Phase IV

Phase IV

Try as I might, I could not come up with much information on this band […]
Phase IV - Phase IV album cover

Try as I might, I could not come up with much information on this band at all, except for some cryptic information from their EPK. Moribund Records does not even list them in their webpage as being on their roster. From their EPK, it's called "Progressive, Atmospheric Sci-Fi infused Metal." The album contains seven tracks.

"Horla" is the first song. It opens with rumbling, guttural vocals and some eerie guitar tones. The bassline chugs away amidst dissonant tones. This was unexpected based on the genre, but it's interesting so I will keep on listening. "Lure" begins with softer tones, but that dark atmosphere is still present. The vocals are so deep and harrowing that they sound like they could be coming from Satan himself. "Henchmen" is another odd sounding song that rattles with thick bass guitar notes, dissonant guitars, and whispered vocals. If this wasn't the third song in a row that sounds similar to the others, I would say that the band was onto a somewhat original sound.

"Devoid" presents the first look at least with some modest diversity. It's a slower offering. The guitarist keeps plugging away with anomalous tones in a steady pattern, while the vocals creep around behind them, ducking in and around the shadows. "Psyche" is more of the same, unfortunately. At this point in the album, the band should be working to present more diverse sounds, rather than resting on their laurels. The bassist is pretty good however, changing his approach often. "Borderlands" is a shorter song that sounds just like the others. "Willows" closes the album. It's a ten-minute opus, much longer than we needed, because the sound is nearly exactly the same.

What started as a fairly unique and frightening sound wore off through seven of the same songs presented on the album. At first, the dissonant tones and peculiar vocals were something that I hadn't heard before. But by the second half of the album, this repeated sound was getting tired and old. If the band can work in some diversity into their sound on the next album, I would gladly give it a go, because they are talented.

5 / 10

Mediocre

Songwriting

5

Musicianship

7

Memorability

3

Production

7
When clicked, this video is loaded from YouTube servers. See our privacy policy for details.
"Phase IV" Track-listing:

1. Horla
2. Lure
3. Henchmen
4. Devoid
5. Psyche
6. Borderlands
7. Willows

Phase IV Lineup:

Bryan Camphyre - Bass, Vocals
Mohadev - Guitar, Synth
David Beck - Drums

linkcrossmenucross-circle linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram