FOREVER BECOMING

A little over a year ago I discovered post-rock/post-metal as a genre, and I have spent a lot of time since exploring it. Pelican is one of the foremost bands of the genre, but the first time I tried to get into them, on recommendations from friends, it didn't work--after a few tracks (from various albums) I found them grating, many of the songs over-long and meandering. It wasn't until I heard their EP from 2012 that my ears perked up--I liked Ataraxia/Taraxis a whole lot and it really changed my perspective: I joined the throngs enthusiastically anticipating the new album.

And for me, Forever Becoming was well worth the wait. Opening with the short, funereal "Terminal", the album then buckles down and gets to work. Track after track of epic mightiness, tight, moody pieces that rumble and blast along relentlessly, featuring thick fuzzy bass, powerful dense guitars; I have heard complaints about the drummer, but he suits me just fine on this album. Sometimes what you need is a plain, iron-clad anchor rather than frilly scrollwork, and that is what he delivers. This is just the kind of headbanging post-metal I prefer and Forever Becoming delivers in spades. Almost all the tracks are great, I could pick any one of them to highlight, but my favourite is the thick, sludgy "Threnody".

If there is any real issue, it is the last track, "Perpetual Dawn": the longest at over 9 minutes, and it begins to wander a bit through the middle, though it manages to recover before interest is lost. That said, I like this direction the band has taken, and I hope they stick with it.