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EXCLUSIVE PREMIERE: Listen to Journal’s Explosive Return With “Eden, The Uncherished”

First off, yeah it is funny that I’m premiering a track called “Eden, The Uncherished”. But let’s move past funny coincidences and talk about Journal for a second.

6 years ago

First off, yeah it is funny that I’m premiering a track called “Eden, The Uncherished”. But let’s move past funny coincidences and talk about Journal for a second. They’re an incredibly underrated band which started experimenting with the kind of chaotic mathcore that’s all the rage these days in our little part of the Internet. Especially worth mentioning, and listening to, is their 2010 release, Unlorja, an expansive and ambitious work of progressive metal, blending concept album, incredible heaviness and jaw-dropping technicality into one. Now, eight years and change later, Journal are set to return with Chrysalis Ordalias. Having heard the album, I can tell you that it’s every bit as mind-bending as the previous one. Don’t believe me? Check out the track below to see for yourself.

[bandcamp width=400 height=472 album=3598311025 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 artwork=small tracklist=true tracks=681897035,2170435526 esig=d7d7f3d40257b221cff95158f145edb2]

Oh boy, there’s just so much to unpack here. My favorite thing might be how Journal have managed to preserve their unique take on vocals; they’re just all over the place, elegantly moving from hardcore screams, sweeter cleans and everything in between, including a vocoder-like part near the end of the track . It’s always been a trademark of Journal’s unique sound so them sticking to their guns in that regard is a good move. The rest of the track is just as pleasing, from the barely contained guitar segments (filled with odd shreds, weird sweeps and off kilter time signatures) through the incredibly intriguing bass solo near the middle of the track to the solid drum work which supports it and the bare-bones segment which follows it. All in all, this is Journal at their best, delivering the kind of chaotic metal for which they became a darling of people in the know.

Long story short, you should keep your eyes peeled for this release if you’re a fan of anything from progressive metal through hardcore and just plain chaos. Chrysalis Ordalias releases on July 17th. You can head on over to the Bandcamp link above to pre-order it; make sure you do and support independent artists!

Eden Kupermintz

Published 6 years ago