Implodes ::: Black Earth

Implodes ::: Black Earth
Genre : Drone, Ambient, Experimental

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1. Open the Door
2. Marker
3. White Window
4. Screech Owl
5. Oxblood
6. Meadowlands
7. Wendy
8. Experiential Report
9. Song for Fucking Damon II (Trap Door)
10. Down Time
11. Hands on the Rail

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Implodes are an experimental rock quartet based in Chicago who defy all attempts at pigeonholing… Centred around core members Matt Jencik and Ken Camden in 2009 and began practicing and writing in isolation until becoming the tight unit they are today. Having performed a number of live shows, they then went on to release a self-titled cassette that received positive reviews and it is with great anticipation that fans have awaited a full length album. Black Earth rises to the occasion and is a work which will entice listeners to delve into the band’s world of deep, dark and dare I say it, cinematic music. Though it is a word overused almost to the point of cliche, Implodes are indeed eclectic within the realm of guitar driven Rock and at times the band can sound like the logical successor to early Sonic Youth at their dissonant best. They also contain shades of influential Noise-Rock band Swans and perhaps something of the melancholic ambience of The Jesus And Mary Chain, but they are not reduced to the sum of their influences. No, they appear to learn the lessons of each precursor and move onwards, forging a new sound entirely their own. ‘Open The Door’ serves as introduction with a short atmospheric track of repeated chord progressions hidden beneath a surface of delay, and it is not until succeeding number ‘Marker’ that the band throw themselves into their performance. The guitars are naturally the focal point here and they sound powerful but just out of reach behind echo and reverb, while the bass and drum rhythm section have the difficult task of keeping time with such intangible audio. Despite the discord and frequently unintelligible vocals, usually delivered spoken or snarling, there is most often a catchy melody to encourage spontaneous involuntary head movement. With this mixture of challenging material wrapped in melodic verse, one imagines the band must be a real tour-de-force live. Alongside these heavier tracks and the occasional short piece, there are moments when Implodes veer into a more experimental direction. The band shun percussion and slow down for the ambient soundscape of ‘White Window’, while a Krautrock influence within ‘Wendy’ offers another element to the band’s repertoire. Penultimate track ‘Down Time’ is an ambient piece as beautiful as it is brief and Black Earth then closes with ‘Hands On The Rail’, a noisy dirge steeped in feedback and harmonic lead guitar. That which makes Implodes an exceptional listen also makes for difficult explanation. The band simply refuses to be easily categorised, so before they are arbitrarily tacked on to Shoegaze, Ambient or Rock, a new genre may be needed and Post-Post-Rock just will not do. Released April 20th on Kranky, Black Earth is available in CD and LP editions. - Review by Adam Williams for Fluid Radio