| Musical Style: Industrial Hard Rock | Produced By: Jimmy P. Brown II |
| Record Label: Retroactive | Country Of Origin: USA |
| Year Released: 2003 | Artist Website: |
| Tracks: 9 | Rating: 80% |
| Running Time: 41:59 |
If looking for an engaging and fun to listen techno hard rock album, put Retroactive Records 2003 full length Fearful Symmetry debut This Sad Veil Of Tears on your want list. The project of Deliverance front man and guitarist Jimmy P. Brown II, Fearful Symmetry represents the next logical musical step in follow up to the industrial metal and hard rock to 2001 eighth Deliverance album Assimilation. Artist, for instance, garnishes This Sad Veil Of Tears in layer upon layer of electronic style keyboards, albeit not to the point of overwhelming guitars (satisfyingly maintaining quite the crunch heavy basis) and expansive bass, which allows a darker ‘industro-goth’ semblance.
While not inviting direct comparison, if into industrial and electronic contemporaries Rammstein and KMFDM not to mention Circle Of Dust and Mortal I can see Fearful Symmetry of interest. Saviour Machine also comes to mind but not in terms of musical correlation but rather vocally in that Brown presents with a somber and melancholic vocal style not that far removed from Saviour Machine front man Eric Clayton. Vocals are the key component for me in that many instance the courser and harsh industrial style vocals turn me away, but Brown’s smoother and melodic croon proves the difference maker.
Album opens to one of its finer tracks, “White”. Song as expected makes generous keyboard use but not without overriding rumbling bass and driving guitars, which combine to deliver quite the wallop for the beguiling verse sections and undeviating ‘cry over spilt milk and I laugh’ refrain. This one sets the captivating tone helping make albums remaining moments so singular.
"Binah (The 3rd World)" diverges with its intricate variances. Song bounces back and forth between expedited passages of borderline speed based acumen and others descending to a swarthy move at a crawl semblance only to build force until guitars hit with Deliverance style force at the end. Keyboards are content to take a backend role.
Not so on “Lead Us” to see quirky bounce between the left and right channel keyboards that give way to guitars compelling things ahead at an added forthright tempo. Bottom drops out at once, however, as song slows exponentially and guitars retreat in favor of artists somber (borderline baritone) vocals. As force accelerates, guitars return to amplify the melancholic refrain to create an industrial ballad effect.
"Slipping" quaintly starts to an aligning of bouncing keyboards and ominous bass that settles down to the sober rhythms to oblige its distance. When keyboards return, it is for the quirkily engaging refrain in which Brown reveals the upper end to his vocal register. This one walks a fine line between industrial metal and straightforward hard rock.
“Sighs” instrumentally initiates to reverberating piano interwoven with haunting keyboards, descending to a sluggish depth for verse sections of an introspective form. Keyboards speak of the angelic for the stilly done and graceful refrain. I detect a hint of Stay Of Execution era Deliverance.
“Middle Of Nowhere” represents one of albums most keyboard heavy. Subsequent to an inaugural bass solo, song immerses in a danceable techno vibe - almost pop like in a mirthful form - only to morph to a chilling resonance as keyboards take an ominous tone. Periodic guitar provides a heavier rocking allure. The mesmerizing groove to this one borders on the intoxicating.
"Reinvent The World" returns to a guitar focused trajectory. With offbeat keyboards to start, song plows forward to metal partial guitars approaching Deliverance like heaviness as whispered vocals and ambling bass compel the shambling verses. Force escalates for the knife-edge resolve to define the fetching refrain. This one would sound at home on Assimilation.
“The Law” defines with its offbeat variances. It launches at once to its hastened keyboard swirling refrain, mirroring a pop derivative form with its blithesome ‘it’s the law, it’s the law’ repeating. Force slackens for subsequent moments in which sculpted guitars plunge to the forefront. Peculiar bass and keyboards solos carry things instrumentally ahead of a slow to a crawl passage and then we are off again.
As with many here, "Black (In The Alone)" begins to techno keyboards, but a minute in metal guitars take over that give way back to keyboards. When guitar rebounds, it makes a shattering statement that would turn the head of the most devoted Deliverance fan. All the while uncanny keyboards bedeck the backend.
Give Jimmy P. Brown a full measure of credit for experimenting and taking outside the box musical risks that could not be further removed from the melodic speed metal and thrash to early Deliverance and technical metal to the early to mid-nineties period. Yes, a comparison to Assimilation is not without merit, keeping in mind Fearful Symmetry takes the industrial and techno aspects to higher levels while periodically touching upon Deliverance style heaviness. When placed alongside certain industrial style hard rock acts, I find the artists somber and melodic vocals allow Fearful Symmetry to stand apart. Hence, If a fan of techno and industrial metal and hard rock in their varying forms, you can do no wrong with This Sad Veil Of Tears.
Review by: Andrew Rockwell
Track Listing: "White" (5:24), "Binah (The 3rd World)" (4:14), "Lead Us" (4:43), "Slipping" (4:36), "Sighs" (4:41), "Middle Of Nowhere" (4:00), "Reinvent The World" (5:15), "The Law" (4:19), "Black (In The Alone)" (4:46)
Musicians
Jimmy P. Brown II - Lead Vocals, Guitars, Synthesizers, Drums & Programming
Emmanuel F. Morales - Bass
Rick Mester - Guitars
