Every time someone waves off the horrific state in which we find our nation, and seeing that spill out into other parts of the world, I wonder if they’re just an awful fuck who gets off on human suffering or if they have no interest in anything that goes on beyond their boundaries. People rising up here and elsewhere is heartwarming, but it’s only as start.
“Exegesis at the End of Time” is the fourth long-player from Make, who combine doom, sludge, noise rock, and several other dark elements to make their music as punishing as it is. They see the struggle, one that encompasses us all, and if we’re not prepared to resist power structures, we cannot survive. This is the fourth record for the band—guitarist/vocalist Scott Endres, bassist/guitarist/vocalist Spencer Lee, bassist/synth player/vocalist Aaron Smithers, drummer John Crouch—and their first as a four piece, and every moment on this album stretches you mentally. There are volcanic gusts, depressing doses of reality, and existential struggle baked into these six tracks, and the entire album agitates and motivates, reminding you darkness hovers.
“The End of the Night” is the longest track here, running 11:10 and quivering and tingling, guitars picking up, the bass leading, pathways traced before the detonation sends bodies flying. The fury melts as noises dashes, roars cave in buildings, and the brutality serves the scathing, acidic leads. Yells peel back eyelids as the bass flexes, the playing pummeling one more time before landing in clouds. “The Judge” is burly with howls punching, guitars storming, and the pace stomping out guts. Barks tear new wounds as muscular playing quakes the ground, meaty guitars land blows, and sounds spread, vibrating before expiring. “Forking Paths” glows, clean singing soothing, the bass humming in the darkness. The singing turns to shrieks and back again, whirry keys swimming among the stars, the playing lulling you into a false sense of safety. Screams ignite as the guitars burn even brighter, sweltering and crushing until a sudden end.
“Chimera” has a doomy burn, the yells scald, and the playing drives hard, the bass dropping cement blocks on your chest. Screams erupt and scorch flesh, the pressure builds along with the heaviness, and a blazing fury rockets everything into the sun. “The Spectacle” has a tricky, post-punk feel for the first stretch, guitars fogging as howls scar, the tempo smothering as guitars ooze a sticky glaze. The heat climbs as the guitars dizzy, staggering back out into the dark. Closer “The Augur” slithers in, melodies collecting, the bass stomping as monstrous shouts emerge. It feels like the room is spinning as heated playing surrounds, savagery tearing away as screams ripple. The pace stomps and shakes foundations, crushing and grinding boulders as if they are nothing.
“Exegesis at the End of Time” feels like your world falling apart, and for too many people, theirs just happens to be doing that right now. Make refuse to make a habit of hiding the vitriol or pain, and even when there’s a glimmer of hope, you know a gray cloud is a day away. This is a frustrated, agitated beast, a product of its times, and the perfect elixir for relief from the constant barrage of madness.
For more on the band, go here: https://thebandmake.bandcamp.com/
To buy the album, go here: https://accidentprone.com/product/exegesis-at-the-end-of-time-ap044/
For more on the label, go here: https://accidentprone.com/
Meat Mead Metal 