Narcissus Becoming Leviathan

Narcissus has evolved much since the release of their debut full-length for Takehold Records last year. This 7-song EP finds them exploring new territory, with less hardcore and more rock. Don't worry though, this effort still has plenty of metal bite, and when it's not heavy, it's pleasingly moody (in the vein of Tool). Vocalist John Pope is the real centerpiece of this outfit. His versatile style encompasses everything from soft singing to blood-curdling screamo stuff. In fact, I'd venture to say he has one of the best screams out there. To hear him go nuts over the driving riffs of "Voida" alone makes this effort worth buying. The manner in which 'Becoming Leviathan' unfolds is probably its greatest attribute though, aside from the music itself. The steady grooves and emotional vocals of "Twin-allergy" give way to the Middle Eastern stylings of "Sending the Current" which quickly dissolves in "Voida", the best track on here. The band then tones things down slightly with "Ambient Diablo" before ripping out "November 94'", the most aggressive track on the EP. The musical peaks and valleys of this CD make it a very exciting listen. Cap everything off with a amazingly powerful ending (check out the last minute of "Loculus"), and Becoming Leviathan really comes across as a superb record. In case you didn't know, Narcissus is a very spiritual outfit, and the divine subject matter of their lyrics adds another dimension to the band. Whether you 'believe' or not, the restrained sincerity (in other words, they don't try to shove anything down the listener's throat) of these guys is admirable. We were big fans of their last album, but Becoming Leviathan is even better. Actually, we didn't initially set out to write such a complimentary review, but after pondering the good and bad of this record at great length, there really wasn't any other way to put it.