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Tacoma Narrows Bridge Disaster - Exegesis review



Reviewer:
7.9

29 users:
8.24
Band: Tacoma Narrows Bridge Disaster
Album: Exegesis
Style: Post-Rock, Post-metal
Release date: February 2012
A review by: BitterCOld


01. Fractal World
02. Exegesis
03. Calligraphy
04. Valis
05. Black Iron Prison
06. Going Out Like Lights On A Switchboard
07. Sungazer
08. Wake

Tacoma Narrows Bridge Disaster, named after this incident are another in the seemingly ever increasingly crowded field of post-rock/post-metal. Those familiar with my reviews over the past 15 months have seen me refer to the bands of this trend as "SSDD"? Same Shit, Different Dudes. It's a bit of a shame, really, because as far as Exegesis goes, these guys are, well, good.

Exegesis starts out in an underwhelming fashion with the instrumental "Fractal World". Sure it has some moments when the intensity picks up the last 90 seconds, but it's not particularly memorable or noteworthy compared to the competition. A plodding, simple riff that repeats, slowly building as it goes along? You know, SSDD.

I guess it played rope-a-dope, setting up the rest of the album.

Next up is the title track which starts with more clean-toned reverb and delay aided guitar tones, and about a minute along the vocals come in. Wait? What? Holy crap, this dude isn't SCREAMING AT ME MAKING ME WISH I WAS DEAF! No! He sings clean with a nuanced tone that is simultaneously fragile yet strong. Yeah, he's got the goods. As with seemingly every post song under the sun, the intensity builds? and it all clicks. Whereas the prior track had moments, this is a cohesive, consistent piece. Melodic wah'd guitars setting a mood over drum fills? I'm not going to call it a "groove" per se, but the whole thing has this great building jam kind of feel to it that grabbed my attention and immediately set my expectations considerably higher for the rest of the album.

And that cohesive whole of all members moving in the same direction to create a larger gestalt continues for the rest of the album. Some tracks remain instrumental, others feature more of the fantastic vocal work. Softer post-rock builds into intense, distortion pedal fueled crescendos. You know the same I've come to expect in the genre, only better executed. If you have the patience, it has the pay off.

Perhaps it is fatigue of having an endless array of twists on Explosions In The Sky (only with distortion. Or SCREAMING RAWRWHFGH!) sent my way that my reaction to the genre has gone from enthusiasm to ambivalence. The occasional release like this rekindles some of that initial excitement I felt.

While these guys aren't quite up to the level that Dirge, Jesu or A Storm Of Light was on their latest, they are definitely a cut above the other post-it note acts I've reviewed in the last year and change.

Tacoma Narrows Bridge Disaster? No disaster here. Just good tunes.


Rating breakdown
Performance: 8
Songwriting: 8
Originality: 6
Production: 8





Written on 28.03.2012 by BitterCOld has been officially reviewing albums for MetalStorm since 2009.


Comments

Comments: 15   Visited by: 119 users
28.03.2012 - 21:20
Rating: 9
tea[m]ster
Au Pays Natal
Contributor
Very good review. Anyone who is curious about post-metal or has never heard of it for that matter should read this Craig.
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rekt
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29.03.2012 - 21:36
InnerSelf
proofread free
I'm gonna love this !
----
He who is not bold enough
to be stared at from across the abyss
is not bold enough
to stare into it himself.
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30.03.2012 - 21:34
Rating: 9
tea[m]ster
Au Pays Natal
Contributor
Written by InnerSelf on 29.03.2012 at 21:36

I'm gonna love this !

Yes you are and I will say these members too:

IronAngel, Mr. Doctor, JOOE, SKOM, RVannith, Bad Taste , Introspekreig.
They need to speak up and join the post-metal movement with us Inner!
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rekt
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30.03.2012 - 23:13
InnerSelf
proofread free
Written by tea[m]ster on 30.03.2012 at 21:34

Yes you are and I will say these members too:

IronAngel, Mr. Doctor, JOOE, SKOM, RVannith, Bad Taste , Introspekreig.
They need to speak up and join the post-metal movement with us Inner!

Some of them are already in
----
He who is not bold enough
to be stared at from across the abyss
is not bold enough
to stare into it himself.
Loading...
30.03.2012 - 23:18
!J.O.O.E.!
Account deleted
Written by tea[m]ster on 30.03.2012 at 21:34

Yes you are and I will say these members too:

IronAngel, Mr. Doctor, JOOE, SKOM, RVannith, Bad Taste , Introspekreig.
They need to speak up and join the post-metal movement with us Inner!

I've heard bits and bobs of this album though not a full on listen. Sounds a bit like What The Blood Revealed which I prefer over this so far. Not bad stuff though from what I've heard.
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01.04.2012 - 01:23
Rating: 9
tea[m]ster
Au Pays Natal
Contributor
Written by [user id=4365] on 30.03.2012 at 23:18

Not bad stuff though from what I've heard.

Correct. It's not ground breaking but for those who dig post-metal it will satisfy!
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rekt
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27.04.2012 - 12:12
Ivor
Staff
Totally love this album. Only later discovered your review of it. Not a small factor why I love it, are the vocals. I initially thought it was an instrumental album, up until the second song. I get tired fast of screams and the likes in post genres, so this one actually singing was a nice change.

I.
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29.04.2012 - 06:27
Rating: 9
tea[m]ster
Au Pays Natal
Contributor
Written by Ivor on 27.04.2012 at 12:12

Totally love this album. Only later discovered your review of it. Not a small factor why I love it, are the vocals. I initially thought it was an instrumental album, up until the second song. I get tired fast of screams and the likes in post genres, so this one actually singing was a nice change.

I.

Nice Ivor, giving post metal some love!
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rekt
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30.04.2012 - 11:08
Ivor
Staff
Written by tea[m]ster on 29.04.2012 at 06:27

Nice Ivor, giving post metal some love!

Heh, it's not like it's the first post metal album I enjoy.

I.
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28.07.2012 - 09:26
Rating: 9
BitterCOld
The Ancient One
Admin
Really good album. some reviews i "fire and forget", moving to the next. this is an album i still listen to and enjoy.
----
get the fuck off my lawn.

Beer Bug Virus Spotify Playlist crafted by Nikarg and I. Feel free to tune in and add some pertinent metal tunes!
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05.10.2012 - 06:16
Rating: 9
Susan
Smeghead
Elite
"You know the same I've come to expect in the genre, only better executed. If you have the patience, it has the pay off."

YES. THIS. I have meant to check out this album since you published this review so long ago, and only yesterday did I finally put it on and hear your entire review come true.


"a cut above the other post-it note acts"

----
"A life all mine
Is what I choose
At the end of my days"
--The Gathering "A Life All Mine" from Souvenirs
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05.10.2012 - 20:01
Rating: 9
tea[m]ster
Au Pays Natal
Contributor
Written by Susan on 05.10.2012 at 06:16

YES. THIS. I have meant to check out this album since you published this review so long ago, and only yesterday did I finally put it on and hear your entire review come true.

This one is making a strong case for my AOTY Susan. Disclaimer: My AOTY will ALWAYS be a post/sludge/atmo record :0
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rekt
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26.07.2014 - 22:37
Rating: 9
BitterCOld
The Ancient One
Admin
Exegesis came up on random play today. Two years on still a great song.
----
get the fuck off my lawn.

Beer Bug Virus Spotify Playlist crafted by Nikarg and I. Feel free to tune in and add some pertinent metal tunes!
Loading...
27.07.2014 - 00:38
Ivor
Staff
Written by BitterCOld on 26.07.2014 at 22:37

Exegesis came up on random play today. Two years on still a great song.

I still think it's a rather spectacular album on the whole. I listen to it once in a while and always get the "fuck, this is some good shit" moment.

I.
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28.07.2014 - 07:05
Rating: 9
BitterCOld
The Ancient One
Admin
Written by Ivor on 27.07.2014 at 00:38


I still think it's a rather spectacular album on the whole. I listen to it once in a while and always get the "fuck, this is some good shit" moment.

I.

It truly is. One of those "ok I will review it... " albums that ultimately makes me thrilled to do what I do. I wasn't kidding when I implied I'd reviewed so many meh post-metal bands I went from excited to "who gives a shit?" about the genre. Stuff like this makes me happy to do what I do.

As a side note, check out Distorting Glass if you haven't.Tom from TNBD was on it. Not post, but some form of Art-Rock or whatever that has it's moments and might appeal to those of broader musical interests. Reviewed it earlier this year.
----
get the fuck off my lawn.

Beer Bug Virus Spotify Playlist crafted by Nikarg and I. Feel free to tune in and add some pertinent metal tunes!
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