Quell

One Man’s Struggle With The English Language
Goodfellow Records

7/10, Well-produced Math Metal, but it could have been better.

10 tracks, 38:00, Metalcore/Math Metal.

The artwork on the fancy case, which I have heard referred to as a "Digipak" design, led me to assume that they would be much better than they actually were. The colour scheme, the fire-head man, the eight diagrams inside the fold and the string of nonsense text surrounding the track list all hinted to a breath-taking and head-banging assault on the senses. Even the promo information listed them as a "noise machine". Yes, they make noise, but I would not classify them as a "noise" band by any means. They are a tight blend of Metalcore and Math, ala The Dillinger Escape Plan. DEP makes more noise per bar than these guys do in one minute, but I will cease my comparing there and focus on what Quell actually has created. The album flows with ease, through dizzying and frantic passages, to subdued and melancholic, to the strange (and short) electronic interlude that is track four, then back to the hectic. Of course, when I throw out words like "frantic" and "hectic", I don't mean in a disorganized way. They handle the time changesand tempo shifts with great success.

The only problem is that there isn't enough inventiveness to live up to other bands of their nature who basically wrote the book on Math Metal. If they threw in more sections like track four, and made a little more noise, they would have a true monster on their hands. As it is, they supply everything that a Math fan could want to hear in a record, and the songs are kept short. Track nine is a simple instrumental that gains a grainy distortion as the track progresses. Track ten has a beautiful piano intro, that leads into the most arty piece on the album. They also have a knack for coming up with witty track titles. "Pants Ain't Tight, Belt Ain't White; You've Got A Lot To Learn About Rock 'n' Roll", and "Circumventing Language Barriers By Speaking Louder" are just two examples. It's a shame I can't understand the lyrics because I'm sure they would be just as innovative. The bottom line is, if you are a true-blue fan of Math Metal, run out and grab this because it won't let you down. Just don't expect it to blow your mind.


Stu Patterson