Where Myth Becomes Memory

Rolo Tomassi

Rolo Tomassi had a real daunting task in front of them; finding some way to follow-up 2018's Time Will Die and Love Will Bury It. It was an emotionally expansive record that was equal parts physically crushing and spiritually healing. On top of that, the record presented so many great ideas, seamlessly transitioning between them not just within the span of one song, but the record as a whole. It was difficult to tell where one song ended and another began, making this record a cinematic, holistic, and deeply engaging listen. Where Myth Becomes Memory tries to strike lightning in the same place twice with similar sounds, a similar blend of fury and angelic beauty, however, the emotional scope of this record by comparison is narrower, and I feel like the band doesn't pack nearly as many ideas. It's also lacking some of that mathcore chaos that made the more serene moments on the previous record so potent. That being said, Where Myth Becomes Memory is still a good record with some great production and performances.

The record does kick off to a bit of a slow start with Almost Always. We have this distorted wall of droning guitars with high-pitched shimmering leads, and Eva Korman's softly sung vocals. At six and a half minutes though, the song certainly drags quite a bit and the lengthy build-up doesn't lead to the most satisfying climax. Things immediately get better with Cloaked, the first song to drop from the record. The groove metal riff is simple, but absolutely killer. The verses are super tight and oppressive with the relentless kicks, the alternately picked guitar riff, and the reintroduction of Korman's terrifyingly shredded screams. The atmosphere in the chorus opens up with more synth pads and the distant layers of background vocals. It's fantastic.

I enjoy the two following tracks Mutual Rain and Labyrinthe as they are some of the heaviest tracks on the record. But I feel like something is missing to make them really stand out other than just being loud and aggressive. There isn't really a memorable guitar riff or vocal melody, and the progression of the song is kind of predictable at this point. I will say though, I do like the detail in the drum groove at the end of Mutual Rain. Al Pott's control with all the ghost notes is great and makes the section much more interesting. Closer offers a much needed reprieve from the harsh nature of the last three tracks. The vocals are light, pillowy, and have a beautiful melody. I also love the backing vocals, who's tone compliments Korman's quite nicely and are also perfectly processed and balanced in the mix.

From there, we go into Drip which is where I feel the band makes it apparent that they're working with minimal ideas. It begins with a lengthy introduction where we have a loud crack of a snare drum constantly rattling off. I like how these snare drums deceive the listener in regards to the tempo and rhythm, but it goes on for a minute and a half which feels like ages for the band to make their point. Afterwards, we get more relentless kicks and tremolo picked guitars, a predictable, more mellow section, followed by another round of relentless kicks and tremolo picked guitars. This song presents nothing new, except for the song's intro of course, but even that could have been handled a little better. Thankfully, the two tracks that follow bring this album out of the rut. Prescience finally delivers on those mathcore elements the record has been severely lacking up until this point with a galloping, chug riff that is occasionally interrupted by discordant descending arpeggios. The ending to this track is also amazing. I love the sludgy pace, Korman and James Spence's harsh vocals stacked on top of each other, and those guitar arpeggios from the previously mentioned part slowly chime over thick walls of guitar chords. Stumbling provides another much needed reprieve with this tender piano ballad. I love how the piano lives and breathes, constantly messing with the flow of time.

Where Myth Becomes Memory had impossible shoes to fill. Perhaps the band wasn't consciously trying to create a successor to Time Will Die, but with how closely the albums resemble in sound and with the rehashing of ideas, it is really hard not to compare the two; and evaluate this new record slightly more negatively as a result. They are roughly the same in length, but this record feels like it says far less. In addition, the record doesn't flow as nicely as I think it is trying to. Despite this though, the record does still sound good and features great performances from all parties. I wouldn't say the record is filled with dull moments, but more so uninspired ones.