Thursday, February 21, 2019

iwrestledabearonce: Ruining it for Everybody



iwrestledabearonce play an eccentric blend of mathcore that takes a variety of sounds, genres and elements and mashes them into one sound. Sometimes, such a unique and bizarre concept can pay off and sometimes it will fall flat on its face. I can’t say much for the rest of iwrestledabearonce’s discography, but on “Ruining it for Everybody” I would say the formula works for this particular album.

The overall theme on this album is simply to create a chaotic experience, but making it enjoyable to those who appreciate such chaos. This style, to a certain degree, is nothing new as bands like The Dillinger Escape Plan, Between the Buried and Me and Fear Before the March of Flames have been doing it for some time. The use of harsh and clean vocals, as well as female singing is present. As are blast beat, technical time shifts, electronic sound effects, synthesizers etc. Basically, everything but the kitchen sink has been added into the mix on this album to create music cacophony.

One of the things I enjoyed about this album was, Krysta Cameron’s voice. Aside from the obvious harsh vocals, I thought her cleans were beautiful. They were one of the aspects I was looking forward to in each song. Songs like “Break it Down Camacho” and “You Know That Ain't Them Dogs' Real Voices” show off her range nicely. As for the rest of the music, it’s hard to pin point any one aspect that stood out, which is kind of the idea behind this style, but the drumming and constant shifting of guitar tempos was not only noticeable, but also well done. To be noticed among the wall of sound must account for something.

For me, this style of comb-noise works in small doses, as long as it’s catchy and has some kind of memorable qualities to be redeemed. “Ruining it for Everybody” indeed has its moments. Perhaps not enough for me to say this is some sort of mathcore masterpiece, but I can’t image fans of the bands I mention above not at least getting some enjoyment out of this album. It’s bizarre, but that’s how they wanted it and they accomplished creating the sound they desired.

Highlights: “You Know That Ain't Them Dogs' Real Voices” “Break It Down Camacho” “Gold Jacket, Green Jacket”

Rating: 3

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