EP REVIEW: Downer Part. 1 – ten56.
When Aaron Matts departed BETRAYING THE MARTYRS there were eyebrows raised around the scene. The vocalist had always been a charismatic and enigmatic performer and had stood front and centre for the Parisian outfit for over a decade, recording four full-length albums with them in the process. However, how things look from the outside may not always be the case behind closed doors, and the vocalist longed for something different – a different way to express himself. He’s since chosen a different avenue entirely under the name TEN56., a band comprising some pretty heavy-hitting musicians from the djent scene including members of UNEVEN STRUCTURE, KADINJA and NOVELISTS. The band now sit on their first official release, an extended play titled Downer Part. 1, and they have already garnered plenty of attention.
From the very outset TEN56. aim to punch a hole through your eardrums with their pulverizing, ever-changing rhythmic attack. The pounding bass drums and down-tuned, chugging guitars create a foundation for the guttural vocal delivery of Matts, with only the screeching effects and distorted synths breaking up the battery. The unique way that the band deliver the skull crushing breakdown is a real breath of fresh air, it reeks of the nu-metal era that was so polarizing,
Drummer Arnaud Verrier is the secret weapon that the band build their sound around. His technical prowess behind the kit dictates the ebb and flow of all of the sounds, and his surgeon-like precision ensures that things sound watertight and intriguing to the technical metal fans who will be undoubtedly listening in. The percussive vocal patterns that Matts has written for songs like Diazepam play off against Verrier‘s beats in the same sort of fashion that you get from hip hop artists. There is a flow to the tracks that is undeniable and a groove that is irresistible.
Sick Dog is a real highlight on the record. The guitars of Quentin Godet and Luka Garotin screech and squeal in the background as Matts delivers his opening monologue in a way that is reminiscent of Jonathan Davis on the earlier KORN albums. This song is full of venom, and the bile with which it is hissed at is something to be marvelled at. This is a lost artist who has rediscovered himself and as a result he has delivered arguably his greatest work to date, full of emotive lyricism and targeted fury. The passion is immeasurable and that gets passed on to the listener.
The closing track on the release, Kimo, slows things right down to devastating effect. The sludgy, tar-thick guitar lines and guttural vocals shake the listener to their very core and threaten to reduce speakers to dust. Make no mistake, this is brutal heaviness in the same vein as BLACK TONGUE‘s debut full length, yet it all sounds very original once again. This is music built for warfare. The constant drops and breakdowns are relentless and will provide the perfect soundtrack to some colossal mosh pits when the band take to the road.
Another thing that deserves a mention here is the artistry that has gone into the release of this EP. For almost all of the songs on the record the band have dropped high quality music videos that have clearly been developed with serious creative know-how and the kind of vision that we have come to expect from modern day metal acts like CODE ORANGE. Hopefully, this is simply the precursor for when the band gets back into the studio for the follow up, and then hopefully they can translate it all to the stage for one hell of a show.
Rating: 8/10
Downer Part. 1 is out now via Out Of Line Music.
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