ALBUM REVIEW: No Longer Human – Turian
Prolific grindcore merchants TURIAN are back, but not as fans have come to know them. Having added a fourth member – their first ever dedicated vocalist – into the mix, the Seattle natives have used the past two years to evolve and grow. The results can now be heard on their fourth record No Longer Human, on which the band has steered more toward the realm of noise metal, via sludge and hardcore. There’s still that grind edge to their sound but this is easily their most ambitious foray to date.
Slow Death gets us underway with an animalistic roar and a shocking amount of groove. The perpetual forward motion is as gritty as ever, but realised in a more refined and daring way. Whereas previous work was wholly intense and balls-to-the-wall in its approach, this gives the listener much more to hold onto and manages to strike the balance of having a wider ranging appeal but without sacrificing who they are at their very core. Snakehead swiftly follows with a bit more urgency about it, like they can’t wait to rip your face off, which is precisely what they proceed to do through venomous riffs and vocalist Veronica ‘Vern’ Mitzli‘s rabid barked vocals. It’s a fantastic new addition for the band, as Mitzli‘s dedicated vocals come with heaps of charisma, high I turn allows the instrumentation to hone a similar quality.
Judas Tree stands out as an early highlight, combining everything that made those opening two tracks so enthralling and tying it all up with a HECK-esque flair. Guitar sweeps are deliciously frenetic, drums reach a pummelling fever pitch and the chorus is so simple and catchy that it’s simply impossible to resist.
All told, No Longer Human only lasts about 24 minutes. As a grindcore band, you might even think that’s a bit on the long side, but in this new phase of TURIAN, something feels hurried. There are so many ideas and textures that only feel lightly explored – it would have been nice to have a little more of some of it, especially on the likes of Willoughby, which blazes by in just 80 seconds. Even the longest track on the record – American Dog – which stands at a whopping three minutes and 27 seconds, feels like a journey abandoned at the halfway point.
Length be damned, the one-two punch of Narcissus and Sailamasso is a potent combination on which to close the album. Textured and creative with great character and drive, it’s a fitting and memorable end to this new chapter of TURIAN.
No Longer Human starts brilliantly but meanders somewhat as it goes. That may be a shame but all the signs are there to signal a fascinating, broad new age for the freshly formed foursome. With Metzli at the helm and with some beastly choruses in tow, TURIAN looks like it’ll be a name that we’ll be seeing a lot more of soon enough. Just give them the time to fully find their feet as a four piece first.
Rating: 7/10
No Longer Human is out now via Wise Blood Records.
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