Review by Shadowdoom9 (Andi) for Coalesce - Functioning on Impatience (1998)

Coalesce's debut Give Them Rope can be considered an early mathcore masterpiece, highly technical with underground production in a decent album length. However, their shorter second album Functioning on Impatience might be good for the impatient but not for those who want a full album. This is pretty much the Daughter's Canada Songs of Coalesce in terms of length and quality.

With its 20-minute 7-track length, Functioning on Impatience doesn't reach the brilliance of Give Them Rope. The album is not the most metal-looking, but it doesn't hurt. Neither does this short test of patience...

The subtle build into chaos that begins "You Can't Kill Us All" consists of the caustic pained shouts of Sean Ingram with simple drumming. After he proclaims the title line, the drumming tightens and in come the guitar rhythm and bass rumble, all while the thick growls lead the way. After that is the filler interlude "Recurring Ache of Monotony Still Running". Then the heavy cadence is steadied in "A New Language".

Speaking of language, they better watch themselves in "On Being a B****rd". After that "My Love for Extremes" is heavily suitable for my love for extreme mathcore. Will they continue the extremeness that I love?

"Measured in Gray" keeps going on and off with their guitar work and time changes. They really start and stop a lot in a pleasant way, thanks to guitarist Jes Steineger. The most furious way to finish the album is "A Disgust for Details". To be honest, I don't think there's a lot fiercer than that track from much of this band's material or mathcore. That's the heaviness to remind me of us where they started in their debut!

Functioning on Impatience has quite some tight groove throughout the album. You won't be able to dance to this music without turning the dancefloor into a moshpit. The insane amount of time-changes was the right spark for a metalcore future. Now despite the album's short length, you would be welcome into metal-mathcore progression....

Favorites: "You Can't Kill Us All", "A New Language", "My Love for Extremes", "A Disgust for Details"