In The Whale – Vanishing Point
Release Date: 22nd October 2021
Label: Riot Records
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Genre: Post Hardcore, Alt-Rock, Post Metal.
FFO: Witchcraft, Kal-El, Lo-Pan, Kyng, Vokonis, Testament.
Review By: Rich Sutcliffe
In The Whale – Vanishing Point is by far my most interesting review to date. In my reviewing style I tend to make a lot of band comparisons so fans of those bands will find interest with the reviewed band. With this album however, I am finding it difficult to make such comparisons. There is nothing off-the-wall crazy here, it is just different. If you are like me, and are fans of originality and diversity, this album is for you. To make things even more interesting, this band is a 2-piece, and I am trying to figure out how they achieve such a full sound.
In The Whale, from Denver, CO have been around for 10 years and recorded Vanishing Point with Steve Evetts at the Foo Fighters’ Studio 606 analog. While the production is crisp and clear, you can still hear the sonic rawness that you can only get recording to tape.
Crosses is my personal favorite track. The melodic vocal parts kind of remind me of Shudder to Think. The shouty vocals remind me of IDLES or Whores. Musically however, this is very original, and this band is hard to compare to anyone. Nice dynamic with parts ranging from mild to intense.
Jeffery and Antilion both have almost a nu-metal vibe to them, but not in a bad nu-metal way. Like I said, this band is hard to pinpoint because I hate nu-metal but I like these songs. A younger me would have been floor punching to these songs.
See where I am going with this? Edge Of The Earth has a Quicksand influence. This is all over the place. Drug Dealer, Smoke Break, and The End all sound totally different and have their unique style. The only thing that I can think of that brings everything together, is that they all have some groove that I find myself nodding my head to in enjoyment.
Vanishing Point will not be for everyone, although part of me thinks they are trying to appeal to everyone by showcasing so many different styles on one album. This is my review however, and I score this high since I appreciate diversity and I get bored with songs that all sound the same. I apologize to In The Whale for not being able to compare their sound to many artists, but I think that is exactly what they wanted with Vanishing Point. Check it out on 22nd October 2021.
(4 / 5)
