“My Descent Into Madness” by Bruner: Experimentalist music at its truest

My Descent Into Madness is a 2023 album by Bruner– where we get to see experimentation, a lot of genre-bending and a whole lot more envelope-pushing; keep reading for my thoughts!

The album opens with “Granola”, a funk-influenced pop number that manages to retain a danceable, steady beat throughout the track, something I found quite enjoyable. The tiny elements like the melodies in the faint, distant background helping soundtrack the main vocals and melody make for a delightful listen. The brass solo parts towards the song’s outro are also a nice touch.

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The second track, “Specter”, is an experiment in textures and synthesizer sound design, coupled with gritty, overdriven lead guitars that immediately have this dystopian, post-apocalyptic sound that immediately transported me to the likes of Swedish underground metal, quite the departure from the tone of the album thus far. Segueing into the third song, “With You”, we mark a return to the style and the sound of the first track on “My Descent Into Madness”, with the trademark Bruner funk-influenced sound that remains stuck in your head long past the album.

At this point, I would deem it appropriate to comment about the experimentalism that is at play here, and that with albums like these, they’re constantly looking to switch up the sound in attempts to surprise the listener– and I’m glad to report that it is rather well done here.

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“Jack-O-Lantern”, the next song up, is yet another departure from the beaten path in terms of conventional styles of music production, with a distinctly grunge sound that makes quite something of itself through its runtime. There are synths, there are fuzzy guitars playing complex riffs and lines, and there’s a stompy, thick drum kit taking care of things in the percussion department.

Some other special mentions on the album include “How Come?”, and the almost-title track “Descent Into Madness”, quite aptly named for the energy and the overall atmosphere of the song. The production finds itself varied, and very experimental in nature across the whole of the album, and that is something I love looking to in experimental styles of music; and that is what I think sets “My Descent Into Madness” apart, too.

Overall, if you’re looking for an album to pick at your brain and sound great while at it, “My Descent Into Madness” by Bruner might just be the record for you this week. Check it out here!