ALBUM REVIEW: Irrational Pull (Deluxe Edition) – 156/Silence

Has there ever been a more exciting time for metalcore than the late 90s-early 00s? If you were to ask 156/SILENCE, or indeed many others, the answer would probably be no. The Pittsburgh-based five-piece are part of a growing school of bands who clearly wear rose-tinted glasses for that particular era. Irrational Pull, their second full-length album, draws strong comparisons to the likes of COALESCE, NORMA JEAN and POISON THE WELL.

It’s a record which places 156/SILENCE alongside bands like BOUNDARIES and RENOUNCED in a scene often referred to as ‘revivalcore.’ The album was initially released independently in June, turning a number of respected heads. Crucially, it caught the attention of SharpTone Records (home to LOATHE, MISS MAY I, EMMURE and others). Now, with SharpTone‘s help, the band are releasing a deluxe version of the album with three additional bonus tracks.

The album’s opening track High Dive In A Low Well does a good job of setting the tone for the record. After a dissonant, ominous intro with low spoken vocals, it erupts into chaotic, abrasive metalcore. It’s pretty standard fare for this kind of thing, but there’s no denying that 156/SILENCE do it very well. Vocalist Jack Murray also quickly proves himself an attention-grabbing presence. His low spoken cleans are another obvious call-back to the early metalcore the band are clearly so fond of. He also shows off a visceral savagery reminiscent of some of the best frontmen of that era, such as BOTCH‘s Dave Verellen or Sean Ingram of COALESCE.

Soon after this, third track Taste Of Ashes provides a firm contender for the best song on the record. It’s broadly in keeping with the rest of the album, but stands out as particularly strong example of what 156/SILENCE do so well. It’s a bleak, chaotic track, with dissonant lead guitars and more of Murray‘s deranged vocals. It also ends on a particularly punishing, mosh-ready breakdown. From here, the band continue in much the same vein, offering up crushing, chaotic metallic hardcore of a consistently high standard. Seventh track Conflict Of Interest is another highlight. It’s a stompy, chug-heavy rager with slightly quieter verses which serve to make the heavy parts hit that little bit harder. It’s also one of several moments where the band draw comparisons to more contemporary metalcore, with a violent closing breakdown reminiscent of the sheer chaos of a band like VEIN.

As things move on, listeners may begin to hope for a little more variation from 156/SILENCE. For the most part, the band seem interested in just one thing: beating their audience over the head. They do try a few new tricks on the album’s last few songs though. Ninth track Irrational Pull is a dynamic piece which flits between the band’s usual savagery and more downbeat verses featuring despondent spoken vocals. The album’s original closer Denouement is even more of a shift. It sees Murray introduce some melodic cleans for a quite beautiful, atmospheric piece. It’s touches like these which hint at the fact that 156/SILENCE are not just A. N. other metalcore band. They will also surely leave listeners excited at the prospect of 156/SILENCE pushing further down these avenues going forward.

Perhaps even more promising are the bonus tracks. These songs are still in keeping with the rest of the album, but again see the band push themselves. On Vexation, they play with dynamics once more – with a quieter verse giving Murray space for another tortured vocal performance. The same is true of No Angel. Here the band introduce synths and textures to create a massive, LOATHE-esque sound. After this, the album closes with a cover of ALICE IN CHAINS’ Them Bones. The band do a good job of making it their own, injecting some of those glitchy electronic touches which have become so popular in metalcore today. Crucially, this cover shows that 156/SILENCE may be looking beyond that very specific era of metalcore as a source of influence at this point. This is another exciting prospect, and something which has worked wonders for fellow Pittsburgh hardcore crew CODE ORANGE.

It feels like we’re getting more and more records like Irrational Pull at the moment. Even so, this album feels pretty special. As much as they may be replicating something which has already been done so well so many times, 156/SILENCE do such a good job that if you like that stuff you’ll surely like this too. They might not quite hit the heights of a CODE ORANGE or a VEIN just yet, but this record, and especially it’s deluxe version, reveals a band with real vision, potential and skill, and who are well worth keeping an eye on.

Rating: 8/10

Irrational Pull (Deluxe Edition) is out now via SharpTone Records.

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