Envy / Jesu - Split

Envy/ Jesu. Split EP. 2008. 4 stars.

This split is a spirited pairing of two art-metal acts that both bend genre conventions to come up with blissful and empowering sounds. Envy, from Japan, play a meticulous form of screamo that utilizes post-rock guitar riffs (a la Mogwai), strings and electronics to give their songs an epic, tragic grandeur. They have three tracks to their name here, including the tour de force of “A WInter Quest for Fantasy”, where chilling, shimmering arpeggios line dark spoken verses (in Japanese) before slowly boiling over to an all-out hardcore assault. This song, complete with layers of subtle synth melodies, sounds lush and expansive, gliding forward with intense, unraveling purpose. The propulsive pacing of “Life Caught in the Rain” keeps up with urgency, as clean math-rock guitar lines stand against swelling strings and violent drumming. This is easily one of the most passionate hardcore tracks I have ever heard, combining well-crafted emotional artistry with fiery release.

Jesu, the latest project of industrial mastermind Justin Broaderick, offers two songs here that sound like outtakes from his 2007 Pale Sketches collection. While the digital beats, shoegaze haze and calm vocals are all very soothing, they don’t retain the same visceral element that made his previous Jesu output so compelling. Both “Hard to Reach” and “The Stars that Hang Above You” are captivating (albeit over-long) but they don’t stand out in the context of a heavier and more substantial catalog. Even still, his contributions here add to the druggy mystique of this entire EP.

So, long story short, this split is highly enjoyable, especially for me since I’ve had no previous exposure to Envy’s work. They have successfully caught my attention here. Both sides of this split offer intriguing snapshots of highly ambitious acts and their sounds compliment each other surprisingly well. Splits may be a rather half-hearted format for bands to pursue, but this one seems to justify the idea.

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