Engineer Crooked Voices

Since materializing about eight years ago in Syracuse, NY, Engineer quickly grew to become a clear cut favorite in the world of metal/hardcore hybrid acts. 2006's Reproach packed a blend of heaviness and cacophony that remains almost entirely unparalleled five years later, with crowd-pleaser "In the Grit" destined for the underground music hall of fame. 2007's The Dregs saw the band fine-tune the subtle melody buried under their walls of distortion to achieve a Breach-meets-early-Knut-meets-Isis'-first-two-records-had-they-been-played-50%-faster blend that was equally intense, albeit a half-notch lower on the abrasive scale. Now, four years later, their third full-length finally sees the light of day. For this Engineer listener in particular, it had been far too long. Crooked Voices, however, is a bit of a curve ball. Yes, the band's signature blend of beefy bass lines, cleverly interwoven guitar lines, punishing drumming, and lead vocals seething with misanthropy are all still there. But if Reproach was the unbridled, pissed-off offensive and The Dregs the calculated collection of destructive grooves, Crooked Voices is the aftermath, a bruised and broken acknowledgment of life's long haul and its inherent diminishing returns. Musically, this slightly different direction shows up in the form of an increased presence of clean guitars (see thirty seconds into album opener, "The Idiot's Theme"), the occasional occurrence of instrumental bells and whistles (the slide guitar of "Scavenger"), and tracks that are more interested in exploring dynamics than constantly bludgeoning ("Vicious Voice," "Kid Killer"). And if the listener didn't pick up on those hints, the closer "Prepared for the Worst," a depressed ballad sounding like a combination of Eluvium and Grouper, doesn't leave any room for misinterpretation. The lead lyric of "It's not getting better" haunts in its simplicity. While Crooked Voices definitely packs a mood that is gloomier and more reflective than traditionally infuriated, there are still plenty of hard-hitting moments to work with. I could spend all day listening to Brad Gorham's thick bass lead tracks like "Bruised Blue Collar" and "Drunk on Blood" while the guitar work fluidly moves from higher fret accents to massive, common riffs. "Curse of the Common Man" has an exceptional juxtaposition of frantic outbursts of blasting drumming up against 4/4 grooves without losing any continuity. And "Starving Artist" is a perfect example of how these dudes understand that the insertion of even the slightest bit of dead space into a groove can make it exponentially more satisfying. In a way, Crooked Voices' reserved aggression makes its anger feel much more authentic. There is an entirely different level of emotion to be discovered when hate turns into disappointment, and the fact that Engineer found a way to effectively convey just that is quite impressive. In the grand scheme of things, this record likely won't unseat Reproach or The Dregs from the throne of listener favorite, but Engineer has successfully tackled a different goal here and Crooked Voices deserves some heavy rotation. Bottom Line: The members of Engineer continue to impress with their latest, Crooked Voices. It's an album that respectfully chooses not to challenge the venomous intensity of their earlier work and instead pursues a path that is slightly slower, moodier, and more inclined to experiment with songwriting dynamics. Nevertheless, the band remains exceptional and this release is a fine addition to their discography.