C'est un maniérisme très bizarre et eldritch cette nous pensons souvent Métal en tant que un substance macabre et maligne lorsque ses origins sont dans la musique classique et baroque. Often enough is it that we never consider the progenitive works of Bach, Beethoven, and others to have any influence whatsoever on modern convention-though fans of RHOADS or BECKER certainly know better-and yet there does exist bands of a Metal inclination who occupy a niche more closely related to the resolving cadences of Classical music, and ALPHA BLANK is one such entity having just released their debut album, Life In 2 Pieces.

The album commences with the track, "To Survive," whose main progression plays off of a start-stop type of riff; the divergence of each guitar with the chorus is refreshing though it does take focus away from the center of the piece which otherwise contains a large harmony. One of two singles from the album, "Dawn," contains a building progression within its verses that works its way towards the dynamic loudness the introduction contains fully realized during the final chorus. "Blue Girl Baby" is a transitive piece whose shape changes drastically over the duration of its length, starting out as somewhat of a contemporary Rockabilly kind of progression and ending as a Rock Ballad. The track, "What It Means" diverges between two separate strings right at the beginning of the song immediately adding a dynamic unique to the song which continues on for the entirety of the duration sans the choruses. The title track, "Life In 2 Pieces," talks about the duality of the human condition as it pertains to one's own indecision, the music mimics this concept by changing its dynamic from clean to overdriven between verse and chorus; the clean portion of the break reminds me of "Jack's Lament" by DANNY ELFMAN, and the fading screaming at the end completely defies the conventional parameters of the song making it odd but memorable nonetheless.

The mixing of the instruments is a craft expertly woven whose labor bears transcendental fidelity and crystal clear tones and the immense sound of the band given its size is quite remarkable to say the least. The guitars are rich and immersive both in their own stead through panning, and their composite melding together during same rhythm sections. The bass is thick and heavy giving the bottom end support and substance like a constant pulse. The drums are superiorly balanced in reference to the other instruments, sitting within their own space and never drawing attention away from the whole of the band. The voice is an interesting approach, reminding me a bit of JOHNNY GIOELI though of a substance all their own.

Life In 2 Pieces aptly conveys the resolve of the band and its direction towards a much more resolving kind of music, focusing more on harmonies and resolutions beyond intricacies and complexities. At an impressive 53 minutes in length this album will keep fans sated for quite some time.