Chiodos
Illuminaudio

Breaking away from labels is never easy, especially in the music field. For years, Chiodos have always been identified with and represented by the charismatic front-man Craig Owens. One day he decided to devote himself full-time to one of his many side projects, so the remaining four members of the group had to scramble, calling in the relatively unknown Brandon Bolmer, formerly of Yesterday's Rising, to replace him. Add to that a change in drummers, and the expectations around the new Michigan quintet for their new album, three years after the acclaimed Bone Palace Ballet, were high, and as often happens in these cases, it was fair not to expect too much.

After the obligatory intro, the powerful "Caves" comes right in to dispel any doubts: Chiodos are still there, and Brandon Bolmer even more so. Let's be clear, the voice remains very high-pitched and youthful like Owens', but it integrates much better with the instrumental part. The excessive baroqueness that characterized previous works, where it seemed like each member was going their own way, has been abandoned, and a sonic compactness emerges, also due to the extensive use of keyboards, which is a complete novelty for fans of the band. Add to that precise and meticulous songwriting and a production that's nothing short of perfect, and the result is set.

The tracks that follow, while adhering to a similar pattern, present a structure that's never banal, with constant changes of rhythm and those virtuosities that had distinguished past productions, but never in excess. This great richness of sound, however, presents some drawbacks, which become evident already after five or six tracks when everything starts to become a bit too pompous; a couple of slower pieces or at least ones with a less intense sound would have helped. Small example: the tenth track "Stratovolcano Mouth" contains a truly powerful and well-crafted breakdown, which tends to go unnoticed, precisely because the ear is already fatigued. Here are the breakdowns. It's they, in my opinion, that make the real difference between a good and a great band. Here, without exaggerating, Davison's combo manages to be appreciated even in the moments when you need to shake your head. But no gimmicks like Bring Me The Horizon, class and technique still reign supreme. Slightly different from the others is "Notes In Constellations," a track in some ways unique in Chiodos' discography, with a Bolmer who manages to give his best in this pseudo love song, which unfolds through a series of riffs that even evoke Circa Survive and their dreamlike atmospheres.

Ultimately, one of the best releases of 2010, also taking into account the great curiosity that surrounded the group, and considering the very young age of the band and the potential they have to express, we're set for several years to come.