Deviant
What We Bring Forth
[Universal]

by DJ Ung

“Don’t patronize!” screams vocalist Ming Hui on the title track, in the typically vitriolic metal fashion. A bold statement to make, and this trio’s debut EP is infused with such aggression and antagonism, even down to the clenched fist on the cover, dripping with testosterone. But then again, this is a metal album.

Deviant (http://deviant.bizhat.com/) takes its cue from the more recent metal acts such as Damageplan and Hatebreed with its straightforward, “don’t-fuck-with-me” aesthetic, but is let down by the thin vocals of frontman Ming Hui, lacking the spitting venom and the pure conviction of their Western counterparts. But with lyrics leaning towards the more introspective (“This open sore/ Seething from inside/ Numb myself, feel no more pain…”), it isn’t hard to see why.

There is a semblance of the metal-core craze so engulfing other Singaporean acts, but without the endless (false) posturing so associated with such bands, a saving grace I should add. Deviant seems to have placed more emphasis on actual melody and dynamics, and it is done with such flourish and certainty that it eclipses many other local metal acts in the sheer scope of their maturity and attention to musicality.

‘Darkest Days’ blends harsh, “gore-like” vocals with well rendered reverb-ed passages, a homage, perhaps, to luminaries In Flames, shifting between the guttural and elegant with swagger-like confidence. The final track of this 5-song EP ‘Private Hell’ is a distinct and refreshing break from the other more explicit ones, choosing to dwell in that very grey area itself, aggrandizing this disparity with spatters of gentle minor-chord lines in between the bursts of chugga-chugga power chord riffage, and with the vocalist more in his range.

The dissolving of the extremes that fence definition is what shifts the focus to the space in between the extremes. Culminating in a tastefully phrased guitar solo with none of the discrepancies that tend to dominate the typical shred solo, it is clear the band has saved the best for last. The headbangers at the front would be well appeased.

What We Bring Forth might have the exoteric appeal of what we would expect from a metal group, but lacking the exoticness and eclecticism of Rudra or the outrageous live performance of Meltgsnow, a sustainable interest in Deviant might be one hard to foster. But this dilemma between innovation and expression is one proportionate to the tastes of our palates and fault should not be derived for choosing one over the other, especially when Deviant clearly excels brilliantly in the latter. That being said, What We Bring Forth is a good, honest debut built on a backbone of strong tracks, and one that promises so much more from this 3-piece.

Leftover
Leftover
[self-released]

by Lounge Lizard

This quintet has just released their self-titled debut EP not too long ago. With a stronger focus on pop hooks, the music does not deviate too much from the classic rock song arrangements. However, that’s not to say that it’s a bad thing.

For a virgin effort, there are quite a couple of stand-out tracks on it. The groupie-recruiting rock ballad ‘Justina’, The piano-driven number ‘Angels Over Asimoth’ provides another rush of blood to the head as the melancholic tune builds up from quiet and contemplative to an explosive rock tune.

Whilst the band scores high on the musicianship level, creating the right amount of tension in the songs and the proficiency, the lyrical department deserves much greater attention. Seriously, what’s with a line like “You are a chocolate biscuit floating in the sky”? I’d have whatever they are smoking…

However, with the insurgence of mid-tempo rock acts in Singapore, no thanks to Chris Martin and his faceless gang, Leftover (www.leftovermusic.com) stands out amongst their contemporaries for their focus on melodies. This clear direction serves to showcase lead pipes Kuek’s fragile tenor. This is a very promising debut from this quintet indeed.

Pestaña
La perra del HORTELANO
[Mol é cula Records]

by Lounge Lizard

Aging Youth always had a strict policy of covering acts performing in the English language. But how can you say no to a couple of guys nice enough to mail you their EP all the way from Peru?

Yes, Peru where the Miss Universe contestants are always HOTT.

Anyway, the Peruvian trio Pestaña (www.pestapop.com) dabbles in electronic pop music. As much as they shy away from the tag electroclash, the association hits you once the first tune rolls out. The simplistic beats of ‘Por Petit Thouars’ and ‘La Premeditacion’, coupled with the shouting vocals of vocalist Diana Exorcism and vocalist/ programmer Leonardo Bacteria, help to seal that impression. Sounds like the formula Peaches uses? Yup.

Personally, ‘Juntos’, the nod to ‘80s synth pop and New Wave, is the stand out track for me with its kitschy synthesizer riffs pumped out by Dante Droid 2600. Anyhow, this is often marred by out-of-tune singing. As much as their declaration of “Pestaña is stupidity. Pestaña is fun. Pestaña is not artistic concept.” and the whole concept of reckless fun, bad singing is still a no-go zone for me. Sorry, folks.

Trust me, I’d love to know what they are singing about ‘cause they seem to have a ball of a time yelling the lines out. But my Spanish is as good as my Iraqi and I can’t help you there. If you like your synth-pop tunes upbeat and full of reckless fun, look no further.

I must admit I sure love the names of the band members: Diana Exorcism, Leonardo Bacteria and Dante Droid 2600.

I Am David Sparkle
Apocalypse Of Your Heart
[self-released]

by Lounge Lizard

Let’s not beat about the bush.

Post rock is an extremely self-indulgent form of music. The 3-track EP Apocalypse Of Your Heart clocks in at 37 minutes with the untitled 3rd track at 2 minutes long. Clearly, this is not for the faint-hearted.

Hailed as one of the pioneering bands in the nascent Singapore post rock scene, I Am David Sparkle ( www.myspace.com/iamdavidsparkle) has always worn its influences on its sleeve. The Mogwai comparison has bugged them for quite a couple of years. However, I am pleasantly surprised to hear bassist Yamani Ismail plonking more than the root notes as he was prone to in the earlier days, adding a more melodic side to the overall soundscape.

However, my qualm is that while the band disassociates itself from their previous simplistic ‘soft-loud-soft’ approach, the tunes suffer from overtly meandering passages. It stretches the listener’s attention span, sapping away his or her patience.

‘Apocalypse Of Your Heart’ begins with a quiet piano passage which builds up to a massive wall of sound before dipping back to some gentle guitar arpeggios. However, the group is unable to lead back the tune to the same headrush which is served initially. For ‘2024’, the quintet dives head-in with an explosive start with raging guitar riffs. It simmers down and ebbs away throughout the rest of the song, introducing little melodic passages to sweeten the fall-out along the way.

With the recent induction of ex-Astreal guitarist and programmer Nick Chan, I Am David Sparkle seems poised for yet another evolution in their sound.

Would the band swerve more towards the direction of what the untitled 3rd track represents – glitched beats with a smattering of guitar riffs or stick to its current guns? We’d have to wait till 2007 when the band’s debut full length is released.