When you immerse yourself into music, it can feel like you’re on another planet. It has the power to bring your mind into where it wants you to be and direct your mood using your ear. For Montresor, this means sending you on an instrumental journey with their latest album, “Autopoiesis.”
“Vanishing Fog” leads the album off with a dizzying melody. From the top, the deep synths and dark bassline create an unnerving atmosphere that allows the guitars and other sounds to creep in. It feels a bit clumsy as the music sounds as though it falls over itself until the track picks itself up around the 1:30-mark. It takes a moment to dust itself off before diving headfirst into its distorted and sinister aesthetic. The playful clarinet floating around distorted guitar melodies and crashing percussion creates an interesting atmosphere, which fully immerses the listener by the time the track is over.
“Farmland” follows it up with a decidedly faster pace. The soft piano that starts off the track quickly finds itself next to popping percussion and catchy guitar licks that are impossible to not fall into. Once again the clarinet and guitar dance, but share the stage whenever the drums and piano want to take center stage. Around the 2-minute mark, the guitar and clarinet embark on a mesmerizing sequence that feels like a playful descent until it crashes just before the minute is up, only to shift into a much more mysterious yet busy atmosphere with an oil-slick transition. This sequence, plus the wild piano solo just past the 4-minute mark makes “Farmland” a stand-out track with an interesting musical story.
“Homunculus” is another stand-out track. The intro is striking and echoes the mood of the previous track until the drums begin to tap to life. They create an alluring sound that you can cling to as you wind through the intro. When it’s over, the track briefly descends before rising back up into a triumphant business. The kinetic energy of the track is off the charts, with a rapid snare that marches forward as the guitar solo leads the listener into a showstopper of a conclusion. The rapid sonic power of “Homunculus” makes it stand out among the rest of the tracks, especially the longer ones that tend to dwell on a single mood or feeling, and is not a track to be skipped.
The title track is the final one on the album and immediately creates an entrancing atmosphere. The elegance of the classical instruments, led by the clarinet, are gripping and one falls into their serenity effortlessly. When it kicks the temp up a notch around the 1:30-mark, it does so literally as the drums make their entrance. They dance with the bassoon and clarinet playfully while the bassline underneath keeps the groove moving. The sounds combine beautifully to create a unique sonic landscape that feels delightful to experience. The title track is not one to be missed, especially after a full play through, as it feels as though it brings a sense of closure to the entire album.
“Autopoiesis” is an interesting listen. Tracks such as “Farmland,” “Homunculus” and “Antinomies” are full of power and energy that allow the rock and grungy influences to shine through. Others, such as “Vanishing Fog,” “Pyramid,” and the title track lean heavier into the atmospheric and classical styles, creating compositions that are daring which focus on setting up and changing the mood of the listener and their sonic atmosphere. While some of the more epic tracks such as “Vanishing Fog” and “Bildungsroman” may feel as though they dwell on or meander within the moods they create, “Autopoiesis” is an interesting fusion of classical compositions with grungy and punk rock influences.
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