It’s interesting when new bands come complete with their own mythology. I guess the thinking is that it will separate them from the pack. Early Man has a particularly extreme mythology: two kids grow up in Columbus, Ohio as Pentecostalists, shielded from all popular music. At 19, they “discover” early metal and get converted, shunned from their families, and move to New York to start a righteous metal band. Now, I’ve spent considerable time in Columbus and if there is a dominant religion, it’s Buckeye football. I’m not saying the tale isn’t true, but you’ll be forgiven if this sounds an awful like the Kings of Leon story (minus the Southern brothers part). I guess these types of stories are supposed to supply a real authenticity to the bands, that their discoveries of good music are more important than most people’s more gradual, less dramatic taste formation. The funny thing is that the stories are completely irrelevant to the music.
If you were jaded, one might think that, for Early Man, this is a way to distance themselves from what passes as metal now – either the (finally) passé self-flagellating nu-metal pathos, or the hardcore metal with Cookie Monster vocalists (you know, the bellowing “rarr rarrr ohhhh me want cookie”). To their credit, Early Man do display the influences of respectable thrash and heavy metal: Iron Maiden, Suicidal Tendencies, Slayer, Metallica (circa “Kill ‘Em All” and “Ride the Lightning”). It’s curious, then, the amount of indie crossover appeal that “Closing In” applies. First, it’s released by sorta-indie titan Matador, and produced by Matt Sweeney, fresh off his lauded collaboration with Bonnie “Prince” Billy. True, many fans of indie music spent their adolescence in a metal musical ghetto, and Early Man might feel nostalgic to them. Likewise, maybe this is supposed to appeal to fans of Death From Above 1979 and label mates Dead Meadow.
These kids do seems to mean what they play and have a very competent understanding of what metal attributes to apply and which to leave behind. Guitarist/vocalist Mike Conte shows off some cool licks, but the few solos are kept brief and distinctly non-wanky. It’s like they know that the best heavy guitars are supposed to rock steady. Conte’s vocals also steer, for the most part, away from the annoying ticks of bad metal. There are a few shrieks, and he does a Hetfield growl affect on “Evil Is,” but mostly his vocals are tuneful and sorta everyman, mostly like Sabbath-era Ozzy Osbourne. However, “surprisingly competent” and “not bad” is hardly a ringing endorsement. In fact, Early Man sound their best when they sound like other bands.
“Death Is The Answer” is clearly the standout track here, having already appearing on Early Man’s debut EP. It’s the most thunderously epic and heavy track, but also owes a pretty big debt to Sabbath. “Feeding Frenzy” is in the heavier, faster Sabbath vein, a bit like “Symptom of the Universe.” “Like A Goddamn Rat” is a nice Maiden tribute. Even “Thrill of the Kill” and “Contra” shows a sensitive vocal display that feels like what DFA79 does best. Much of the rest of the material is pretty generic metal. Not embarrassing, but it’s hard to call it good without applying some sort of irony filter. And I don’t even know what to say about the lyrics/titles. I know metal is supposed to be lyrically dark and destructive, but how can we take seriously songs called “War Eagle,” “Raped and Pillaged,” “Death Is The Answer (To My Prayers)”? Seeing how ‘stoner’ metal has a pretty healthy presence, I give Early Man credit for being true to the source and adding thrash to the equation, and they may even eventually create a full album of good material, but “Closing In” functions more as a curiosity than a successful resurrection. |