurdly high replay value, and allows you to relate to the moods conveyed through the music.
Sample of the Day:
Two-fer Tuesday, video for Awaken recorded prior to the album release, and the track Frost - these are the two opening tracks on the record, and together with Hail flow together for what feels like one 18 minute long track.
- J
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