Band : Soilent Green

Album title : Inevitable Collapse In The Presence Of Conviction

Label : Metal Blade

Distributor : Rough Trade

Release date : 21/04/2008

Release : CD

You know, I've been at somewhat of a loss for ideas as to how to start this review. Should I start by giving you a concisive history of the band? Should I, like some reviewers do (because the element is present in the biography given along with the promo copy), stress on the fact that the band has had its share of bad luck in the past, and that the aggravation about all that is expressed in the frontman's vocals?

The truth of the matter is simply that I don't feel ready to start the review yet, since as per usual the band's brutal but highly technical, melodic (to my mind at least, in spite of the technical complexity) and groove laden mix of DeathGrind, Southern Rock, and Sludge is of such intoxicating effect that I feel compelled to part with additional listening sessions. Because starting a review is always the beginning of laying the CD at hand aside, as he work-load usually keeps me from listening to albums again (except when needed for a new album, of course) once the review's done! Sadly enough, we were sent the album rather late (and then our editor-in-chief's slight illness prevented him from handing over the CD to me that same week – as the cover still had to be scanned).

So, there I am, with a thoroughly exciting and excellent new album by one of my favourite bands, and having to make a rush job of the review! Ach well, let's have some facts anyway. On a dramatic level, let's mention the fact that the band's original singer Glenn Rambo (who'd played with guitarists Brian Patton and Donovan Punch in Death Metal outfit Nuclear Crucifixion before founding Soilent Green in 1988) died in the onslaught brought onto the New Orleans region by hurricane Katrina , mere weeks after Soilent Green 's former full-length album Confrontation was released in late July 2005 (review posted July 5 th , and still available for your scrutiny). Evidently, it also brought massive material damage to the band members (who live in New Orleans suburb Metairie) and their families. During the recording sessions for that album, recorded in June with engineer/ producer Erik Rutan , the band also recorded the material needed for a split 7-inch with Rochester, Ney York based Metalcore act Sulaco , issued through Bloated Goat Records in February 2006. During that same year, Soilent Green went out on two massive US tours, the first starting in January, allying with Decapitated , Hypocrisy , Nile , Raging Speedhorn and With Passion ...the second throughout June with Demiricous and The Acacia Strain . Second guitarist Tony White , who'd been added to the line-up in April 2003 (mere weeks before former bassist Scott Williams was murdered) is no longer with the band, which is now reduced to singer Ben Falgoust , guitarist Brian Patton , bassist Scott Crochet , and drummer Tommy Buckley . The new album was again recorded at Mana Studios in Tampa, Florida, with Erik Rutan and the knobs. The band upped their profile by signing to Metal Blade in late September/ early October of last year.

Musically, the foursome get it out just as exhilerating as before. As mentioned in the bio, "... Inevitiable Collapse bleeds with debilitating emotion from the epically heavy salvo of "Mental Acupuncture" to the bare-knuckled exigency of "A Pale Horse and the Story of the End". Blast-laden and confrontationally heavy with the manic time shifts, sludgy breakdowns, Southern charm and sheer instrumental prowess for which the band has become so synonymous, Inevitable Collapse In The Presence Of Conviction marks the band's most varied and instrumentally accomplished record to date..."! Well, I would agree that there's a certain degree of variety on this album, by all means. First, there's Falgoust whom indeed has his voice bent to a variety of the more aggressive vocal styles, and then there's even moments where the band takes time for an instrumentally more restive passage (intro to "In The Same Breath" , which sounds like a mandolin or banjo being played for about 39 seconds; the 17-second acoustic guitar intro to "Lovesick" )...which does not mean that the lyrical content of the album has therfore become somewhat more light-hearted as compared to older material! Dealing with the aftermath of Katrina , the band members have had so much issues with just family, it was enough for Falgoust to find the ideas of "no hope" that fill the album. As Patton mentions in the bio, "It's in reference to the history of Soilent Green and also just life in general. Everybody is always picturing things with a happy ending, but life's not always like that. Every individual out there gets to a point where they feel they've struggled to a point and never got anything out of it. It happens every day. That's the point of this record. Sometimes, even when you put your all into something and work hard, things don't always work out in the end. That's just the way life falls sometimes." On a more positive note, he also comments, "It's definitely the most level-headed record we've done in a long time. All the chaos we've had in the past years has kind of calmed down a bit"!

We can only hope things stay that way, so the band can finally grow from out of the Cult Underground status they've had to stick to due to the troubles the band went through! What with the current global interest in more brutal music and the new record deal they have, there's every chance for Soilent Green to gain more popularity than ever before...and I for one give three cheers for that! You can listen to a couple of older tracks from the band at myspace.com/soilentgreen, where they've also posted the track "Antioxidant" off the new album. A little further surfing on the Internet will find you a video for same track, by the way.

Well, there you have it...my review of the new Soilent Green , which is already now a classic in my book. Next time I'm in the record store, I'm checking out for a possible vinyl (oh please...let there be vinyl!) version of the album. In case you hadn't understood: Inevitable Collapse In The Presence Of Conviction is a sure addition to that "Best Albums Of 2008"-list of mine...right on, baby!!!

98/100

Tony.