Apiary
Lost in Focus
Metal Blade
Records/Ironclad Recordings, May 2006
Offensive words: none
Genre: chaotic hardcore
Also check out The
Chariot and Norma
Jean(new).
At a time that seemed to be destined, five souls from the South Bay of California merged together as one musical entity to form what is known as the sound of Apiary. Sought out to distinguish their originality, Apiary creates a sound that not only displays the unique, diverse style of music they all bring to the table, but also delivers an explosive onstage performance that leaves almost every witness astonished. Since the beginning, Apiary has profusely worked on their music, with the hopes of catching the attention of at least one new listener. Apiary has taken their sound and energy, redefining it to become only a fine, well tuned machine. ironcladrecordings.com
Music
I was starting to wonder if the world of hardcore was slowing melting
into total metal. Apiary takes chaotic hardcore and throws in back
into the front. If you are a fan of Norma Jean or the Chariot, you will
hear some slight resemblances but not as chaotic. The first two tracks
were great but something hit me in the chest when I heard
"Extract" for the first time. I'm not sure if it was the
hard crashing Chinese cymbals or just the chaos on the guitars, but I
liked it. "Omnipresence" starts out with a very mellow intro and
then literally blasts your face off. The band is all over the place as
chaos consumes your ears. The album never looses focus with the intensity
of the dual guitars sparring like men in war. "Forced to
Breathe" continues the pace with e a deeper felt emotion. "These
Walls are Permanent" takes bass lines to an extreme and the stop and
start effect keeps the listener in total suspension. Overall, this album
for chaotic style fans will be one going into your ipods!
Lyrically/Vocally
At first glance the lyrics seemed very dark and lacked any hope.
As I looked more into them I noticed a consistent message of taking that
past destruction in your life and moving forward. The messages do
take a look into the darkness of life but remind the listener to carry on
and dont let it hold you down. In their bio it says, "In life, change
is inevitable; new things are introduced and become part of us. There is
one thing that is evident; change and positivity are soon to be introduced
into the lives of many." On "Finding a Way Back" you even
hear portions of the Serenity Prayer read. Vocally, this disc is amazing
and is a perfect blend of the chaotic style.
This may not be a "Christian" band but from the lyrics I am reading, this band is focused on being a positive light and the music, PURE CHAOS!