CHAIN CODE – Synthetic Outcomes
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What seemed maybe not impossible, but highly unlikely a few years in the past, has come to happen faster than anyone may have expected. Artificial intelligence is omnipresent, writing texts, generating paintings and even creating music. Some bands have reverted to let AI do all the work, which might be fascinating at first, but very soon gets boring. Other bands stay true to handmade music, clinging desperately to a past that is eroding faster and faster. And then you have artists like the pseudonymous MuRphry who might or might not be the only members of Chain Code, a kind of avantgarde progressive rock / metal band from Milwaukee in the USA. There is not much information going around. There are no photos, only AI content, and yet the music still maintains that organic quality that one can hope that AI may have been used here and there, but the overall product is still the idea of a flesh-and-blood human being. Chain Code’s debut album Synthetic Outcomes comes with nine songs, all of which are densely layered, as if the composer were suffering from some kind of ADHD. His influences are also proof of his diverse influences: Voivod, 80s King Crimson and Primus, to name just a few. The general vibe reminds me of the eerie progressive metal of Psychotic Waltz’s debut album, with vocals provided by Public Image Ltd’s John Lydon. As I have mentioned before, a lot is going on. The drums and percussive elements are very busy and sound as if they needed two live players to get this all done in the flesh. The guitar and bass are usually more metal than rock, but sometimes drown in the overall sound which is dominated by synthesizers, which even happen to emulate warm seventies mellotron sounds. It's hard to pick any favourites, but it should be noted that four of the tracks are longer, between six and eight minutes, and use that length to manufacture a hypnotic sound that will leave you mesmerised. As debut albums come, Synthetic Outcomes is quite exceptional. The production might be a little on the muddy side. A clearer and cleaner approach might have added some punch, and at times I am not sure if this is even human made, but it’s possibly that ambiguity that is central to the charm of Chain Code’s music. Keep an eye open for this captivating artist, and beware of our computer overlords that are just around the corner waiting to take over for good. |
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9 songs |
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52:13 minutes |
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***** *** |
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Genre: progressive rock (self-released) |
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