Los Angeles troupe Sifting has already made a name for themselves with their first two LPs, All the Hated and Not from Here. Comprised of founding guitarist/singer Eduardo Gil, bassist Wins Jarquin, guitarist Xavi Leon, and drummer Joey Aguirre, the quartet has spent roughly ten years successfully maintaining a fairly idiosyncratic style: a foundation of dynamic progressive rock and metal with touches of emo and punk sprinkled throughout. That recipe is further perfected on their newest outing, The Infinite Loop, which sees them building on what they’ve done before while also harnessing a more concentrated, grand, and wide-ranging trajectory. As such, it’s their finest effort yet and a gratifyingly multifaceted statement of growth and purpose.
The band justifiably touts the musicianship on The Infinite Loop—which was produced by Steve Evetts (The Dillinger Escape Plan) and mixed/mastered by Jamie King (BTBAM, The Contortionist)—as comparable to that of heavyweights like Megadeth, Dream Theater, and Rush. Thematically, it tackles weighty topics like “how life is a constant evolution of infinite cycles of existence,” “how the concept of liberty has been adulterated towards the agenda of the first-world elites,” and “the scandal of college admissions and parents providing material necessities to their children instead of what they really need – quality company, love, affection, and acceptance.” Each track explodes with ardent instrumental and vocal skill that keep you fascinated and impressed, making The Inifinite Loop Sifting’s more exemplary sequence to date.
True to their word, the arrangements on the record are thoroughly vibrant and complex yet also quite inviting. To be fair, the riffs of opener “Agony” owe more than a little bit to classic Metallica—notably, “Enter Sandman”—but the group does enough to make it their own via perpetual virtuosic spiciness and a symphonically introspective midsection whose acoustic guitar flourishes add to the speckled scope of the piece.
Elsewhere, the relentlessly grimy riffs and rhythms of “Stop Calling Me Liberty” effectively add some early 1980s thrash metal fury to the method; afterward, “The Fifth Element” takes on an expectedly futuristic and prophetic persona at times, whereas “To Who I Am” is more plaintive, yearning, and atmospheric. Of course, renowned keyboardist Derek Sherinian (ex-Dream Theater, Sons of Apollo) permeates “Ghost of a Lie” with some trademark timbres and techniques that manage to stand out without eclipsing any of the other players. In keeping with genre standards, the lengthy closing title track acts as a topsy-turvy overview of all the foursome can do. As eclectic as it is elaborate, it cements their admirable abilities as boundless composers.
Although the music around him is often harsh and difficult, Gil routinely and interestingly avoids the prototypical metal aggression in favor of a singing style that’s more elastic and flamboyant. In fact, he kind of conjures Mike Patton at the height of Mr. Bungle’s playful angst throughout the record. Outside of that, “A Critical Affair” entertainingly juxtaposes its hectic sophistication with the sort of pop-punk vocals that dominated mainstream radio in the early-to-mid 2000s. Two later tunes—“Enough” and “What If (Dichotomy)”—are even catchier for the same reason, and their dense harmonies are very praiseworthy. That said, the penultimate “Emotionless Shells” sees him packing on the violent vocals as much as possible, and it works very well.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hA6NcYzysg8[/youtube]
As with its predecessors, The Infinite Loop doesn’t rewrite the rules as much as it finds Sifting advancing their characteristics in every way. In other words, what’s most refreshing about it isn’t any single element, but rather the ways in which they fuse seemingly disparate approaches with highly fluid, confident, and gripping results. Admittedly, it’s too derivative and/or samey in spots, but for the most part, the album keeps you hooked and humbled by its unwavering energy, proficiency, and sing-along vehemence. Thus, it solidifies Sifting as a truly worthwhile up-and-comer.
Score: 8/10
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