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Minsk - The Crash & The Draw review




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Reviewer:
9.0

54 users:
7.63
Band: Minsk
Album: The Crash & The Draw
Release date: April 2015


01. To The Initiate
02. Within And Without
03. Onward Procession I. These Longest Of Days
04. Onward Procession II. The Soil Calls
05. Onward Procession III. The Blue Hour
06. Onward Procession IV. Return, The Heir
07. Conjunction
08. The Way Is Through
09. To You There Is No End
10. To The Garish Remembrance Of Failure
11. When The Walls Fell

Nearly four years ago I sadly reported that Minsk was on indefinite hiatus. I also prophesied

Quote:
But before you ponder seppuku at this news, the band is named after a city which has shown historical resilience to invasions and razing. So who knows, maybe they, too, like their namesake, will return and rebuild. Or at least finish that album they mentioned working on and go out with a (sonic) boom.


Happy days are here again. Roughly four years since that sad news and six years off the (oddly named) With Echoes In The Movement Of Stone they are back with the release of their fourth full-length, The Crash & The Draw, a worthy follow-up to their fantastic back catalog. "Return, The Heir", indeed.

For those of you who've not heard them before, which is most of you guessing by the number of album votes their priors have, the easiest point of comparison would be Neurosis. Post metal with an emphasis on slowly developing tense atmospheres. Pounding guitars and drum kit at a slow to mid pace with world class howled, roaring vocals. The standard by so many other post-it note acts all horribly, horribly, and annoyingly short. Minsk are constantly pushing the verge of a metal pyroclastic eruption of Krakatoan-like proportions? but an eruption that never comes. Or, using alternate meanings of that last word, its edging, metal style.

While both don't seem to take the leap and crank it up to 11, both do dial it down to Mellow Moments? to relieve the tension, a necessary feature to retain an emotional connection with your listener over an extended period.

The biggest difference between the two is Neurosis often sound suffocating and claustrophobic. It's dense. Minsk just seem to have a vast, expansive feel to the music. There is a lot going on, to be sure, but it feels just huge. This feature of their releases, past and present, always draw me in and leave me awestruck.

And, to immediately prove myself a liar, if you have ever wondered what Minsk would sound like if they detonated, we're scarcely five minutes into the opener, "To The Initiate", when we find out. Maybe after four years of hiatus frustration, they just needed to go berserk and unload. It was perhaps the biggest surprise of the album and left me picking my jaw up off the floor upon recovery.

TC&TD features 11 tracks, spanning about 75 minutes worth of music, with an early four-song slab, "Onward Procession" parts I through IV, which, in ye olden days of vinyl or cassettes and pencils, would signify the end of Side I.

Minsk come rumbling and storming out the gate, but as they close in on halftime, they ease back and (mostly and comparatively) chill their way in with more laid back songs. A needed vacation from the half hour of concussion-inducing punishment that marks the opening salvo.

The album continues in reverse-fashion, as we ease in through the sublime "Conjunction" and most of the way through "The Way Is Through" before smooth waters give way to more storm-warning intensity, bombastic kit pounding and the hammering of guitars. The closer is a nice, well, closing argument, factoring in all the components which make this band so enthralling.

I enjoy how the band is able to craft songs that are unrelenting and crushing, songs that are "tranquilo", as well as bridge the two distinct styles and pivot back and forth. In that regard, "The Crash & The Draw" is thoroughly engrossing and, well, my second favorite Minsk behind 2007's The Ritual Fires Of Abandonment.

If the green-tinted score didn't give it away, extremely highly recommended.

Author note: Tossed around Neurosis as a reference point perhaps a lot more than I would have liked to on this review. Fact is they are fairly popular around these parts, and if beating readers over the head with the comparison gets people to check Minsk out, so much the better. They are undoubtedly a worthy act who stand entirely on their own merits.


Rating breakdown
Performance: 9
Songwriting: 9
Originality: 8
Production: 10





Written on 24.03.2015 by BitterCOld has been officially reviewing albums for MetalStorm since 2009.


Comments

Comments: 11   Visited by: 263 users
24.03.2015 - 06:02
Rating: 8
Cynic Metalhead
Paisa Vich Nasha
Woah, you got me in. Great review.

Well, from a streamed song earlier on MS I had this in my mind it is spectacular. The way Minsk should sound.

Next up on my checklist.
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24.03.2015 - 17:04
Rating: 6
flightoficarus
Stamp Tramp
Nice review. I was not too enthused about listening to this one, but you have increased my interest.
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24.03.2015 - 17:25
Marcel Hubregtse
Grumpy Old Fuck
Will be seeing them at Roadburn in a couple of weeks time. Last time I saw them live they were great. Wonder what the new album is like.
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Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal

Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight
Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.)
05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996

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24.03.2015 - 17:30
Rating: 9
BitterCOld
The Ancient One
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 24.03.2015 at 17:25

Will be seeing them at Roadburn in a couple of weeks time. Last time I saw them live they were great. Wonder what the new album is like.


Pretty much what you'd expect.

I had a rather high bar set for it based upon their past releases. they exceeded it... as opposed to the band I compared them against and their latest after they also had a several year lay off in between albums.
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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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25.03.2015 - 06:10
Diverge

Damn I'm excited about this. Your reviews made my day.
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25.03.2015 - 19:53
X-Ray Rod
Skandino
Definitely got me pumped to seeing them at Roadburn. Great review.
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Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29
Like you could kiss my ass
Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
Rod, let me love you.
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26.03.2015 - 13:28
Marcel Hubregtse
Grumpy Old Fuck
Written by X-Ray Rod on 25.03.2015 at 19:53

Definitely got me pumped to seeing them at Roadburn. Great review.



I am still wondering why they put Minsk in the Batvace (a.k.a. Stage 01) That place will be packed like a can of sardines squared.
----
Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal

Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight
Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.)
05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996

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26.03.2015 - 17:08
X-Ray Rod
Skandino
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 26.03.2015 at 13:28

Written by X-Ray Rod on 25.03.2015 at 19:53

Definitely got me pumped to seeing them at Roadburn. Great review.



I am still wondering why they put Minsk in the Batvace (a.k.a. Stage 01) That place will be packed like a can of sardines squared.


Agreed, it's very weird. I'd like to be there at least 20 mins before tog et a good spot (considering how short I am). I recall they also planned to have Goatwhore in the Cul De Sac which was a laughable idea. It seems they got their senses back and now they will play in the green room.
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Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29
Like you could kiss my ass
Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
Rod, let me love you.
Loading...
26.03.2015 - 17:29
Marcel Hubregtse
Grumpy Old Fuck
Written by X-Ray Rod on 26.03.2015 at 17:08


Agreed, it's very weird. I'd like to be there at least 20 mins before tog et a good spot (considering how short I am). I recall they also planned to have Goatwhore in the Cul De Sac which was a laughable idea. It seems they got their senses back and now they will play in the green room.


Goatwhore has indeed been moved from Cul De Sac to the Green Room after some people (me being one of them) told Walter and co. that it wasn't a good idea to get them to play in that venue.
----
Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal

Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight
Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.)
05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996

Loading...
26.03.2015 - 17:41
X-Ray Rod
Skandino
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 26.03.2015 at 17:29

Written by X-Ray Rod on 26.03.2015 at 17:08


Agreed, it's very weird. I'd like to be there at least 20 mins before tog et a good spot (considering how short I am). I recall they also planned to have Goatwhore in the Cul De Sac which was a laughable idea. It seems they got their senses back and now they will play in the green room.


Goatwhore has indeed been moved from Cul De Sac to the Green Room after some people (me being one of them) told Walter and co. that it wasn't a good idea to get them to play in that venue.


When I read that they were going to play there I was honestly concerned. As in... health-concerned. :\ I was more than happy to see that they were moved to the Green Room. I dont doubt it will be full there.
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Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29
Like you could kiss my ass
Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
Rod, let me love you.
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17.05.2015 - 04:21
Darkside Momo
Retired
Great review and finally checked out this new album of theirs. Quite impressed!
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I'm stealing back my soul
I am awake"
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