Volumes EP

The Mirimar Distaster

Undergroove

2008-09-01

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• (Member — 0 votes)

Although the opening bite of first track “Alms For Strangers” is distinctly “Welcome To The Jungle”-like, Volumes, the new EP from Sheffield’s The Mirimar Disaster, quickly tears in to heavy instro-core, incredibly Mastodon-like with its pincing guitar line, throbbing bass and athletic percussion. The feel of Atlanta’s finest is felt further on the next couple of Volumes’ tracks too — both the annoyingly-named but impressive “Control. Alter. Delete.” and the similarly engaging title track — with forceful metal/hardcore blend, swirling and chugging riffery and aggro throat-work.

half the band have turned and toned it down but the drums are still beaten hard and you know its only for so long…

On “The Town Of Empty Sound”, however, the EP takes a different turn though, with a pulsing and tense but subdued atmosphere created with repeating acoustic guitars, pensive lead notes and a waft of effects and noise building up the mood behind the guest vocals from 27’s Maria Christopher, with the track generally feeling a little more post-rock, sometimes even hitting notes resembling My Bloody Valentine, and overall not being as impressive as when the band are properly going for it.

Final track “Sing Hera” keeps the solidly atmospheric feel going with its spacey opening sprawl offering reverberating guitar lines and heavy cymbal work, though with a much bigger sense of impending explosion than on its predecessor — a feeling well fed by the entrance of riff and shout in the wash after a couple of minutes. Cue metalcore energy, hardcore vocals and LOUDness; although this track is over seven minutes long and the dynamic edge has not been put completely behind the band, though when it breaks down it is like that of Australasia Pelican, where half the band have turned and toned it down but the drums are still beaten hard and you know its only for so long…