Zoanthropy — Vol​.​2 (2018)

Kyiv citizens named Zoanthropy have rushed the ukrainian heavy scene with their post-metal at debut EP "Vol.1" pretty not long time ago — in 2017. The band is getting more likes on facebook fastly and confidently, giving interviews to musical mass media and is active on tour through the country borders. Today we’re gonna talk about continuation of collective’s work in studio (which is, according to their words, precedes the full-length album) — a mini-album under unpretentious and conceptual name "Vol.2".

Recording is being opened by track over 10 minutes length named "The City Of Light". It starts from relatively melodic intro, then croaking vocals follows (like Cult of Luna’s one, but dryer). However, later this voice will sound in higher (as for this band’s vocalist, who growled biggest part of this and previous releases in as baritone) register. Here there will be stringy breakdowns, when all instruments are performing approximately a similar picture with pauses and enough interesting bass fragments, which is being exposed periodically, leading its line without a sound of other instruments. Some theme changes sound progressively, ignoring standard overused in popular music imaginations about couplet-refrain bridge song structure. Lyrics are talking about building of metropolis, hardships and patience through it and pride of result, than consolidation of builders against strangers after getting consruction complete.  

The following song is called "Fetus". Sounds are heavy and gloomy, there is extremely remote parallel with Neurosis could be seen (though everything is less melodic and heavier here). Oddly enough, the whole action reminded Tomorrow from Odesa. If we are talking about genre apologists, could be comparison with Minsk, and somewhere Time to Burn. Lyrics are moody, telling about the futility of existence and a vain arrival into this world.

Closer to the end of composition goes the clean-sounded guitar solo, more similar to stoner, than post-metal by its melodics and clearly smells with blues harmonics. Then with adding distortion the whole musical canvas becomes more similar to genres like post-metal\sludge. Rings of Rhea and Starchitect performed like that in Ukraine; Reka, if talking about the nearest foreign countries. The song is being closed by heavy riff and a rhythmic pattern common to all instruments.

The final contexture "Iscariot's Journal" is heavy again and not so melodic. In the middle of the song listener is being persecuted by disturbing melody in the spirit of thriller \ detective movies, which further is played with different rhythmic patterns on drums. Lyrics are totally matches its name from the biblical plot of Jesus’s betrayal by Judas and are telling about how such ideas were matured in the head of the first one.

The results, general impressions from listening and forecasts

Tracks on release are posted in order of length with decreasing. That’s an interesting move, very much in the spirit of time, because the listener's attention sometimes diminishes, so to begin with the longest is definetely the best decision. And if compare Vol.2 with the debut EP, then the obvious shift of emphasis to the gravity away from the melody is surprising. Usually it is done somehow the other way around. The cover arts evolution from first album to second is demonstrating the the desire for minimalism and neutral shades.

The further development of the band also prepares a surprise for the listener, this time is undeniably pleasant: novelties, played live in 2019 carry a huge dose of bursting neocrust with blastbeats. And that fact is definetely forces the legendary Fall of Efrafa to feel breath of young apsirants of the capital to their empty throne of post-metal\neocrust with napes of their. Although the manner of the protagonists of the review more closely resembles the early Downfall of Gaia. So, let’s keep our hands on the beast’s pulse (Zoanthropy defines as a form of madness, which is expressed in the fact that patients consider themselves as animals; kind of melancholy).

The opinions expressed in the reviews convey the views of the authors themselves and do not necessarily reflect the position of Neformat.com.ua

Zoanthropy in social networks:

https://zoanthropyband.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/zoanthropyband/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaxM3L2DVfDYoBjPVfUMzdw

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1. The City Of Light 10:31
2. Fetus 08:55
3. Iscariot's Journal 04:10

07.08.2018