Style: mathcore (mixed vocals)
Review by: Jonah
Country: United Kingdom
Release date: 28-09-2018
NOTE: This album was originally included in the 2018 missed albums issue of The Progressive Subway
Mathcore has always been a weird beast for me. On one hand, there’s some incredibly cool instrumental work that can be found throughout the genre, and often the songs have this wonderful energy to them that I rarely find anywhere else. Unfortunately, they also tend to be pretty grating, and I’m just not always in the mood for the intrinsic abrasiveness that seems to be part and parcel to the genre. The Arusha Accord, however, have sold me on this style in a way that I haven’t felt since my first Dillinger listen back in the day.
This album starts off by punching you in the fucking face and just doesn’t let up. The guitars explode from the first track onwards with aggressive off-kilter riffs, the drums keep a steady assault, and the vocals range from aggressive to surprisingly atmospheric and pretty. All of this packaged together makes for an absolutely wonderful sound, and I would’ve been completely content for this 23-minute EP to just be that for the whole duration.
However, after the first 2 tracks, the sound undergoes something of a metamorphosis. The band shifts from classic Mathcore to something that I can only describe as a fusion of Tool and The Dillinger Escape Plan. Does this work? Yes, yes it absolutely does. The bass suddenly becomes a driving force, the riff structure shifts from mathy and bizarre to pulsing and rhythmic on a whim, and the entire sound becomes something I’m just entirely enraptured by. The addition of float-y, atmospheric synths scattered around the album just fleshes out the sound even better.
This is, I believe, a Mathcore album that even people who aren’t fans of the genre might be able to enjoy. The performances are all stellar, and the band has created a very distinct sound that I can’t wait to see more of. I heartily recommend anyone give this one a spin, even if you don’t like it it’s only 23 minutes long, so no harm done. But if you’re willing to really embrace the sound, those 23 minutes won’t be nearly enough, and I’m sure you’ll join me in hoping that these guys release a proper full-length soon.
Recommended tracks: Vultures, The Road (Amor Vincit Omnia – Part 1), Beneath the Dule Tree
Recommended for fans of: The Dillinger Escape Plan, Converge
Final verdict: 8/10
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Official Website | Facebook | Metal-Archives page
Label: zz – Bandcamp | Website | Facebook
The Arusha Accord is:
-Alex Green (vocals)
– James Clayton (guitars)
– Tom Hollings (guitars)
– Mark Vincent (drums)
– Luke Williams (bass)
– Paul Green (vocals)
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