Ok, so maybe Crips listening to Heavy metal and Goths being ghetto ‘gangstas’ is a little far-fetched, but the point still stands that with the invention of the internet, (more importantly the accessibility of downloading) people’s musical preferences have changed and while I don’t have an iPod, my MP3 Player usually can have anything from folk to doom metal to gabber (sometimes all at once!).
“But what’s all this got to do with Genghis Tron?” I hear you shout. Well with genre no longer defining what people listen to, so too appear bands that defy genre. And Genghis Tron defies genre every step of the way with their new release Dead Mountain Mouth.
At its core at least Genghis Tron is a hardcore band but the padding around that hardcore skeleton is so varied it’s almost a game picking what genres are at play. “The Folding Road” for example, the album’s first track, uses death metal-like vocals mixed with IDM choruses. And despite all these conflicting sounds the result is fascinating to listen to.
“Chapels” brings yet more genres to the table, slicing Death Metal with Breakbeat/ hip-hop programming in pocketed intervals, leaving small spaces of ambiance before the vocals continue their primeval assault upon the senses.
In a totally different style altogether, “From the Aisle” brings a post-rock sensibility to the mix, with quiet brooding vocals…until that is the ante is upped and a heavy, distorted doom metal element takes hold, evolving “From the Aisles” into a brilliant and unique track.
“Badlands” is a great piece of electronica that bridges the middle of the album, showing off just what is going on underneath the aggressive guitars and drums on the tracks before. Don’t get too complacent however as “Greek Beds” comes straight after and is probably the heaviest track on the album.
“Asleep on the Forest Floor” is easily my favourite track on the album (probably because I’m more a Braindance freak then a Death Metal enthusiast) with a lengthy, trippy, repetitive electronic opening that sounds like a hammer hitting a surface rapidly. This, followed by a malicious bass riff and droning vocals pretty much states clearly for everyone to hear that Electronica and Doom metal can be interwoven.
Whiles it’s contradictory to say it, Genghis Tron both encompass several as well as resist all genres simultaneously, the sheer scope of styles challenged and the overall outcome of the album makes them worthy of similarities to experimental Doom Metallers Acid Bath as well as experimental IDM/Post-Rockers ’65 Days of Static’. Thus laudable of anyone’s attention who likes their music good, regardless of what label is slapped on it.
In short I haven’t been this impressed with an album in a long time.
