Duality.
From the moment human beings stood upright for the first time so many millions of years ago, we as a species have had an obsession with the concept of this/that scenarios, focusing on dichotomy and oppositions. You've heard the old sayings. Opposites attract. Negativity needs positivity. There is no peace without war, no life without death, no sorrow without rage.
This concept has manifested itself once again, this time in the form of the spirit crushing split from NJ/Pa's Irrita and Michigan/Pennsylvania internet project Introvert. These two groups come together to offer heavy music's most emotionally raw release of the last five years, Deprivation.
From the opening seconds of Introvert's half of the split, intro track Things that Rhyme with Noose, vocalist Connor Welsh makes it clear what has hurt him- everyone and everything. Welsh screams "When they think of me, I hope they see your face. That's the only real thing that ever mattered anyway." Fueled by multi instrumentalist Eric Fletcher's eerie soundbites and downright destructive fretwork, every word hits the listener harder and harder, leaving them a broken shell, begging for love or death. The song is a reminder that even the ones you give your heart to will leave you empty, with your head below the undertow. It is a bitter admission of longing to move on but not wanting to let go. "The last thing I want is you on my mind" is a sentiment we've all felt, but nobody drives the point home like Welsh. And on that note, let's talk about the band for a minute. Introvert is comprised of vocalist and drummer Connor Welsh and multi-instrumentalist Eric Fletcher. For every forlorn yelp from Welsh's mouth, Fletcher lurks below, supplying the perfect canvas of bending and chugs to make the listener drown in a sea of murky, malicious melancholy. "So tell me, are you warmer at his side than you ever were at mine? I could write a million one-liners pointing the fingers at you, but the sad sad truth is I still don't know what to do". From the opening seconds of Sad Max 2: Forlorn Road, Welsh and Fletcher have summarized the last year of their lives, down to the last depressive, demoralizing detail. Fans of Abjection and Self-Helpless rejoice, because Introvert toned down the Yuth Forever worship present on those releases to expand on a unique and revitalized sound that would make Freud seek therapy for every broken, bitter thought he just had drilled into his brain. From the very beginning the listener is suffocated in pure, unmitigated anguish, hearing the soundtrack to a failed relationship that left both parties mere parodies of their former selves.
The last track of Introvert's half is indeed unique. Unlike most split eps, where there's a clear line between the two bands, Introvert and Irrita yet again look at the traditional way of things, and promptly give it the finger. Not ones for subtlety, track 3, aptly titled Gray actually flows from Introvert's side of the coin to Irrita's. In other words, the two bands share the track, serving as a reminder that sadness and hatred are just as much the same as they are different. Starting off with a sinister, evil groove, and dropping into unholy aggression and ruthless riffing, Introvert lets go of the reigns, truly letting the other half begin. From the moment Irrita vocalist Daimien Hartranft lets loose with his grisly bellows (which are very reminiscent of genre titans Feign and REX), the listener understands that this is no mere walk in the park on a rainy day- no. This is a walk through the hellish mind of two men who have entirely given up on themselves and everyone around them.
Gray serves as the perfect introduction to Irrita's half of the split, as from there, their songs get progressively angrier and slower, focusing less on a suffocating atmosphere in favor of outright destructive violence. This is exemplified in the opening lyrics to Unconscious, with "Follow me now into the darkness, I will show you light". That light comes in the form of guitarist David Thomas, bassist Alex Baker, and drummer Ben Avila. For every hate-filled bark and grunt from Hartranft, Thomas follows suit with dissonant chugging hard enough to smash clean through the most powerful psyche. Every slam, every lead, every riff brings the listener closer and closer to the boiling point. Adding to the frenzy is Baker, who compliments Thomas with the murkiest, most thunderous bass tone I've heard in years. Each chug is given an extra bit of heft to it, every slam more oppressive than the last, every breakdown as terrifying as Hell itself. But of course, all their efforts would be in vein if it weren't for Avila. Playing along perfectly with his bandmates, Avila brings disgust to a physical plane. Each and every thud of the bass drum, every single crack and ping of the snare adds more and more fuel to the fire that is Irrita. Where Unconcious is the band giving up on life, album closer Ghoul is the band directing that hatred and loathing outward, warning the listener of what is to come. Think of Unconcious as the band stepping to the ledge, and Ghoul as the last, bitter, venom filled cry for help before jumping to their doom. Ending with a breakdown evil enough to shake Lucifer himself out of sleep, the song outlines the theme of the ep perfectly: there is no hope, there is no love, there is no happiness, there is only Deprivation. "All alone/Nothing Left/Fade to black/dead and gone" are the last words the listener hears before the reaper comes to collect.
All in all, this album is absolutely perfect. There isn't a dull or repetitive moment, no lackluster vocal performance, no clearly-edited-to-shit instrumental work, no cheesy lyrical content. Both bands serve their purpose with precision- Introvert breaks the listener's heart, and Irrita urges the listener to give in and give up. Sadness, anxiety, hatred, rage, self-loathing, anguish, All of which are personified and given new meaning. There are bad people in the world. There are bad things happening. There is Deprivation.
Introvert/Irrita: Everyone Dies.
INTROVERT RATING: Five out of Five burned photographs of ex lovers
FFO: Sworn In, Yuth Forever, Barrier
IRRITA RATING: Five out of Five loaded bullets ready to pierce your skull
FFO: xKINGx, REX, Feign
Deprivation drops 6/10 through Chugcore Promotions
Check out the bands on facebook
https://www.facebook.com/IrritaBandOFFICIAL
https://www.facebook.com/Introverthardcore/
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