www.mioceneonline.co.uk

location	author	size
sound devastation	chris k-w	n/a

It is said one music phenomenon speaks for the masses of a generation. Who’s ours? Fucking Girls Aloud? Busted? Slipknot? Do you want to listen to a 5 year old rage-filled rant, lyrics the moral equivalent of being denied a new toy? No – Didn’t think so. So who? We’ve got to have one. Right? Maybe not in this corporized, consumer society.

But maybe this leaves the possibility of one for the minority: the free thinking generations who go about their daily lives, listen to ‘true’ music, and resent: the authority in the world (maybe) voted in (un-proportionally, of course), the warped morals of ‘The Masses’, the dictatorship of some *let us leave it unnamed* leaders of the world, the corruption of capitalist society? The war, the famine, the ‘problems of the world’ – always talked about, nothing REALLY done about them… Who will speak out?

Miocene do.

The may be only the voice of the minority. But they’re “our” voice. Minorities can become a loud voice. Miocene are loud. Minorities can act too – they can change things. Miocene aren’t a political entity and don’t profess to be; they’re not going to lead is into revolution…

A revolution in listening though? Yes.

A long time has passed since Miocene first appeared on the scene with the release of ‘Refining the Theory’. Passing through the chronology of their recorded career to date only yields one other EP, an experimental release so far removed from the first it was unclear just what Miocene were doing, let along what they were ‘about’. Time has passed, and ensuing a lengthily writing and recording process the album is finished. Details of its release are now open, and promo copies have been sent out to the music media. There is, as they say, no going back.

‘Refining the Theory’ and ‘Cellular Memory’ are, the band admit disparate releases, and both to some extent bore the four members of Miocene themselves now. So this in mind, the band set out to amalgamate all their influences and the sound of the two previous EPs. They wanted an album to be proud of, that would last. So let’s answer the basic, fundamental question underpinning this review: Have they managed this?

The answer, to say the least, is yes. Very much so.

Miocene’s debut album opens with the bombast rant that is ‘A Message From Our Sponsers’. It’s one of the best opening tracks to an album ever in my opinion. It sets the tone from the first whispered words ‘With open eyes and my mouth shut’, the first socially aware lyrics kicking in, to the rage of the semi-spoken word, semi-screamed refrain ‘Just say yes’. This is a true hybrid album. Like no other. The material here merges electronica, alt-hip-hop and metal together, interweaving them to such a degree that sometimes the listener can no longer discern between the genres Miocene reflect in their music.

The material has been ‘worked’ so much, but not to its detriment amazingly. Overplayed and/or practiced music can sound stale on disc; you hear of bands writing new material whilst recording an album. However, with Miocene the tracks have been practiced out to create a new sound, to make Miocene discover their sound. Not many bands achieve this individuality in their careers. Miocene can certainly be forgiven taking a few years! All the emotion and energy is still captured by a certain Mr.Birrell and the Miocene lads. We certainly know Miocene have their eyes open on our society and the music business, but their mouths are certainly not shut.

‘Colloquial Drug Terminology’ is a track that sucks the listener in with a precision to beat and unforgettable change of ‘moods’ throughout. Moving from a frantic sound to a laid back ambience the track is a perfect counter-balance to the tirade of the first. ‘Autopia’ is the next track up. It has been picked as the single and is also having a video made for it. It’s a good choice. The drumming in this track and indeed the entire album is incredibly impressive. The bass work has moved up several notches, indeed the musicianship of the entire band is barely recognizable. The writing process has strengthened the strengths that appeared every so often on the debut releases. Any ‘weaknesses’ the band were accused of have dissipated. Lyrics are definitely important to Miocene, more so than most metal acts, due to their deep influence from hip-hop. The entire album, noticeably ‘Autopia’, are politically based and form an impression of Miocene as being true mouthpieces for a disenchanted society. Overstated some might say this claim is. But their abstract approach saves the listener from feeling bullied by preachy moralistic messages.

Track 4, unnamed, as are tracks 8 and 12, is a short electronic break. We move to the spine of the album now; ‘The Fall’. Mixing the best of every genre and influence, they create something truly theirs, an individual sound, so integrated with each genre and influence they are now without obvious reference points. Originality in its purest form I’ve heard for a long time is presented on this disk. Ben’s voice has come on leaps and bounds. The range of his voice, at times, on the album is seemingly limitless – moving from sublime whispers and heartfelt clean singing (yes he can sing all you metal bands!) to rage filled, angst ridden screams, to spoken work spitted out into your music systems' speakers. If someone compares this record to a luke-warm attempt of an album, a UK band trying and failing to be Tool… They are not like Tool. This is a more eclectic, inventive and meaningful a record than Tool have ever released. Fact.

The soundscapes at the ends of both ‘The Fall’ and ‘Apologetic Submissives’ are truly jaw-dropping. Beautiful is an over used word. But I feel the old superlatives reviewers love to use should not be denied Miocene. At times Miocene can create a sonic landscape that you can just immerse yourself in. The intensity of music is overwhelming at times. Indeed, Miocene’s debut is in its own way, on of the heaviest albums I’ve ever listened to. It stands next to Norma Jean, Converge, and The Dillinger Escape Plan. This is due to this musical and cultural merge. So much noise and information to take in, leaves the listener at times exasperated. However, I am yet to not listen to the Miocene album in full. The intensity is there, but the record flows surprisingly well between at times highly disparate tracks. The album is a journey, and you just don’t want to stay from the path, whilst you’re walking.

‘Misogyny Vs. The Common Rules of Misconception’ is an amazing hip-hop track with a background which in its simplicity makes the track a mantra for a disenchanted generation; ‘I think I’ll just put on my happy face…’ Track 8, aforementioned as unnamed is a longer affair. The unnamed tracks seem to create small movements in between a larger entity, to create a ‘wholeness’ to the albums sound. We move onto, what will be for some, the familiar ‘Dionysus’. There’s so many levels to each song. To unpick it in a year would be an achievement. So I apologize at being generalized in this review. The vocal harmonies move away from what the ear might expect, creating interest within ever riff, beat, vocal note. It’s baffling even after multiple listens how four lads have created this. Still they have.

‘Dionysus’ runs into ‘Sympathy For Gordon Comstock’ with strings, horn and an overall orchestral vibe, similar to that which appeared in places on ‘Cellular Memory’. Drums suddenly kick in and Miocene take us on a totally different journey than that expected, feedback and beats creating almost noisecore metal proportions only to jump head long into heavy drum n’ bass which is soon joined by industrial soundscapes and electronic clicks coming from all sensory directions. It could be just too overwhelming, but Miocene keep their noises to bearable enough levels to be swept along by this wall of noise.

‘Calliope’ is a spoken word piece. Well come on, we’ve had everything else! A comment on maybe the genre of music some feel is untouchable, that of classical music. ‘Calliope’ deals with this and indeed just how money affects the creativity of music. An issue obviously close to the bands heart, after having trouble with labels and media doubt at the lengths they stretched their own fan bases’ perceptions of Miocene. After such an important issue, close to each of the band’s hearts, track 12 is directly self referential to, at a larger level, Miocene’s message being unheralded and unnoticed. Simply illustrated by a group’s deriding laughter.

‘The Fall’ may be the album’s ‘backbone’, but the epic ‘i) Youth ii) Zenith iii) Harvest iv) Dissolution’ is without doubt in my opinion the jewel in the crown. Most reviews seem to want to describe the stand out track in detail in the major music publications. I seem to react differently, wishing the track to be a secret whose special nature becomes a personal discovery for the new listener. However, to comment briefly on the song, Ben’s voice truly comes into its own on this track, as does the intricate (sometimes bluesy, jazzy riffs emanating from your speakers) compared with, at times, bludgeoning rock riffery from Miocene’s guitar man, Graham, whose genius playing can be forgotten and treated as taken when listening to Miocene. He was always brilliant but again the playing has stepped up a gear. Leo and Alex interweave to create a rhythm section to be proud of and the programming is highly adept.

‘I Ain’t Got No Roots’ finished off their debut album. In typical Miocene fashion it isn’t what you’d expect. Acoustic guitar and folk music type vocals, the socially aware message remains, but unlike the first, it’s not bursting with heaviness, instead it ambles along with profound imagery ‘sweet sound of babies crying in tower-blocks’… And then after this short song, the album is over. Just over an hour, 14 tracks, and Miocene’s long awaited debut is complete.

Stendhal's syndrome is a psychosomatic illness that causes rapid heartbeat, dizziness, confusion and even hallucinations when the individual is exposed to an overdose of beautiful art, paintings and artistic masterpieces. Listen to “A Perfect Life With A View Of The Swamp” in a safe place, you will most likely feel a little like the person who experiences the above. OK, so I might be being exaggerative. But Miocene have undoubtedly created something special. Don’t let it gather dust in your local music shop, or another corporate business claiming to be ‘all about the music’. They’re not, you know it, I know it, they know it. Miocene know it. But you know Miocene are amazing. So buy their album.

If there were any justice in the world Miocene’s album would be presented to each and every child when they hit 13.

“This is what music is son. This is what you need.”

Now listen and wait for their next installment.