Scarve "Luminiferous" (2002)

 
Stepping back from the exciting discovery of Irradiant, we unsurprisingly encounter perceived familiarities of the musical journey. Decreased production fidelity, unrefined identity, a vague rawness. These initially hold back the music but it only takes a few spins. With Luminiferous we have another intriguing exploration of the early djent influenced European metal scene. Labeled Technical Death Metal, yet experimental, progressive and showing similarities to the "Future Fusion Metal" label yet to emerge.

A far cry from where the extended guitar range sound has landed today, Scarve explored low end discordance, rhythmic treachery and sporadic shifts of blasting drums with a agitated stride. Exchanging guttural roars and raw heathen singing, a dualistic vocal dynamic emerges. Together they traverse an ever unsettled metallic construct beneath, taking a burley limelight, brooding within the ceaseless chaos.

Toying with trading tensions and dances of dissonance is a tricky game. Somehow, these bumpy rides converge onto peculiar gratifications. The ever violent percussion channels their artistic extremity through its Grindcore akin patterns, shuffling them consistently. Its the guitar leads that provides relief from this unending frenzy. Usually in intriguing arrangements, a melodic resolution ties up these unusual soundscapes.

On the other hand, the rhythm guitars stand out too, deploying dated polyrhythmic power chord chugging reminiscent of old school Meshuggah. On Luminiferious' ever animated journey, the ceaseless nature of its energetic lashings make it hard to determine where one is among the wretched, mangled metallic landscape. That is at least the vibe often similar to Mnemic yet not exploring the bombast they offer.

The record evades a sense of peaks or valleys, just a continual unravel of curiosity one moment to the next. Somehow, despite my many spins, its riffs and motifs haven't embedded a solid identity, one it clearly has. Futile resilient and The Day After stand out for their acoustic leaning soundscapes. As do brash moments of punk influences when the band venture into simpler drum drives and power chord strumming. Between the obvious influences, a tangled web of ideas that entertains. All in all, a great listen!

Rating: 6/10

Scarve "Irradiant" (2004)

Browsing the depths of the metal scene, with the blink of an eye this album cover threw me back to my youthful years. Perhaps it once adorned my Nuclear Blast Records magazine? I was exposed to so much great music through that free mail-in mag. Scarve also happen to fit right into the European scene of that era. Perhaps best labeled as the "Future Fusion Metal" genre that never quite took hold, they sound like a soft fusion of early Mnemic and Meshuggah with touches of classic Darkane in their melodic musicality. All these bands I adore, Its no surprise I had little trouble taking a liking to Irradiant, the second album a brief existence that ended a few years later.

Pulling from the power and menace of Metal in its extreme forms, French musicians Scarve stretch apart those frays, extrapolating melody and dissonance through shifts in momentum. Thus its songs explore the ridges of aggression, flirting with rhythmic experimentation and quite often retreating into calmer spells to introduce metallic acoustic guitar melodies or unusual lurches of "the riff". In some instances they go hard, like the Death Metal inspired pummel and pound of a vicious Molten Scars. On the following Fireproven, we unseemingly drift into an Industrial atmospheric break to showcase some lead guitar flair before flashes of color erupt in a magnetic closing riff.

These complexities and technical nature delight but have a simplistic appeal on the surface. The best songs deal with the collapse of aggression they march from the relentless into curious expanses of atmosphere. Asphyxiate plays a highlight, starting off with a meaty Meshuggah chug riff and eventually featuring a solo from the legend Fredrik Thordendal himself. Irradiant is an all round excellent showcase of boundary pushing songwriting, at least for the time. A delightful discovery slipping into my nostalgic sweet spot. Highly recommended for fans of the early "Djent" frontier.

Rating: 7/10