Greg Dona
03/23/06, 06:54 PM
Progressive rock in the punk scene appears to many to be in a state of disrepair and disorganization. With few experimental bands deviating from genre norms and following the apparent leader of the pack, the Mars Volta, listeners find themselves hard-pressed to find new, innovative music. Most groups, it seems, work harder to mold a, for lack of a better word, weird sound rather than simply a unique one. Holinshed through their work on their Treatise EP emerges as one of the few pursuing the latter.
The songs comprising the album do not mirror the EP itself with respect to length. While the record runs a measly four tracks long, each of these blooms into a marathon piece, the shortest of which clocks in at a daunting three minutes and twenty two seconds. Initial bursts of charged, punk guitar work beginning the initial song “First Person” hint at a sound like that of the late At the Drive-In. Such information should provide little surprise due to previous references to the Mars Volta, one of the spawns of the legendary group. Ambient vocals, however, distort Holinshed’s sound and direct fans’ attentions away from such a reference. Singing reminiscent of that of the band Brazil minus that subtle emo twinge shows vocals that run stray and wild, adhering to very few norms. Unrefined as these are, the group focuses its energies on tranquil yet busy instrumental work and defers from the sporadically utilized vocal work.
At some point during the first track of the album the listener loses focus. The disc provides an EP one enjoys effortlessly and appeals to the subconscious senses of the individual as opposed to a truly gripping record that thrashes your aural cavities with the changing of songs. Each piece shifts smoothly into the next, as the group crunches and distorts guitar work through your inattentive mind for all four songs. It is for this reason that the repetitiveness of the disc provides little reservation for listeners. Tracks wear on to, as was previously stated, marathon lengths, and one’s attention inevitably dwindles and forgets the very existence of music at all.
This however, plays out to be a strength for Holinshed. Bands of their genre generally thrive on breaking down their listeners into a subconscious state of enjoyment; Holinshed does just that. Unpolished vocal work, repetitiveness, and incredible duration prove virtually negligible; only when the short, four-track Treatise EP is over will you finally notice it – and then will you undoubtedly want more.
The songs comprising the album do not mirror the EP itself with respect to length. While the record runs a measly four tracks long, each of these blooms into a marathon piece, the shortest of which clocks in at a daunting three minutes and twenty two seconds. Initial bursts of charged, punk guitar work beginning the initial song “First Person” hint at a sound like that of the late At the Drive-In. Such information should provide little surprise due to previous references to the Mars Volta, one of the spawns of the legendary group. Ambient vocals, however, distort Holinshed’s sound and direct fans’ attentions away from such a reference. Singing reminiscent of that of the band Brazil minus that subtle emo twinge shows vocals that run stray and wild, adhering to very few norms. Unrefined as these are, the group focuses its energies on tranquil yet busy instrumental work and defers from the sporadically utilized vocal work.
At some point during the first track of the album the listener loses focus. The disc provides an EP one enjoys effortlessly and appeals to the subconscious senses of the individual as opposed to a truly gripping record that thrashes your aural cavities with the changing of songs. Each piece shifts smoothly into the next, as the group crunches and distorts guitar work through your inattentive mind for all four songs. It is for this reason that the repetitiveness of the disc provides little reservation for listeners. Tracks wear on to, as was previously stated, marathon lengths, and one’s attention inevitably dwindles and forgets the very existence of music at all.
This however, plays out to be a strength for Holinshed. Bands of their genre generally thrive on breaking down their listeners into a subconscious state of enjoyment; Holinshed does just that. Unpolished vocal work, repetitiveness, and incredible duration prove virtually negligible; only when the short, four-track Treatise EP is over will you finally notice it – and then will you undoubtedly want more.