Chelsea Grin is one of the few bands that can reinvent its sound in every album and still stay true to its original nature.
Review by Wesley Berrien
What makes the perfect metal album? Fast riffs? Heavy breakdowns? Breathtaking guitar solos? Chelsea Grin’s Evolve EP has all of that and more!
Chelsea Grin is one of the few bands that can reinvent its sound in every album and still stay true to its original nature. The band’s music can only be depicted as total chaos. Each of the albums possesses this attribute, and Chelsea Grin has the ability to turn it into a sound that bands can only attempt to recreate.
Prior to the album’s recording, the Ex-Born of Osiris guitarist, Jason Richardson, joined Chelsea Grin. Richardson imparts his unique guitar solos and electronics into the signature Chelsea Grin sound, creating the perfect amalgamation of technically intense music that makes this album completely unique.
The EP fades into the first track, “The Second Coming,” with an eerie ambiance that sets the tone consistently throughout the entire EP. The next track on the album is titled “Lilith” — it is Chelsea Grin’s first song to include singing. And this is not just your typical metal holler; this is passionate singing.
The next two songs portray the vast musical endowment of their new guitarist Richardson. To a point the sound does get a little repetitive; riffs begin to sound the same, and breakdowns are overplayed with whiny vocals. This problem is prevalent in the song “Confession.” It is an inconvenience yet it weighs nothing in comparison to the overall power within the music. The concluding song, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” is the undoubtedly the most unique on the EP. It contains a beautiful chorus along with awe-inspiring guitar riffs.
Evolve offers the listener an experience, not just an album. Evolve is a great example of what a band can accomplish with a new member and a few minor changes. I wouldn’t say that they are reinventing the genre of death-core but they are certainly paramount in Evolving it!
See Chelsea Grin on the Warped Tour this year!
