I’m very glad I haven’t heard of Shaven Primates. Listening to the album now, I have never felt luckier hearing such effort come to fruition. Releasing several singles through the last year, Child of Dirt is the album that is the tour de force of this individual. Compiling 7 songs together, you’re in for a worldview you’ve never prepared yourself for.
The title track itself can tell a lot about the album. As well as the artist. The first song showcases a sound that is the by-product of The Cure and Genesis together. Difficult to imagine at first, yet easy if you already heard this song and are reading this. Using a dominating riff like Lullaby by The Cure, Child of Dirt transforms this track to be the minted metal coin that is the face of this album. The guitar work towards the end is slow-clap worthy, as well as the composition work.
If you want to talk about unorthodox riffs, look no further than Shaven Primates. On the Bleeding Age uses morphing time signatures, harmonics and other complex sounds that I cannot list. The styles this artist has taken to within the myriad subgenres is worth exploring, just within this album. My words will do no justice to the magnitude of impact this album leaves to the artist and listeners.
With ambient intros, Shaven Primates makes it a point that his prog-rock theme is held tight. The Zoo has an oriental aura that it operates around, however the instruments speak otherwise. The track is a solid rock track, with some John Petrucci style verse guitar delivery. Alternative sounds are explored as well, harmonizing from the backup vocals and the leads.
Thematic perusal
The thematic approach Shaven Primate takes is beyond our brains statute of limitations. Like a Emerson, Lake and Palmer song, this too has acts which divides it into elements of focus, each making a style less ordinary than the last. Swamp Rock Blues/In Transit/Bus Replacement Service/Soft Reset(3 piece suite) is this projects most ambitious stride yet. From ambient sounds to prog rhythms like Genesis and even King Crimson at times, the tales are too sparse and exciting to be written in these few lines. This has to be a journey for the listener, as designed by the artist. From a 4/4 rock shuffle to a pulsating bass drum for support alone, this track explores a lot of sounds before its final act. Barring all that I just said, speechless.
Outside is a track that all us basic music lovers can relate to. It has a solid, catchy recognizable rhythm, makes a flow unlike the other songs that are based on a viewer basis. Outside has the guitars, energy and groove you prided yourself on predicting on other tracks. This is that one fun song you can hum perfectly, and make sure you got the time signature right.
Hard rock, heavy hitting
Mind has the underlying sound and vibe of a track from the Iron Maiden riff library. It is just as hard rock, classic metal and profound as you would want it to be, and I really connected with the lyrics. It is hard to program in our minds the level of work and effort that has gone into producing and perfecting this album, ranging from the genres to the sounds.
Answers is the epic song that has been released this year. By epic I don’t mean great, I mean by the timestamp on the song. I mean incredible, by the standard of what the track is trying to portray. Pink Floyd had a track on Atom Heart Mother called Alan’s Psychedelic Breakfast. Though in no way am I comparing the two, the journey of telling the story is equally credible. From some complex guitar work to a transformative ambient digital experience, this song is an experimental ending to a song no one was expecting. If the question asked by an extraterrestrial species was, “What’s music?”, this could very well be the answer.
Exceeding expectations as an indie artists first record, an incredible feat has been achieved. The songs are airtight, search and find purpose within the same track. It is revolutionary, transformative, and will be misunderstood. Or overlooked, seeing the breakneck speed at which the world goes about. To music lovers everywhere, here lies an album for you to explore when you dare.
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Self professed metalhead, moderately well read. If the music has soul, it's whole to me. The fact that my bio could have ended on a rhyme and doesn't should tell you a lot about my personality.
