Februus has been accused of sounding too much like Tesseract and I do hear what people are talking about but I put it down to the two bands developing their styles in a similar direction rather than outright plagiarism. Uneven Structure have developed a style which slips easily between thick, dense ambiance and crisp, defined Djenty riffage. The ambient parts of the album are well placed and the atmosphere is three dimensional, it surrounds the listener and draws them into the music. Heavier sections are often introduced slowly like rays of light, peeking through the ambient fog. At other times, polyrythmic grooves cut straight through the calm. These riffs really catch your attention and they are the ones that will get stuck in your head and have you tapping (albeit inaccurately) on your lap, desk or chair for days.
Although the syncopated grooves are what grab the listener’s attention this album does not feel heavy. Throughout the album I found myself forgetting I was listening to a Metal band at all. The swirling ambiance sows together a number of subtle styles which take several listens to really appreciate or even notice. There are slow, emotional, post-hardcore style chords and subtle but incredibly groovy percussive sections that reveal more and more detail with each listen. While earlier in the review I described the album as ‘Melodjent’, many styles of Djent are present on this album. There are Sumerian breakdowns and a fair smattering of Thall to be found as well as Ambidjent reminiscent of Cloudkicker. This is a perfect album to convert those who say Djent lacks variety.
You’ll have noticed I haven’t mentioned any song titles or track numbers in this review and that is for a reason. The division of the tracks on this album seems pretty arbitrary, there aren’t really songs it’s just one long piece of music with different motifs separated by ambient noise. This is not a criticism, in fact I’m certain this is what the band intended. Februus is, after all, a concept album and should be treated as such, not as a collection of individual songs.
However, despite the mix of different styles, the infectious grooves and immersive atmosphere, the album can feel slightly too long. The ambiance can grow a little tiresome and the contrast loses its strength after a while. The vocals also may not be to everyone’s taste but that is such a personal preference, one that will probably be fiercely debated by Djent fans for years to come, that I won’t factor that into my rating of the album as a whole.
Overall Februus is a landmark release for Djent and an immersive as well as intense experience for the listener. Uneven Structure have done themselves proud and earned their place in the upper echelons of the scene with a distinct style and approach to a genre which continues to innovate and expand.
