The World Is Quiet Here – Zon
Release Date: 27th January 2023
Label: Silent Pendulum Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Progressive Metal, Djent.
FFO: Devin Townsend, Between The Buried And Me, Lorna Shore.
Review By: Jason James
The World Is Quiet Here ready their new release, Zon, the follow-up to their 2018 debut, Prologue.
Lou Kelly (Vocals), Isaac Stolzer-Gary and Ethan Felhofer (Guitar), Tyler Dworak (Bass) and David Lamb on the drums bring their high energy style to bear here. Even when they calm things down, there is still a fervour that threatens to ignite into frenetic exertion once again. Lou Kelly, especially, runs a full gamut of vocal styles on this album. At times Shakespearean orator, at times operatic grandmaster, at times demonic antagonist, his oral gymnastics are mind-boggling in some places. The rest of the band work hard to keep up with the mood changes on display in his rendition.
It seems to me that the band members had a blast in recording. As strident as the music is when going full bore, there is an undercurrent of savage delight hidden in the background of this album. A malevolent glee that is barely perceptible, but nevertheless undeniable.
Zon is a step up from their debut album, but, for me, it is still missing something. Everything that you would expect is on display – the changes in tempo and vocal pitch, the zealous drumming, the explorative guitar work. But it all seems to lack clarity of direction. Each member of the band seems very accomplished at what they do. But as hard as they’re working, Zon doesn’t raise the pulse.
When you hear a great album, you want to tell as many people as will listen to you about how good it is. Even when you hear or read a really withering album review, you will sometimes go and listen to see if it is as bad as the reviewer says it is. With albums like this, though, you really don’t feel compelled to tell anyone about them because they don’t illicit enough emotion to bother, frankly. Depressingly, it’s just all very ‘meh’. It’s a shame.
I’m not mad, I’m just disappointed…
(2 / 5)
