Artist: Communic
Label: Nuclear Blast
Release: 2006
Rating: 4/5
This young Norwegian band is “sharpened” to the extreme! Last year they released their debut “Conspiracy In Mind”, and here’s its successor, album number two! The debut already branded the band as Nevermore’s younger brother, and this time around Communic stay close to that band too.
The singing in particular is a dead giveaway: the way the vocal lines are phrased in the verses, and even the timbre of the voice, which at times shamelessly leans toward Warrel Dane. What sets the Norwegians apart is greater complexity, heavier use of symphonic elements and inserts of classic heavy metal ingredients. What pulls the band further away from Nevermore is a much weaker guitar riff sound in the production, though it’s more nicely balanced – more precise, which in this case isn’t all that welcome, since it carries less bite. Still, the album sounds alive and razor-sharp on the production front. Of course, it’s still a long way from Nevermore’s devastating scale! On top of that, singer and guitarist Oddleif Stensland doesn’t play the kind of demanding solos that are one of Nevermore’s key trademarks. Sure, you can fix anything in the studio, but it probably wouldn’t hurt the boys to think about bringing in a fourth member. Add a fourth guitarist and the sound would be bigger and would destroy even harder. Mention Nevermore and Communic’s leanings toward “thrash metal riffing” are no stranger either, and neither is the drumming, the use of the double bass pedal, which is venomously “thrashy”.
As mentioned, Communic are progressive. But careful! In this case it’s the only word I was left with as a term that gives real meaning to the quality of “being progressive”, with a recognizable voice of their own, since they swim in waters that are harder to pin down by genre. You’d be less wrong tagging them “Nevermore metal” than “progressive metal”. These guys have nothing to do with bands like Dream Theater, Angra, Symphony X, etc… The guitars are cranked up a notch higher in the mix than on Nevermore records. The vocals are soulful and passionately immersed, which makes the new record’s musical expression instantly appealing. The bass line has a big foot. Communic even manage to create that slightly metallic bass guitar tone whose masters in the production booth are American “thrash metallers”. Stensland is an incredible musician. He combines guitar and vocals at a technical level that’s almost flawless, so it would be interesting to catch this trio live as soon as possible.
Despite the leanings that pull toward Nevermore, Communic are successfully carving out their own recognizable style step by step, because, as already said, they pack in a much greater dose of varied motif changes, break the basic tempo several times within a song, and at the same time they’re no strangers to the symphonic leanings of classic “heavy metal” elements. From there it’s not far to “power metal”, though in this case I’d rather use the term ossified European “heavy metal”, because Communic are first and foremost a furious metal band that much prefers to pull aggressive half-tones out of its sleeve rather than melodically soar over a bed of supersonic double bass pedals, which also means Communic are vaccinated against any glucose-laden haze, of which “power metal” is so often full.
Communic build big atmospheres. The sound is, as noted, brilliantly filled out in contrast (though, whispered in your ear, there’s still room for a fourth guitar), the contrasts between instruments are dynamic, and the production picture keeps them in balance. Communic are an exceptional band in terms of composition and technical execution. Scandinavian perfectionists. The guys play with force, with brute strength, and above all the vocals are the crown of all the album’s eruptive emotions. With the new album Communic cement their status. The new record is adorned with a greater variety of songs, even more dynamics and self-confidence from the band compared to the debut. You can feel the Nevermore influence, but Communic compensate for that with a higher degree of complexity and the introduction of classic heavy metal elements, especially in the longer instrumental passages, where they aren’t ashamed of symphonic touches (At Dewy Prime). The complexity of the songs is incredible, in how finely it’s disguised! For all the filigree precision of the energetic “riffing” and the sudden shifts in tempo and motifs, the guys keep it remarkably accessible for any listener. “Waves Of Visual Decay” is one of the better metal albums released this year. The band is just getting started, and if they keep going in this vein, we can look forward to many more wonderful Communic albums in the future.
Lineup
Oddleif Stensland – vocals, guitar
Erik Mortensen – bass
Tor Atle Andersen – drums
GUEST MUSICIAN:
Endre Kirkesola – keyboards
Production
Jacob Hansen
Tracklist
1. Under A Luminous Sky
2. Frozen Asleep In The Park
3. Watching It All Disappear
4. Fooled By The Serpent
5. Waves Of Visual Decay
6. My Bleeding Victim
7. At Dewy Prime
Running time: 56:34
