Despite not exploring Djent or Progressive/Post-metal before listening to this album, it is one of the bands that piqued my interest in this type of music. I'm very aware that Djent is, by some, considered a saturated and simple, almost laughable category of the metal scene, simply defined by low tunings and very mechanical start/stop instrumental patterns. This collides with my view on the genre since I consider that all genres have a more "mainstream" shell that helps the listener get an idea of what type of music they are listening to, Februus is so much more than what this shell could ever be described as and it is where Uneven Structure brought something new to the genre with their first full album release back in 2011.
By trying to summarize the album very shortly, words such as Melancholy, Emptiness but also Fulfillment comes to mind. Almost all tracks of the album are presented with some beautiful ambiance, while still keeping grit of the 7 stringed guitars and heavily written instruments apparent and in focus.
So what is this album, then? It may at first glance seem rather mundane and generic to the genre, but I would consider Februus a concept album that appeals to many different tastes. The vocals are a combination of low aggressive growls and beautiful, powerful cleans. The drums are complex but never fail to induce headbanging. The guitars are low tuned, playing chugging polyrhythmic Meshuggah-like parts together with complementing chords and ambiance to keep the riffs interesting. And lastly, the recorded bass does exactly what it is supposed to do, it fills out the musical space tying it all together. Each track of the album tells a different story, has a unique feeling to it and showers the listener in emotions. The album is built up in a way that encourages the listener to turn shuffle off, and just flow with the album from start to finish. More quiet and calm instrumental sections give the listener some breathing room between the heavier parts, and an instrumental "repetitive" track (done right) finishes the album off, leaving you with that sense of fulfillment after a rollercoaster of emotions.
Uneven Structure do not write polyrhythmic music for the sake of it, it becomes apparent by listening to this album. The unnatural feeling of the "not 4/4" riffs contributes to the mood of the tracks, and never feels out of place. Although not all tracks are truly polyrhythmic, most of them have a different feeling than what "normal" 4/4 gives which keeps the entire album fresh and promotes itself to be listened to many times over. Small details in the instrumental parts make each listen unique, as you discover an additional guitar track that you didn't register on the first run-through of the album.
To this day it is still one of my favorite albums of all time. Whenever I listen to this album, I can close my eyes on my bed and just disappear into the world of Februus, completely shutting out reality. The immersion of this album never ceases to pull me away to a different place and it becomes very apparent that Uneven Structure knows how to write appealing music that stands on its own.
Februus will always be considered a masterpiece by me, because it is that good.
FIMPEN
This has been my first attempt at a review ever, and my goal is simply to share my music library with people and hopefully lead someone towards finding great music. Constructive criticism is encouraged. Thank you for reading.
