ALBUM REVIEW: Only Self – Jesus Piece
Debut albums are not only projects to cut your teeth on, but also the perfect chance to prove your intent as an outfit. Coming out the gates with a wet leaf of a debut can be far worse than having a debut oozing with identity that remains a messy combination of ideas. Then you have bands like JESUS PIECE, who after defining their sound across two EPs and some visceral live shows have arrived with their first full length outing Only Self, an album soaked in industrial attitude and clearly reflecting the work of their current contemporaries.
JESUS PIECE were able to solidify themselves as newcomers to watch early on, as their metallic hardcore sound was carved out during their intense and high energy live shows. The band take what they already had and merely amplifying it in some intense creative fires. Lucid opens up the new album with viscera, taking clear influence from the likes of CODE ORANGE, utilising well layered guitars and simple riffs to maximum effects. It becomes immediately apparent how well mixed the record is, as the bass sits just below the surface like a reptile ready to lunge whilst the drums and guitars lead the charge, all with the roaring battle cry over the top for added throat shredding effect.
Workhorse allows the young band to flesh out some more of their atmospheric elements, as the tremolo guitars bleed into one of the most brutish tracks on the whole album, and given how primitively combative Only Self is, that says something. The razor sharp bass that kick starts Punish is, well, punishing and continues the no frills approach JESUS PIECE have towards their music writing. Utilising the power that beatdown hardcore possess but refusing to be caught up in the tide of meaningless breakdowns and vapid-lyricism. Adamant breaks this mould with intent, with thunderous riffs pushing the lyrics of “No more sacrifice/No more losing sleep” deep into the very fibre of the listeners brain.
The album isn’t perfect of course, as the final two songs I and II feel carefully placed at the tail end of the album purely to test the waters of their more ambient sounding dimension. The final two songs are nothing but combined seven minutes of industrial ambient noise that certainly serves as a speed bump from the audio abuse that takes place on the previous tracks but leaves the listener in a state of limbo as they await a pay off that never comes. Certainly these different sounds come as a welcome venture away from the chaos before, but these songs feel like lost potential, either as possibly superior ways to pace the album, or even as possible songs. Having already displayed themselves to be excellent at utilising dynamics to the best effect like during In The Silence, these could have been shining examples of an evolving JESUS PIECE, but instead feel like crash mats at the end of an epic roller coaster.
JESUS PIECE don’t feel or sound like your average hardcore band. Taking the weird and often anxiety inducing atmosphere that CODE ORANGE have become masterful at and injecting it with a new level of aggression and intensity, JESUS PIECE have been able to create a great impact with Only Self. Showing the young band to be established in their work as it stands yet still clearly looking to develop a sound beyond what they already are, Only Self is the perfect stepping stone for this brutish young band to force themselves into the alternative limelight.
Rating: 7/10
Only Self is out now via Southern Lord Records.
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