Review by Josh Felty
Rating: Listen!
As far back as I can remember, I have always had an intense (at times perverse) love for music. I've been just as infatuated with watching a live performance as much as actually performing, whether it be playing guitar, drums, singing, or sometimes all of the above. Since this is the first of surely many Infernal Dreams "Sinister Sounds" reviews, perhaps I shall set the stage for how music impacts me personally, if not also setting the bar for future critiques.
Being a critic is easy, for the most part, because a reviewer is really bestowing his opinion upon the world. Unleashing that hellishly vicious creature to you, Hopefully Pleased Reader, is both a delight and curse. In that way, being a critic is honestly difficult as fuck: will an acerbic, negative review from someone the likes of yours truly influence you to skip the article at hand? Or will it only fuel your curiosity at such an abomination, a virtual "train-wreck effect"? And on that same note, does a positive review really mean you're going to gush at the creative output being reviewed? Perhaps, perhaps not; at least in the same way. In a nutshell, we all opinions; some take on more of a foul odor than others, but that does not negate the power of the written critique.
I, like many people, have always appreciated the holistic (if not at times elitist) movie reviews of Roger Ebert and Peter Travers. I haven't always agreed with every single one of their opinions; it's more of a valued fanboy "Okay, I can see that". That's if I've gone to the trouble of seeing what they've reviewed in the first place. Sometimes, I'll read a review after the fact, perhaps picking up on plot or design elements that I missed. Music, like film, is a similar beast: insert slot A into slot B, rinse, repeat as necessary. You either like it or you don't and sometimes, if you're lucky, a shit review of a great movie will change your whole perspective not only on the film or album, but on why we humans have an opinion in the first place.
But I won't get into all that. It's not psychology class.
With that said, I'm also a huge fan of great music reviewers. David Fricke of Rolling Stone magazine immediately comes to mind. Fricke, for those Philistines out there, is the bespectacled poofy-haired cat who appears in just about every rock-related documentary piece out there. He's equally a fan of old and new, especially punk music, and really knows what he's talking about. Because he looks at the bigger picture, which is a rare commodity in most critic's arsenals nowadays. Probably because on the internet, anything goes. Several reviewers out there, not affiliated with Infernal Dreams whatsoever (who shall not be named) actually find it good sport to tear apart even the best of films/books/records to shreds with their own brand of elitism. It's sickening really, unless the product really really deserves it.*
*I'm not completely innocent in this regard. Reference my review for "Dinosaur Valley Girls" for a taste and then go fuck yourself.
Also, this reviewer's gonna approach his music review system in a unique yet democratic way, by eschewing the whole number/star system for something simpler: Listen!, Don't Listen!, and Give It a Spin! (see legend at bottom of this review for rough definitions) Now, I can't apply this to anybody else who'll potentially strap on the 'phones or crank their speakers, but it's something I'll try for the first few reviews to shake things up. If you don't approve of this system or approve and just wanna heckle me for shits and giggles, email me personally at bubbajosh@gmail.com and I'll probably instantly delete your mail for obvious reasons and/or keep it in a special folder marked "Crank" so I can laugh at your clever little quips. Movin' on...
Back to business: I get a big hard-on for entertaining music as much as entertaining movies, which brings me to local Kentucky outfit Downtrend's Navation disc. This is typically the point where I tell you what vein or genre Downtrend falls under, which would not only be equally complementary and degrading, but utterly retarded and cliched. I'm not going to do that in this review or any other. For example, I could say "Downtrend is an amalgam of Tool, Guns 'N Roses, and Breaking Benjamin"; and you may love these bands. But that doesn't really paint the picture for you because it's a comparison. Like saying dandelions resemble sunflowers. I'll spare you the rhetoric and just get down to brass tacks...
Downtrend, natives of Pikeville, Kentucky, rock out in a most eclectic fashion, combining dark, melodic verses with hook-smothered choruses and the occasional gutteral scream (sometimes known as 'barking' in the hardcore scene). And they do it tastefully, mind you. I could go on all day about how much I don't appreciate an entire song being an aural overload; I'm actually glad Slipknot's found it in themselves to move toward a more melodically balanced soundscape. Too much of "the old bark-o-rama" is murder on my ears.
And that's not because I'm getting older (which admittedly, we all are) but because as a musician/music lover, all that screaming translates to noise. And noise is not music, friends. Sorry, drive through, have a nice fucking day. There's a time and place for excessive screaming and it's not in music. In fact, in my opinion (I love saying that) most modern "screamo" and death metal bands do too much of it as either (a) to compensate for lack of singing talent or (b) to try to shock and frighten and dare I say titillate the bloody-eared masses. But, to each his own. I'll yet again, step down from my soapbox.
The thing about Navation, and Downtrend I'm certain, is that hard-hitting and melody can enjoy a fruitful marriage. Tracks like "Make It Hurt" and "Skyline Theory" really attacked me sonically; and I loved every minute of it. There's something about double-bass that impresses me, also. Not only in how well it drives that hard-hitting action home, but also the technical prowess behind it. If you've ever attempted to play double-bass on drums, you'll feel what I'm spittin'. Vocally, the lead singer's voice has such magnetic range and cadence, that I couldn't help but be reminded of an 80's metal singer traveling through time to jam with a modern hardcore band. And that is in no way a negative statement, believe you me. Navation is a cut-throat, no holds barred champion of an album that is as moving lyrically as it is instrumentally. Each song tells a story, whether it's lost love ("Liar", probably my favorite song on Navation) or love requited ("Lover's Leap Weekly"). You get the sense that a lot of thought went into the writing of each verse and that in a sense, Navation is a reveal into every band member's psyche.
As every terrific album should be, brothers and sisters. I could see the whole of Navation seriously applied to a fast-paced, grinding video game as much as an adrenaline-pumped horror or action flick. And I don't say that because it's the first music review or anything, just my honest opinion.
I was also quite taken by the guitar instrumentation. Most distortion tones on some local indie stuff I've heard in the past (and even played in my own recording experience) are either really thin and unimpressive or just plain awful. Downtrend really reaches for the heavens with their guitar work, and instrumentation in general. The vocals are also impressively recorded, although at times they briefly feel thin. I don't know if that's due to studio recording technique, a stylistic approach, or if MP3 compression has something to do with it. Either way, I'm reminded of some of my favorite modern, mainstream hard-rock interests; and that's a good thing. The vocals are soaring and packed with emotion, the rhythm section quite adept in all regards, and this reviewer enamored in headbang heaven.
All critiques aside, I urge you to pick up this disc and support Downtrend and all indie music. Speaking of the disc itself, I urge you to check out the album artwork. It definitely speaks volumes, along with the music itself. After Napster, the big guys have really turned into a collective of douchebags, forcing most upstart acts to distribute their wares online or at shows. And really in many ways, that's for the best, I feel. Because it's all about you and I and we, sitting there with our headphones strapped to our heads or our earbuds jammed into our soundholes, with the electricity of moving sound coursing into our hearts and minds.