Uneven Structure Februus album review FEATURE

It has been two and a half years in the making, but will Uneven Structure's debut album Februus deliver? BritEvents' resident djent fan, Lucy Middleton, seeks out the biggest speakers she can find to see for herself.

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By Lucy Middleton, BritEvents.com

The word anticipation does not even begin to describe how Uneven Structure fans are feeling while counting down the days until the release of their debut album, Februus.

Despite discussing the band's love of ambient music in BritEvents' recent Uneven Structure interview, I was honestly expecting the album to be metal-heavy, yet instead I find that Februus is a balanced album.

With smooth and precise transitions between the contrast of heavy, chaotic riffs and tranquil ambience, Februus has certainly been mastered beautifully by the band's guitarist, Igor Omodei. It's incredibly clean with many layers, creating a stunning trifecta of flow, mood and atmosphere. Februus is an experience in itself; the way music should be.

Matthieu Romarin's vocals in this are perfect, not only did Uneven Structure take their time producing this album, they also put considerable effort into seeking out a strong vocalist and indeed they have found him. His screams are raw and powerful, but he's no one-trick-pony; the skillful, seasoned singer balances it out with ghostly, melodic vocals that further highlight the band's fascination with disequilibrium.

It's hard to pick a couple of favourites off this album, however from the moment I heard Frost several months ago, it hasn't strayed far from my mind. Awaken has recently been released as the first single and I found it grew on me after being unsure initially. At first I thought the polyrhythmic drumming a little too staccato and I couldn't really 'get into it', however it intrigued me and after the sheer beast that is Frost, it was obvious to me the guys knew what they were doing.

Before I knew it, Awaken had truly got under my skin. Hail also features this drumming style and is a good song - kudos to drummer Christian Shreil is in order for his solid beats as he is an excellent drummer both on-stage and in-studio. Buds is also a firm favourite of mine, it's peculiar and adds a lot to the album's overall feel.

Casting a critical ear over this album, there are no obvious flaws I can pick out - any minor problem I picked up on disintegrated as I listened further.

I did have an issue with the two short ambient instrumental tracks Exmersion and Limbo at first, but I now feel they are necessary in the album's structural design and - while I'm not a fan of pure ambience and drone myself - I listen to them while eagerly on-edge, waiting for the next twist in the Februus tale.

In conclusion, if you've been left feeling somewhat tired by the metal movement in recent years and looking for a new album to blow the cobwebs away from your collection, look no further as this album packs one hell of a refreshing punch.

Seasoned djent fans will also undoubtedly relish the opportunity to discover the unknown territory Uneven Structure have created after two and a half long years, though be sure to bring no assumptions to the table when listening to this album, and if you're expecting Februus to be a more mature 8, you will be surprised.

Februus is, without a doubt, easily one of the best albums of 2011; big things are in store for Uneven Structure and we've only seen the start of them!

Februus is to be released October 31 and can be bought through the Basick Records store and all good online music outlets.

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