I was pretty excited this past year to have a chance to grab the reissues of Coalesce’s records, repressed by Relapse and giving those of us whose CD collections are now in basements to finally have them on wax. I didn’t need more than that. I have these great records now, and I can enjoy these scathing collections for the rest of my life. Little did I know there was something brewing, albeit an entirely different entity.
Long-time Coalesce frontman Sean Ingram has bowed away from the music scene the last decade, putting his focus elsewhere, but inside the embers remained. It took working with multi-instrumentalist and producer Josh Barber for the reignition to happen, and result is “Life Is Violence,” the debut from their new project Idle Heirs. Ingram sounds incredible, but he isn’t just shrieking his lungs out. His clean singing shows a different shade of him, and the music the duo creates fall more on the ISIS/Cult of Luna (the latter a direct influence) shine to eight reflective, volcanic, mesmerizing tracks that center on the themes of parenthood from generation to generation. The music packs the same emotional wallop as Ingram’s other work, and it can dig into you and address different parts of your being, filling you with volcanic passion.
“Loose Tooth” has an eerie intro, Ingram’s clean singing oddly cathartic, a far cry from his normal beastly bark. “I hate what I’ve become,” he laments, the pace slowly prodding before things engulf, and yes, the furious cries emerge. The playing crushes with might, gazey melodies influence the storm, and everything ends in a blur. “Rare Bird” has guitars gushing and the vocals flexing, the ambiance feeling cloudy and ashen, and then screams ignite and gut just as the melodies pick up again. Howls bellow before they’re met with more mechanical calls, the playing jarring and chugging into dust. “Jaded Mountain” opens in a synth haze, humidity expanding before bursting, acidic wails wrenching, the playing taking on a tornadic feel. The pressure then ruptures, hammers mauling relentlessly as a noise rings out into the distance. “Lemonade Stands” starts clean and dusty, Ingram’s howls registering and melding with clean singing, the guitars stretching into sun-washed terrain. The pace picks up and takes on a hardcore edge, Ingram cutting with, “With this life, there is hell to pay,” as the power drills once more.
“Dim Shepherd” runs nine minutes and slowly unfurls, creating an atmosphere as the playing buzzes. “I don’t recognize myself,” Ingram laments, that pain washing into heavier ground, leading to howls wrenching, the guitars warping, and a heavy bruising is added to your psyche. Guitars glisten as the energy expands, disappearing into a dream haze. “Pillow Talk” has mauling guitars and a full force vocally, raging through thunderous peaks and valleys. The pace gets more delicate, singing icing wounds, but the brutality isn’t far behind, clawing back and smashing the senses, melting into a synth cloud. “Dead Ringer” runs 9:42, and it pulls back on Ingram’s voice as his singing sounds more direct here, keys blipping as frost gathers on the edges, the pace gradually building to a boil. The howls mix with synth zaps and forestal energy, giving off a Cult of Luna vibe, and from there the power collects. Ingram’s barks stab as the playing continues its ascend, reaching for atmospheric glory and catching it, the drama sprawling harder. A muscular gasp lets fires breathe, and the final stretch punishes, disappearing into misty keys. Closer “Momma” is a gripping end as well as the first song these two completed together, and it digs in deep. Soft acoustics tangle with crashing waves, Ingram aching, “This is how I was made, against my will.” The feel remains mournful and quiet, Ingram singing, “Please don’t look for me, there’s nothing for me,” as the last strains wash out into the sea.
It’s great to have Ingram and his unmistakable voice back in our realms, and Idle Heirs let us see him and his expression in an entirely different manner. His collaboration with Barber on “Life Is Violence” hopefully is one that’ll bear fruit into the future as there is a lot of promise here and adds some new spices to the post-metal concoction. Add to that the examination of parental roles throughout generations, we get a richer, more human experience that surely can strike deep within anyone in the same shoes, no matter which role that might be.
For more on the band, go here: https://idleheirs.bandcamp.com/album/life-is-violence
To buy the album, go here: https://www.relapse.com/collections/idle-heirs-life-is-violence
For more on the label, go here: https://www.relapse.com/
Meat Mead Metal 