Ever since Steven Wilson left the solid grounds of Progressive Metal and went full-tilt Pop Rock adorned with colorful electronica, the RMR review folks were searching for that next one. Gotta have some break from the endless avalanche of metal heading towards us from time to time.
Now, the electronic metaverse is as full of garbage as it is varied. Yet, there are those proverbial cherries on that misaligned cake of garishly colored horrors. To find them is terribly difficult. And – of course – a second such record needs to be outrageously out-of-the-box and so avant-garde that it will rip us out of our hazy metal world. Snap, bang. Full attention. RMR has standards, too, you know.
Enter Melt Motif and their weirdly named new album Particles. Death Objective. It is true, electronica and pop aren’t as constrained as some of the metal genres seem to be. And this is something the aforementioned Steven Wilson also commented upon, by the way. Now, whilst Wilson still heaped a lot of weight on the rocky side of his tune, Melt Motif here turn pretty much experimental at times. Stuff so avant-garde we had to listen to it a few times to at least get an idea of where this is going.
I think similar things have been said again. But let me say them anyway. This Particles. thing often sounds like Depeche Mode from a deranged and vacated asylum. A record often sporting a strangely satisfying groove (Broken Floor, Fever, for instance). The album’s full of an underlying melancholy that rolls in on a doomy wave of a mid-tempo subdued gothic streak that would suit most of the Gothic Metal records out there.
And with that come the typical yet always slightly nauseous vocals hitting you on an even keel. Now don’t get me wrong, the vocalist is doing just fine. It’s the delivery of the vocals that always grates along our mutual nerves after a while. Yet again, Rakel‘s style often resembles the vocal prowess of the now-defunct Lenore S. Fingers, and that’s a good thing.
And let’s face it, the vocals play a pretty impressive role on Particles. Death Objective. They tell a haunting tale, storylines that keep you on edge with their raw fervor. Gunfights, talks of being a killer, warrior tales, you get it all. And instead of heaping their dystopian soundscape on top of what rock already did ad nauseam, Darkwave weaves its way into the tune. Artful inclusions of synthesized samples of all couleur will greet you at odd moments. And at some point, we were ready to break out the disco ball (Full Moon) until the dark side again took over. It’s always there, that hidden menace.
If there’s anything negative in this avant-garde piece of advanced electronica, then it’s the midsection. Somehow, Particles. Death Object wasn’t able to keep up the excitement and – indeed – the excellence of Broken Floor, Full Moon, or Warrior. Even if we enjoyed the short excursion into some reggae-infused tune on Where I Want to Die. However, this whole doomy melancholy train takes off again as of Chainsaw and culminates in the excellent Fever.
Ultimately though, Particles. Death Object never ceases to amaze. When A White Horse Will Take You Home still felt like a piece in search of a safe haven, this here record goes full-tilt dystopian. An artful mélange of styles that ranges from hints of prog rock to synth pop on an avalanche of masterfully distributed samples. And the record always rides that delicate edge of subdued cohesion without tumbling into that abyss full of overwrought colors and bad ideas. In short, Particles. Death Objective is proof that electronica can be artful in a frugal way when done right. And this one is spot on.
I guess we just found that second record – and it was a juicy experience. Take heed, Steven Wilson.
Record Rating: 7/10 | Label: Apollon Records | Web: Official Band Site
Release Date: 28 April 2023