I am not sure what the deal is with Australian bands, but they fucking rock!
Seriously, the sheer amount of talent that comes from this part of the world is bloody staggering, and the diversity of sound is inspiring. This time around it is the Djent-y-Incubus-infused sound of Perth’s own juggernaut Make Way For Man, and their latest music video Ideations (Featuring Sean Harmanis). To say that I am a fan of this band and their crushing new song is an understatement, this is something you need to hear, right fucking now.
I am not sure where to start with this. I mean, this song launches off like a gatling gun to the face, and yet it is not about violence. It is a juxtaposition of sound and intention that perfectly captures the beauty to be found in controlled chaos. Ideations is, simply put, a welcome punch to the face.
The song starts out in a very cinematic and dramatic way, with an eerie piano met by distant vocals run through a processor that sounds almost robotic, this is the calm before the storm.
If you know anything about the stylistic nature of Djent then you know that what usually follows such serene moments is a technical outpouring of sound that completely obliterates the idea that you know anything about playing guitar or playing drums; and Make Way For Man does not disappoint (By the way, anyone want to purchase my gear? I am thinking of taking up knitting or something new).
Seriously, this song is insane. The speed in which they play is so tight that it is a bloody workout just to listen to this track a few times in a row.
Hats off to James Glover. This drummer is a monster. I had to replay this song just to focus on the drums because they are, absolutely, mesmerizing. The off-time signatures and constant change in tempo is extremely impressive, and what I find most intriguing here is that James doesn’t just play to keep a beat, he plays as if he is singing using his own drums, something that only the very best drummers can pull of successfully,
Of course, when it comes to this genre of music, you can expect that the guitars and bass are going to hit just as hard as the drums, and without a doubt, both Drew Shepherd (Guitar) and Adam Mather (Bass) read the office memo that said ‘Play so hard that you literally melt the faces off your listeners.’
My God, these guitars are of Periphery and Gojira levels of heaviness.
Nuclear drums. Check.
Obliterating Guitars. Check.
Thunderous basslines. Check.
Beautifully guttural and melodic vocals with a meaningful message attached to them. Check, check, and the case of the inclusion of Sean Harmanis, another big check!
The impressive dance between Dylan Symonds, John Kelly and Sean Harmanis provide the track with diverse layers of sound that never lets up. These three know exactly what a song needs to shine and rise above the usual bland attempt at creating both heavy and melodic music. It is quite easy to overstep what a song needs when trying to compete with such an outpouring of energy, but the clean vocal lines are as beautiful as what Brandon Boyd pulled off back in the heavier early Incubus days. The guttural growls are clean enough to know exactly what is being said without giving up the aggression of the moment.
Ideations is such a beautifully mixed track that I would be doing Joe from Tone Traktor Audio a great disservice by not giving him a shoutout, so here you go Joe ‘Great fucking job!’
I could drop a bunch of band comparisons here to help convince you that you should check this new single from Make Way For Man out, but it really comes down to whether you want to hear a great new song or not, and I bet that you do, so, listen to this song already!
You can check out their official music video right here, and make sure you have your speakers turned way up!
IDEATIONS MUSIC VIDEO
Make sure to check out the new album ‘Rites’ by Make Way For Man coming out on 18.10.20