Stonebirds - Collapse and Fail

Angry Metal Guy 60

French trio Stonebirds formed back in 2008 and have three LP’s under their belt, prior to the release of their latest opus, entitled Collapse and Fail. This is my first taste of the band’s work, and based on the music contained within their fourth album, Stonebirds specialize in an atmospheric, post-metal tinged form of emotive, dark sludge and doom. Throw in some generally lengthy song structures, a heaping dose of melancholy, and mixture of heavy, grinding riffage and quieter passages of introspective post-metal, and you get a basic idea of what Stonebirds are all about. Talent is evident in the performances and the ambitious writing, but do the sum of its parts combine for a fulfilling whole?

Opener “Only God” unfurls across eight minutes, steeped in energetic, fuzzed out waves of atmospheric stoner sludge. Stonebirds handle the task well of structuring a weighty composition with dynamic flow and progressive inclinations, welding delicate melodies, dueling vocal counterpoints, and thick, grinding riffage. The shared vocals of Fañch Le Corre (guitars) and Sylvain (bass), lends a welcome dynamic, where melodic, understated cleans mesh with hoarse roars and anguished screams. “Stay Clean” features an old school Mastodon vibe, present at various stages throughout the album, with straightforward, aggressive sludge rock passages giving way to serene, melodic flourishes, tempo shifts, and busy drumming.

After a solid start to the album, albeit with some slightly overstuffed writing, Stonebirds hit a few stumbling blocks, though the passion, pain and energy behind their ambitious delivery can not be questioned. The mid-album output leans a little too heavily into the band’s atmospheric forays, with the payoff not as satisfying as expected, despite some solid ideas. Still, the dirgey riffs and oppressive atmosphere create powerful feelings of unease and tension on “Turn off the Light,” despite some patchy vocal turns. Amidst the harsher elements of the band’s sound, a grungy stoner vibe lays, albeit one imbued with shards of discordance and shimmery post-metal soundscapes. Meanwhile the textured guitar work prevents the album from becoming stale and repetitive, shifting from doomy, sludge-ridden heft, to dreamy melodic refrains, and dense, ominous atmospherics. Pleasingly, there are some genuinely heavy, tense segments that pack a satisfying wallop, dispersed throughout the album.

At a shade under 40 minutes in length, Collapse and Fail feels a tad longer on occasions, which I mostly put down to a need for self editing on certain songs. Vocals are also a mixed bag, sometimes proving both a strength and weakness. The cleaner styles have an unrefined charm, the heavier styles reasonably are well done, though the higher vocal registers prove a little grating, as do some clunkier transitions. Nevertheless, the emotive, ugly core of the album, interesting guitar work, and stylistic complexities present some intriguing elements; harrowing soundscapes in these troubled times. The adventurous writing doesn’t always hit the mark, yet I admire the delicate balance between ethereal dreaminess, harsh sludgy beatdowns, stoner grooves, and genuinely enraged bursts of aggression and unhinged vocal explosions. This is perhaps best exemplified on dynamic and heaving closing number, “Collapse and Fail.” The drumming of Antoine Delhumeau is another impressive attribute, producing a busy, creative performance under the weight and heavy distortion of the bass and guitar.

Despite its faults, there is plenty to like on Collapse and Fail. Listeners enamored with the post-metal and atmospheric side of the Stonebirds formula will find much to enjoy, whereas, I find the bleak sludge and stoner elements to be the album’s strong points. On occasions these components work together particularly well, though Collapse and Fail is intermittently hampered by less engaging writing and inconsistent vocal performances. Nevertheless, the stronger cuts deserve attention and gradually the music has gotten under my skin in a pleasantly unsettling way.



Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 272 kbps MP3
Label: Ripple Music
Websites: stonebirdsarestone.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/stonebirdsarestone
Releases Worldwide: July 24th, 2020

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