Band: Transient
Title: Alone EP
Label: none
Release Date: May 2011
Reviewer: Brody
Buy: (Name Your Price-Bandcamp)
Tracklisting:
- Worthless
- Broken
- Imprisoned
- Irresolute
- Hollow/Whole
You know that feeling you get when an album takes you completely by surprise? When you know little, to nothing about a band, but simply decide to give them a try. Well this is my experience with the 5 piece melodic hardcore band Transient. I gave them a chance simply because a few friends of mine told me they were great guys and had something special going on with their sound. Little did I know that upon first listen I would be swept away in a mix of pummeling hardcore with a dash of melodic ambiance that would have me singing along, tapping my feet in a frenzy, and bobbing my head to the melody after just a few listens.
The album starts off with dreary guitars lightly strumming and slowly emerging, drawing the listener in as they strain to make out the intricacy of what they are hearing. Right as the guitars reach their climax a little under halfway into the song, blistering drum work and furious guitars kick in accompanied by the sudden auditory assault of Erik Eggers, snapping the listener right out of the dreamy trance the intro had put them in. Think Shane Ochsner of Hands when it comes to Eggers Vocals. I only wish the song was a little longer so it could feel a little less abrupt.
“Broken” allows the listener to take a small break from the fast paced screaming as clean vocals shine through just long enough for the pace to pick back up, this time accompanied by powerful group chanting in the background. Towards the end of the song, the intensity starts to simmer out again, making the song feel nice and complete despite it’s apparent shortness.
The midway point of the album marks “Imprisoned”. A slow- burning song, full of moody ambiance and edgy hardcore to set the tone for the dark subject matter. Eggers describes a man sitting in a jail cell pondering a crime he was wrongly convicted of as he accepts he has reached his breaking point. After a change of heart the prisoner triumphantly declares, “You can’t cage what’s meant to be free” as he plots his escape through the sewers.
“Irresolute” starts off with a morose, bluesy intro before exploding into an uplifting groove, laden with harmonizing highs, thumping bass and steady drums as Eggers exclaims, “I am here, but am I truly alive?”. “Irresolute” is a favorite track of mine due to the sheer passion, a plea for God to make what is dead and lifeless, new and breathing.
The short ep ends with the most powerful song on the album, making it worth listening to the whole thing just to reach this point. “Hollow/Whole” is the longest song on the album allowing for the most development within the song. Transient provides plenty of twists and turns starting with a sound reminiscent to Life in Your Way and ending with an intense spoken word section.
Clocking in at around 20 minutes, these 5 songs from Transient really impressed me and gave me great confidence that they will continue to grow and turn into something special, as they certainly display they have abundant potential. My only qualm with the collection of songs was that I thought some of them like “Worthless” and “Imprisoned” could take some more time to develop and explore more experimental options like the other 3 songs did.
Overall:
It is obvious Transient has massive potential to gain critical acclaim. They are something different than break down ridden hardcore bands and have a heavy edge that most experimental bands do not posses. Alone possesses both a rough side and a beautiful side that should make them appeal to a large audience. Despite my confidence that they can incorporate more experimental elements into their songs, Transient has created a wonderful collection of songs that will keep me excited to hear more from this talented young band. RIYL: Life in Your Way, A Hope For Home, As Cities Burn (SILYAYD).