Two-piece act CONTRIVE was formed by twin brothers Paul and Andrew in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, in 1999, labeled as an amalgam of Groove, Metalcore and Progressive Metal. In the early 2000's they release two EPs, but it wasn't until 2005 that they debuted their full-length "The Meaning Unseen." It's been seven years since their last release, marked by the unfortunate and sudden passing of their father during that time. Wanting to be true to his encouragement, they finished the record in his honor and present it now in 2017. Titled "Slow Dissolve," it contains eight new tracks.

"Connect Dead" is really a tale of two parts. The beginning has a dark and sterile type of sound, from a cold and hard hitting riff and shouted vocals. But it makes a sharp right turn around the half way mark with clean, alluring vocals and some melodies that warm you from the inside. In a reprisal fashion the opening heaviness returns to the conclusion of the track. In true Prog contrast, "What's Mine" opens with a soft and airy melody and then gives way to a more aggressive sound. Not minding the melodies here, you could swear that there are some Hardcore elements present, but perhaps that is mostly due to the vocal style. "The Immediate Age" has an opening groovy riff like something out of the CORROSION OF CONFORMITY days. But the trippy chorus and ambient passage that follows is quite a juxtaposition. Techniques like this are really reserved for seasoned songwriters who are not afraid to take chances.

"The Human Game" has a peaceful opening with a murky sound that hears spoken word talking about repetitiveness and mind control and the need to be free of that by trusting yourself and your own mind. The chugging, heavy rhythm is reflective of the former in an auditory manner and this spacy sound is really quite unique. "Below the Line" is a mysterious affair. The low clean vocal harmonies along with the plodding riff make for a charming sound in the darkest sense of that word of course; in many ways like the allure of sin. The title track "Slow Dissolve" closes the album. It's a more consistently aggressive track but also with a good deal of soft melodies and ambient passages.

This was a very interesting album. Original for sure, it is a clear presentation of the band's personality. The strong opposition from heavy to melancholic is perhaps the most noticeable feature on the album. I found myself liking the softer passages a bit more than the aggressive and angry ones, and didn't personally care for the nature of the harsh vocals, but that was just my own hang-up. It's pulsating with energy either way and is definitely worth devoting some time to listening to it.