Band : Coalesce

Album title : 012:2

Label : Relapse

Distributor : Rough Trade

Release date : 19/05/2008 (Re-issue of 1998 album)

Release : CD

Experimental and innovative Hardcore act Coalesce (which still exists!) has been the subject of quite a few honorations during the last year. In August of last year, there was the re-issue (with bonus disc) of the band's There Is Nothing New Under The Sun EP, featuring covers of 7 Led Zeppelin songs. In that review, posted 28/10, I already gave you an exhaustive history of the band, so I won't repeat that here.

As already mentioned in said review, Relapse already re-issued the band's 1998 Give Them Rope debut full-length (originally released through Edison Recordings) with the new title Give Them Rope, She Said in 2004, the material completely re-mixed and remastered. The re-issue of There Is Nothing New Under The Sun (re-titled Nothing New Under The Sun +, and featuring that bonus disc with re-recorded vocals, and more) followed in August, and then came the Salt And Passage 7-inch single in September.

Originally titled 012: Revolution In Just Listening, Relapse now re-issues the band's 1999 sophomore full-length in re-mastered version. A collection of 10 tracks, it is a must-have for any fan of innovative, experimental Hardcore with odd time signatures, discordant riffing patterns, and controlled dissonance, with the occasional Ambient-like moments to boot! Coalesce where the absolute masters, and it is not surprising to find the band featured in the influences list of quite a few of the contemporary bands of the genre! If you claim to have an open mind, are into Hardcore, and have never heard of the band before or haven't had the chance to listen to some of their music, surf now to myspace.com/coalesce. You may have to get used to Sean Ingram's specific vocal signature, but once you've done that, I'm sure you'll be able to recognize àny Coalesce song you'll hear in the future!

As this is a re-issue I will not rate this release, but it IS part of the stuff of ages, and definitely belongs among those albums I hold most dearly to my heart. I can only hope that you, dear reader, will find a similar liking to these guys from Kansas City! As mentioned above, their candle isn't blown out yet, and original members Ingram and Steinegger, along with Nathan Ellis and Nathan "Jr" Richardson have announced that they will continue to play shows and record the occasional record, as their schedules will allow. We can only hope that the foursome will continue to bring us such envigoratingly hypnotic albums as this one, for many more years to come!!!

Tony.