Shai Hulud is one of those bands that
always have and always will exist beyond generalizations. Their Metal
Blade debut from 2008, "Misanthropy Pure" is proof of just
that. On this album their newer lead vocalist, Matthew Mazzalli still
attacks with intelligent, well written passages that speak to Shai
Hulud's origin, most notably found in the title track, Misanthropy Pure:
"This will read as a plea to vindicate intolerance as surely as it is
written. Understand, Contempt born of clear perception is a birthright to those
who channel it toward progression...This is a birthright and obligation."
Their lyrics, even in the early Vande der Velde/Gilbert days, have always been a touch more poetic than most bands on the boundaries between Metal & Hardcore. If you were a fan of the lyrical style of albums such as "Hearts once Nourished..." or "That within Blood Ill Tempered" this album will not disappoint. Compared to past vocalists in this band, he definitely holds his own and maintains his own vocal timbre in spite of the lyrical arrangements being somewhat similar. Whereas previous albums floated between aggressive screaming, passionate spoken word parts, and gang vocals this album focuses more on Mazzali's deeper, grittier solo screaming capabilities. When I was younger and first exposed to Shai Hulud (and other meaningful bands such as Indecision, Rammalah and Sky Came Falling), I would only check out a band after I read their lyric sheets. I did this to make sure I knew who was composed of real substance and who was filler. There are
plenty of bands in all genres that I get into maintaining unimpressive, generic lyrics, but this band continues to stand apart from this classification.
As far as the arrangements are concerned, Shai Hulud is still leaps and bounds above most band still playing today. Matthew Fox's guitar playing and songwriting reaches into a more technical, progressive dimension on this album. Whereas some older material was more riff driven, the guitars on this album habitually sway back and forth between brutal groove oriented riffing, strange time shifts, and dissonant, cascading leads (The Creation Ruin, Venomspreader, and the title track are perfect examples of this). Plus, part of what I really like about it is that the implementation of these technical aspects speak more to the structure of the songs and flowing in and out of the rhythm section; this implementation is not so much an exercise in ear fatiguing technical ability but creates a certain depth to the song itself. In selections like "Four Earths" you get a healthy dose of that haunting Shai Hulud signature melody and a whole lot of furious
downstroking and fast paced drumming to counteract it. This album, to me, is all about balance. Finding balance between old & new, punk & progressive, technical & simple, hardcore & metal (without being cheesy) and maintaining it's aggression while still being engaging. There are several leads and jam out sections that will be stuck in your head for days (most notably the last 2 and a half minutes of "Cold Lord Quietus").
Part of what really makes these odd tempo shifts and subtle guitar magic stand out is how cleaned up and professional this recording is. Depending on where you sit in the spectrum of Shai Hulud fans, this could be good or bad. Some people tend to enjoy the old recordings because the energy was discernible and real (in spite of some less than spectacular production). Although, it's pretty rare to run into someone who can scoff at production values as clean as these. The cool thing about this CD is the band gives you one of their most hard hitting and moving old songs, "Set your body ablaze". I personally prefer the older version of this song, for the reasons stated above, however I certainly enjoyed hearing this song with more precise studio discipline.
So all in all, if you are a fan of thought provoking music with substance, pick this CD up, as well as their previous efforts. In a time where bands developed in the late 90's into the new century have foregone what made them listenable in the first place, this band maintains its roots while expanding itself into a more mature chapter of their project.
Written By Dennis Scelza
Track Listing:
1) Venomspreader
2) The Creation Ruin
3) Misanthropy Pure
4) We who finish last
5) Chorus of the Dissimilar
6) In the Mind and Marrow
7) To bear the brunt of many blades
8) Four Earths
9) Set your Body Ablaze
10) Be Winged
11) Cold Lord Quietus
Previous Recordings
That within Blood Ill Tempered, A Profound Hatred for Man, Hearts once nourished with hope and compassion, A whole new level of sickness (Split w/ Another Victim), The fall of every man (Split w/ Indecision).
Their lyrics, even in the early Vande der Velde/Gilbert days, have always been a touch more poetic than most bands on the boundaries between Metal & Hardcore. If you were a fan of the lyrical style of albums such as "Hearts once Nourished..." or "That within Blood Ill Tempered" this album will not disappoint. Compared to past vocalists in this band, he definitely holds his own and maintains his own vocal timbre in spite of the lyrical arrangements being somewhat similar. Whereas previous albums floated between aggressive screaming, passionate spoken word parts, and gang vocals this album focuses more on Mazzali's deeper, grittier solo screaming capabilities. When I was younger and first exposed to Shai Hulud (and other meaningful bands such as Indecision, Rammalah and Sky Came Falling), I would only check out a band after I read their lyric sheets. I did this to make sure I knew who was composed of real substance and who was filler. There are
plenty of bands in all genres that I get into maintaining unimpressive, generic lyrics, but this band continues to stand apart from this classification.
As far as the arrangements are concerned, Shai Hulud is still leaps and bounds above most band still playing today. Matthew Fox's guitar playing and songwriting reaches into a more technical, progressive dimension on this album. Whereas some older material was more riff driven, the guitars on this album habitually sway back and forth between brutal groove oriented riffing, strange time shifts, and dissonant, cascading leads (The Creation Ruin, Venomspreader, and the title track are perfect examples of this). Plus, part of what I really like about it is that the implementation of these technical aspects speak more to the structure of the songs and flowing in and out of the rhythm section; this implementation is not so much an exercise in ear fatiguing technical ability but creates a certain depth to the song itself. In selections like "Four Earths" you get a healthy dose of that haunting Shai Hulud signature melody and a whole lot of furious
downstroking and fast paced drumming to counteract it. This album, to me, is all about balance. Finding balance between old & new, punk & progressive, technical & simple, hardcore & metal (without being cheesy) and maintaining it's aggression while still being engaging. There are several leads and jam out sections that will be stuck in your head for days (most notably the last 2 and a half minutes of "Cold Lord Quietus").
Part of what really makes these odd tempo shifts and subtle guitar magic stand out is how cleaned up and professional this recording is. Depending on where you sit in the spectrum of Shai Hulud fans, this could be good or bad. Some people tend to enjoy the old recordings because the energy was discernible and real (in spite of some less than spectacular production). Although, it's pretty rare to run into someone who can scoff at production values as clean as these. The cool thing about this CD is the band gives you one of their most hard hitting and moving old songs, "Set your body ablaze". I personally prefer the older version of this song, for the reasons stated above, however I certainly enjoyed hearing this song with more precise studio discipline.
So all in all, if you are a fan of thought provoking music with substance, pick this CD up, as well as their previous efforts. In a time where bands developed in the late 90's into the new century have foregone what made them listenable in the first place, this band maintains its roots while expanding itself into a more mature chapter of their project.
Written By Dennis Scelza
Track Listing:
1) Venomspreader
2) The Creation Ruin
3) Misanthropy Pure
4) We who finish last
5) Chorus of the Dissimilar
6) In the Mind and Marrow
7) To bear the brunt of many blades
8) Four Earths
9) Set your Body Ablaze
10) Be Winged
11) Cold Lord Quietus
Previous Recordings
That within Blood Ill Tempered, A Profound Hatred for Man, Hearts once nourished with hope and compassion, A whole new level of sickness (Split w/ Another Victim), The fall of every man (Split w/ Indecision).
