Review by Saxy S for Great Falls - Objects Without Pain (2023)

Objects Without Pain is an album that I appreciate more than I outright love. For starters, I did go into this record with some pretty lowered expectations after hearing the first couple of tracks. Something about the timbre of this record was sending my neurons into a frenzy as they reminded me of a Chat Pile album God's Country from a couple of years ago. The vocals of Demian Johnston had this cold, almost alienating flavour to them that would have been difficult to stomach, like that Chat Pile album, but ended up salvaging itself thanks in part to this records atmosphere.

A lot of sludge metal is supposed to be concaving in nature and Objects Without Pain does so with some really good production. A lot of newer sludge bands like the sound of layering upon layering the record with recordings and doubled recordings to emphasize the thrashier side that sludge metal is built from. But here, the guitars are actually quite small, which highlights some very intense percussion. The slower pace sections are intense and highlight some of this bands hardcore/metalcore influences like Knocked Loose.

But the vocals are still the tick in the back of my noggin' so there is no use in hiding it. Thankfully, the production on the vocals is far better than that of Chat Pile, but I still find them less than favourable. The delivery of almost sounding like out protagonist is about to break down and cry at any moment is a sound that I find gets tiring the longer it goes on for. And sure, I've mentioned names in the past that can do it well (Jordan Dreyer, Dylan Slocum, Kristin Hayter), but on this? I think the intensity of the instrumentals really does a disservice to the vocals. If this was, say, a progressive metal/post-metal album, I might have considered it an expressive decision, but with this, I consider it another one of those artsy "subverting expectations', by combining two styles that don't fit well together.

Fortunately for Objects Without Pain, this is not a full blown sludge metal album. The hardcore punk/thrash influence does give the album some much needed variety and these vocals do fare better as the record changes styles. Some of the songs do run on for too long, especially that closer, "Thrown Against The Waves", but even they never felt like boring doom metal songs that refuse to develop or progress. I still enjoy the record and would recommend it to sludge metal enthusiasts, but just be prepared for a uncomfortable listening experience.

Best Songs: Trap Feeding, Spill Into The Aisle, Old Words Worn Thin