CONTROL AND RESISTANCE

This was a moment in technical metal that for me has still not been surpassed. One reason is Doug Keyser. The bass playing on this album is technically and melodically superb. Not quite possessing Jeff Berlin chops, but close, he winds his way through the rather chaotic nature of the song structures, providing the hook and foundation. The vocals are of course the love em or hate em issue. What many miss after hearing The Eldritch are the subtle vocal performances on may of the albums interludes. They suit the music. Jarzombek showed his Holdsworthian influneced approach and shines as well. The drumming is produced in a rather thin way but again for the time and what these crazy Texans were trying to achieve is remarkable. I still get a buzz out of listening to this. Keyser does a tour de force utilising harmonics, tapping and his extended linear lines. The album is not particularly memorable in terms of vocal melodies and hooks but this is one of my favourite pieces of music. Suitably crazy and never replicated. If it has been let me know. For me much more significant and better than Focus. The foundation of so called math-metal is here in all its grating dissonant glory.