Djent bands tend to label themselves as progressive music without any real warrant to do so. The "D word" also evokes a very specific sound that caters to a dwindling audience. That being said, Caricature take the remnants of a boring genre, combine it with progressive tendencies and a little pop flavoring on the top, and serve you up a 5-star audible meal called The Sound of One Man's World Collapsing. Asking for seconds is encouraged.
Caricature come from a line of rather heavy music under their name, and while there's no dearth of that on The Sound of One Man's World Collapsing, there's certainly much more pop sensibility than you'd expect. Listening to songs like "A Long Term Illness" (below) gives the listener a good sense of what the record is all about and makes it obvious there's something for everyone. From the layered screams a la early-2000's Extol to the driving melodies of the chorus, from the usage of extended range instruments for multiple purposes and sounds to the band that follows in those footsteps, "A Long Term Illness" is a shining example of what can be achieved when an artist thinks outside the box of all the initial uses of a certain instrument or sound. The album follows suit.
It's not all "light and dark" uses of the standard instrumentation of a metal band, though. Songs like "Letter H" and "Bleeding" are an interesting take on ambiance, utilizing a very dry piano sound with extraneous uses of noise and vocals to convey an almost roomy, claustrophobic emotion. Then songs like "Monuments" are a little more of what you'd expect from the band, but with uses of synthesizer to change things up and keep it interesting.
The Sound of One Man's World Collapsing is an album that isn't afraid to experiment with different sounds and vocals. Guitarist and vocalist Joe Spiller nails vocals all throughout the album and provides excellent guitar work, while the rest of the band has no problem keeping up. The Sound of One Man's World Collapsing is an adventure worth taking that'll have you guessing the entire time in the best way imaginable.
Missing out on this record simply isn't allowable.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAF7BXNf8lE[/youtube]
