Intense, atmospheric and interestingly dark, but this album could alienate some of its would-be fans
Light Pupil Dilate describe their music as “heavy psycho-dellic airy artsy rifftastic DIY hard rock with indie mathy hardcore tendencies.” Well, that’s one way to describe it, and I’d certainly agree with the ‘hardcore tendencies’ part. Their second album ‘Snake Wine’ is a thrashing, shouting, brooding mix, and while this may not be everyone’s cup of tea, hardcore fans will definitely be pleased.
Beginning with two of the heaviest songs on the album, ‘Prana’, which features light, atmospheric prog-style picking that weaves through dark and heavy drums and strained vocals, and ‘Twinkly’, a bass-heavy and chaotic track that seems to lack any structure, the album pulls no punches from the start. Following on, ‘Poly Viral’ is a fast-paced whirlwind of punchy guitar riffs and drumbeats, interspersed with shouted harmonies leading into a driving and hypnotic solo.
‘Big Open’ takes the tone down into a more subdued style. The screaming stops for a minute to showcase the versatility of the singer’s vocal abilities. The chorus slows down its pace resulting in an ambient tone, before ending with a long and sweeping guitar solo that draws the listener in. ‘Selfless’ picks up again for a moment, with rattling drums and more layered guitar. It’s my favourite song on the album, with powerfully long vocal notes radiating melancholy throughout. ‘Phlebitis’ features a curiously ominous feeling to the guitar riffs and the vocals have an air of desperation about them. It’s a very dark and brooding song, as is ‘Dive’ the final track on the on the album.
All well and good, then, you may think, but while musically and melodically Light Pupil Dilate are impressive, unfortunately the vocals do limit the listener somewhat and could have done with more of a balance. Sorry, but I don’t know why bands should have to scream constantly to get my attention. I can enjoy this style to an extent but too much of it starts to grate. I know plenty of metal fans who feel the same • they like screaming for effect, not for the sake of it. So, while this is a great album with some fantastic tracks, it could be a little too much for people who aren’t hardcore fans to sit through. What’s a shame is that in the few songs where the vocalists Eric Searle and Mike Chvasta do actually sing, they have perfectly good voices that add extra impact to the songs, at some points contrasting to the music, not adding to the melody. Give me more of this and I’d have been happy with an otherwise polished and accomplished metal album.