Buried Inside - Spoils of Failure

February 21, 2009

Reviewer: Matt

Spoils of Failure is the fourth album of Canada’s Buried Inside, and the first of theirs I’ve heard.  They play the kind of music alternatingly dubbed “post-metal” or “slowcore” or some equally unhelpful description of the style pioneered by Neurosis, popularized by Isis, and subsequently bloated beyond comprehension by sound-alike crap.  That post-rock/sludge hybrid is all the rage these days, and Buried Inside don’t do much to stray from that sound beyond leaning a little harder to the hardcore side ala Burst, but Spoils of Failure is a solid, compelling release that will undoubtedly thrill fans of the genre. 

I should state at the outset that the vocals may be a huge turnoff for many fans, as they are exclusively in a hardcore style and, though relatively sparse, may be perceived as monotonous.  A recurring theme of reviews of albums in this style is the vocals, and I think that criticism is entirely fair and justified.  I personally like vocalist Matthew Tweedy’s hoarse bellowing and find it reasonably expressive, but it would be nice to see bands transcend this convention more regularly. 

That’s a minor quibble though in an otherwise great album. Besides which, Tweedy is shouting some pretty thought-provoking - albeit rather abstract - lyrics dealing with highly relevant topics such as biotechnology and the bureaucratization of law enforcement (I think that’s what they’re about). 

Enough about the vocals.  Buried Inside’s strongest asset is its melodic sensibility.  Thankfully they eschew the dominant approach to this style - starting quietly and slowly building heaviness over ten boring minutes to an “emotional” climax. Spoils of Failure is instead filled with epic, meandering melodies wrapped around churning, sludgy riffs.  Here and there some jagged hardcore riffing comes to the forefront (“III”), but it’s never long before the heaviness morphs into soaring melody. 

Behind all the great guitar work is a powerful rhythm section.  The bass guitar has a thick, meaty sound that provides much of the heaviness when the guitarists are in melodic overdrive.  The drumming is a major highlight of this release.  Michael Godbout has a fairly fill-intensive style, but he reminds me of great jazz drummers in the way his instruments have their own voice in the compositions.  There’s less concern with rigid timekeeping and greater emphasis on working with the melodic voices to build and shift momentum and emotional intensity.

Spoils of Failure is a great release.  Buried Inside has crafted a truly engaging and memorable work.  If you even remotely enjoy bands like Burst or Isis or have a soft-spot for melodic hardcore you should check out this album.

Release Date: March 3rd, 2009
Label: Relapse Records

TRACK LISTING

1. I
2. II
3. III
4. IV
5. V
6. VI
7. VII
8. VIII


Total playing time: 53:52

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