By DAN SOUTHALL
ON their last outing Sun Eater, JFAC completed the transition from ignorant-though-unignorable Deathcore to a technical powerhouse that is difficult to be tucked into one particular genre or sound but is heavy and imaginative. I was a late comer to the band, only taking notice on Demonocracy, so have waited for a long time to see what they came up with on this, their fifth release.
Rumbling into life the quiet questioning “Beyond The Chemical Doorway” sets the album on a path that is more progressive than what came before with only vocalist Jonny Davy being a familiar sound early on amongst dreamy chords and jazzy basslines.
It isn’t all overly long tracks and stream of conscious riffage though. Drummer Navene Koperweis who, although only credited as a session musician, is often allowed to drive a thick and heavy undercurrent of double kick drumming and blast beats whilst guitar acrobatics lay over the top in a manner that is far easier heard than explained. For this the best suggestion on the album may just be “Grinding Wheels of Ophiam”.
Because of the mental nature of the combination of elements one would expect the album to be a difficult listen. It’s not without its challenging moments. For instance I swear there is a conceptual undercurrent; be fucked if I can make sense of it though. The up-front mix of some of the bass parts doesn’t always serve the song as well it could.
This album is a continuation of a band reborn and despite the 10-year lay off between releases, they play back-to-back almost seamlessly. Now is not the time to ignore this band or their output.
Buy Moon Healer or CD or vinyl
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