REVIEWS

Endless Sunder
Descent

Posted: Monday, July 06, 2009
By: Matthew Johnson
Features Editor

It's no masterpiece, but as a self-released debut EP, Descent isn't bad. Nathan Tilbrook, the man behind Endless Sunder, has a solid grasp on classic EBM and electro/industrial in the vein of early Front Line Assembly, and his mixture of vintage analog sounds with pianos and deliberately electronic-sounding strings patches on songs like catchy opening track “Estranged” are effective mood-setters if not groundbreaking. Likewise, bouncing, lightly processed vocals combine melody with cynicism in a way that at its best compares favorably with Gary Zon's work in Dismantled. Unfortunately, songs that start off interesting all too often veer off into gothic clichés, as on “Martyr,” which pairs a listless vocal delivery with similarly dreary lyrics. Much better is “Chamber,” which alternates clean, slightly affected verses with a vocoder-laced chorus. “Entropy,” the album's most club-oriented offering, is also solid with electric guitar adding heft to a pop-infused bass line. Finishing things up is “Atonement,” a track that exemplifies both Endless Sunder's promise and where that promise falls short; with its staccato vocal delivery and choppy breaks and sequences, it recalls early Skinny Puppy to a degree, but at the same time it lacks the density and subtlety that makes up so much of Skinny Puppy's appeal. There's nothing technically wrong with this EP that can be easily pointed to, but at the same time there's not much to get overly enthusiastic about, either. Descent proves that Tilbrook is competent at crafting tracks, but it doesn't quite manage to convey a perspective on him as an artist and a songwriter.