The Lumberjack Feedback – The Stronghold
Argonauta Records
Release Date: 26/04/24
Running Time: 36:52
Review by Oli Gonzalez
9/10
Once again, I find myself checking out an awesome new post-metal band from France. Really, what’s in the water over there? This time, The Lumberjack Feedback. An instrumental act armed with their latest release, “The Stronghold” and the band’s first in several years. Promising a sound that comprises a ‘bold marriage of penetrating rhythms and bewitching atmospheres’, and a lineup featuring no vocalist but two drummers, I was curious to get my hands on this. Especially given my recently found love of Post-Metal, a brand of music that’s becoming synonymous with France for me now, and acting as a seal of approval.
‘Kings And Servants’ kicks off proceedings with a rather delightful array of atmospheric guitar effects and passages, with the dynamics elegantly shifting from calm and ambient to full throttle and right up in your face loud! There’s a subtle complexity to the composition as a whole, appearing rather simple on the surface but dig deeper and there’s undeniable layers of complexity here. The choir-like effects towards the latter stages of the song adds welcome dimension and intrigue too. Nice! Overall, an excellent and promising start to the album. I’m sold on this band!
Much of what can be said for the previous song can be said for the next track ‘Praised The Lord For A Brighter Future’. However, they take the ambient aspects to another level, with the intelligent use of space and silence within these passages to create tension and real sense of dissonance. Also, I’ve seen the band refer to some of their riffs as being ‘hypnotic’. Well, I’m definitely getting that vibe from the earlier passages, with some of the guitar work here being rather addictive indeed, luring you in and granting you no escape!
The introduction of string and acoustic elements in ‘Failing To Witness His Mighty Work’ was a smart addition and speaks to the band’s musical prowess. The Shoegaze style guitar tones here are an aesthetic masterclass and will have casual fans and seasoned post-rock musicians purring in delight! That definitely got a few rewinds and relistens from yours truly! This builds on the wonderful foundation of sophisticated rhythm and compositional depth evident in the previous tracks.
The band make reference to their collective appreciation for Sludge and Stoner styles of music, with these influences becoming apparent during ‘But All Remember The Place’. The presence of two drummers becomes ever more apparent during this number, with mind-blowing complex polyrhythmic drum passages that would be beyond the capabilities of one mortal. From complex to devastatingly brutal, we see more Sludge and Doom infused riffs, prioritising emotion and feel while maximising the impact of each individual note.
Sadly, we’re near the end with only one more song to go (insert sad face emoji). Will The Lumberjack Feedback be saving their best for last? We’ll see, but they have certainly saved their longest for last, with the album’s title track ‘The Stronghold’ coming in at close to 10 minutes in length. Though there’s absolutely no filler content here. No, the French quintet manage to cram in more musical ideas and compositional avenues than some bands are able to in entire albums! Yet rather than taking the mad scientist approach and flinging an excess of half-baked ideas together, there’s a real sense of harmony and logical progression, taking you the listener on a wonderful Post-Rock inspired journey. And what a journey it is! Those delightful shoegaze style guitar tones make a most welcome return in the latter stages, making me a very happy boy! I’ve never known 9 minutes and 29 seconds to pass so quickly. I’m genuinely gutted that it’s over, but that speaks to excellent pacing of “The StrongHold”, not too long nor too short, just enough to get you hooked before pulling it away and leave you wanting more.
So, what’s stopping this from being a 10 out of 10? For Post-Rock fans out there, this will undoubtedly satiate your desire for intelligent experimentation, heavy riffs, and solid guitar tones. For more casual music fans as a whole, an instrumental band with near 10 minute songs may be a tougher sell. Also, the production is good. Very good. But not excellent. I say this as I just think there’s a bit of extra studio magic missing, a bit of additional polish needed to get the heaviness and weight of those riffs to burst through the speakers and to allow for a fully immersive experience. This certainly isn’t a ‘back to the drawing board’ scenario. Far from it. Just that proverbial final 1% needed to take the band and their compositions to the next level. The level fellow country men Year Of No Light, Hypno5e et al have found themselves in, i.e. acts appearing on the international touring circuits and on the posters for Post-Rock festivals. With efforts like “The Stronghold”, I see absolutely no reason why The Lumberjack Feedback cannot reach this level.
TRACKLISTING:
01. Kings And Servants
02. Praised The Lord For A Brighter Future
03. Failing To Witness His Mighty Work
04. But All Remember The Place
05. The Stronghold
LINE-UP:
Sébastien Tarridec – Bass
Nicolas Tarridec – Drums.
Geoffrey Gosset – Guitars.
Simon Herbaut – Guitars.
Virgil Chaize – Drums.
LINKS:
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