By Dani Patrizi
United States, 1921, a writer and a story that begins with the narrator describing the opium effects and the fantastical vistas it can inspire. In few words: Rhode Island, H.P. Lovecraft author of horror and gothic-horror tales and his short story 'The Crawling Chaos'.
Lithuania, 2013, a fresh post-rock project and a new album. The correlation? Simple: just take a mysterious and fascinating story and tell it accompanied by a great music.
This is the idea of the man behind the post rock and post metal project Autism.
All of you that are into post rock and post metal music already should take the chance to listen to the Autism debut album Falling Motions, characterized by rugged guitar sounds and vibrating melodies. The Crawling Crowds is the new album from the Lithuanian band in which the band decided to introduce a story-teller that reads fragments from the story that gives the name to the album and therefore honoring the American writer Lovecraft.
The first time I listened to this album my mind went to Khartoum, the EP of the German band There's A Light, and their idea to use as vocals the speech of J.F. Kennedy. Post rock music is most of the time only instrumental; just few bands use the vocals and the way chosen by the Lithuanian band wins the prize for its originality. The voice Autism used in this album is like an additional instrument: sometimes it's louder than the music, sometimes it is in the background. The resulting contrast between instruments and voice is sublime. The tone itself of the voice adds darker atmosphere to the whole album.
The new release contains 6 tracks and the opening one 'The Crawling Crowds', as the album and story title, is stunning. The start provokes a thrill and even when there's no vocals it speaks loudly by telling you everything that can't be said in words. 'Maelstrom' starts softly, like a continuum of the opening song. It's just the starter because in a bunch of seconds an explosion of guitars burst on the scene.
The relaxing first half of 'Concealment' features a persistent rhythm that at high volumes it’s enough to get my heart pumping. The same happens in 'Onset' that is my favorite song of the album together with 'The Crawling Crowds'. The continuous alternation between the instrumental show driven by the guitars and the drum and the pauses dominated by the voice is excellent.
'Behind The Shapeless Figure' begins with a beautiful and melodic guitar meanwhile the vocals continue to tell us his story. The sound is soft, our attention is focused on the deep voice and we are trying to remember where we left the story before we are unexpectedly scared into oblivion by a crashing of guitars and cymbals as Autism, at this point of the album, are well known for.
The way the tracks merge together to form a whole composite enhances the general atmosphere of the album and gives it a homogeneous colour. Most of the shades of this colour we can find in The Crawling Crowds are something between grays, blacks and the darker tonalities. But there's also something light in the album: just listen to the 'Radiant Waters', the closing song, and you'll find that light. And, if for a moment you felt confused, after few seconds you'll realize you in a beautiful room lighted by many windows and golden rivers. Pay attention to the lyrics also and you'll notice how Autism has been able to create the right music for it or to choose the right part of the story for this wonderful arrangement. In both cases the Lithuanian band made a step forward gaining a great position into post rock and post metal music world.
The Crawling Chaos is constantly good and intense. It has the rhythm of a good melancholic poem.
