ALBUM REVIEW: How Fleeting, How Fragile – Time, The Valuator
Yet another outstandingly efficient German export, four-piece metalcore act TIME, THE VALUATOR made their entrance to the scene in rather spontaneous fashion. Their acquaintance with the metalcore world was first met back in 2016 through Elusive Reasons, a head-turning debut single, eventually succeeding this with When I Meet Death and The Violent Sound the following year. Three attempts, three compelling singles, and it seemed TIME, THE VALUATOR had already sold themselves aptly; the world was hooked, and therein followed what most perceived to be a tremendously long and frustrating wait for more content to follow.
However, fortunately the German outfit recently elected to put an end to this anticipatory spell, announcing brand new debut album How Fleeting, How Fragile, and unveiling two more singles in the process. August 5th the official date worldwide, it wouldn’t be amiss to suggest that this will be a release long overdue for this band, the metal community no doubt ready and waiting to sink their teeth into new material.
TIME, THE VALUATOR found themselves in a significantly advantageous scenario prior to writing this album; they already knew what they were good at, and how the scene had already responded to it in the past. Based on this, they were able to tap into what they knew would provoke a positive reaction, and at first glance it would appear that they’ve executed it fantastically. Not only does the record frequently touch on the infectiously catchy clean sections and arresting grooves from the three singles, but it also takes the liberty of exploring much further, spanning an hour, and applying the right balance of progressiveness and eclectics to match the bread-and-butter sound.
Frequently will mercilessly groovy, djent-inspired sections transition seamlessly without a moment’s notice into pure serenity, soft clean vocals tiptoeing through, whilst chunky, robust bass-lines lurk beneath the mix to form the rigid but flamboyantly jazzy spine. Very much resembling two sides of the same coin, this is a contrast that this band have clearly refined and mastered, employing it as much of the basis for the album, being something that allows them to frequently juxtapose different styles, often creating a significantly heightened sense of progressiveness.
Furthermore, adding the final touches to this night-and-day transitioning is of course the piano that was so tastefully and delicately executed in the past, particularly in the ballad-esq When I Meet Death. Often baring echoes of classical music, but frequently metamorphosing into warming, jazzy joviality, this is something that truly taps into a different dimension entirely, often transforming what would convey as meat-and-drink metalcore into something much more. Predictably, this is very much present once again, dancing and jiving atop the mix, and frequently acting as the basis for much more progressive, exploratory sections throughout the record. As we hoped they would, TIME, THE VALUATOR have produced a fine continuation of their sound; building, expanding, but staying true to the core formula.
Let’s talk specifics. Though it’s not necessarily perfect, How Fleeting, How Fragile flaunts countless moments of pure magic, aptly showcasing what has perhaps already become the signature TIME, THE VALUATOR sound. For instance, the epic, grandiose, hauntingly catchy choruses are certainly something that became a staple prior to the album, and have very much maintained their status here: in particular, songs such as In Control and Heritage really act as pedestals for Phil Bayer‘s angelic, choral masterclass, unaccountably becoming catchy and memorable after one listen. To give another example whilst entirely contrasting from the last, TIME, THE VALUATOR have certainly carried forth their willingness to explore their heavy influences, something that is thoroughly apparent through out the record: fourth track Fugitive presents what can only be described as a myriad of heavy, melodic grooves and djent-esq patterns, somewhat similar to French act NOVELISTS, whose vocalist conveniently appears in the song for a guest feature. Not only does this track touch on a level of heaviness in its own right, but more importantly it displays the actual willingness to integrate it, something that acts as a microcosm for the broader mentality of this band.
Remaining firmly on the topic of balance and exploration, the employment of certain other elements really allow this album to transform into a different beast entirely: penultimate track Starseeker is utterly transformed during the crescendo by a dazzling keyboard solo, the intro to Heritage established a distinct jazz and blues feel via the aforementioned use of classic piano styles, whilst the election of hook-laden synth patterns adds a welcome extra layer to Onryo. All distinctly effective experimental devices, all displays of bold and ambitious songwriting.
Having gained a virtually unprecedented level of traction through their initial single releases, it became apparent that TIME, THE VALUATOR had adopted the responsibility of creating something that truly lived up to expectations. With this in mind, it cannot be underestimated how impressive the execution of How Fleeting, How Fragile has been; in a nutshell, the familiar magic remains, whilst ample experimentation has been injected, forming an epic, sprawling mass of high quality material. This being said, few albums can be devoid of room for improvement. With the fan-base so accustomed to short, sweet bursts of gold-standard content in the past, a twelve-track, nearly hour-long release was certainly a bold move. Though for the most part the formula has translated to the album format remarkably well, it wouldn’t be untoward to suggest that the final product could have been slightly more refined, avoiding any risk of certain songs becoming filler, and rendering the final experience much more concise and somewhat more impacting.
In any case, TIME, THE VALUATOR have undoubtedly served to impress with their long-awaited, debut attempt. How Fleeting, How Fragile not only contains all the makings of an intricate and insightful metalcore album, but more importantly it frequently goes above and beyond, exploring various aspects of progressive influence, and ultimately forming what conveys as a true experience. This being just their debut full-length, it would seem that the German quartet are very much on their way to the top, having initially gathered a strong fan-base, and now having lived up to expectations with their inaugural record. Though an eternally over-saturated scene, it now seems appropriate to expect TIME, THE VALUATOR to promptly climb to the top of the metalcore ladder.
Rating: 9/10
How Fleeting, How Fragile is out now via Long Branch Records.
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