Compression - “Battle of the Antsâ€
A spiritual creation that is nonetheless manmade, Compression follows up their (literally) critically acclaimed self-titled Chord debut with an opus that flips the percentages of the psychedelics vs. the conventional. A seamless stream of the surreal; the dreamy-esque sounds of Paul Joyce (guitar) joining forces with the mystical voice box of Greg Scelsi to counteract the strong rhythms of drummer Lou Hill and bassist Mike Albi, bringing together four angles to one whole. Trippy, agonizing, heavy, morose, inspiring...all beautifully crafted. Complex yet fluid, bordering on the genres of metal and hardcore while at the same time shunning them, Compression fills all voids, while trying to capture and fill their own. Clutch meets Sabbath meets Tool meets everything else. The combinations of comparisons endless. Endless too are the accolades one can bestow upon this band. Truly experimental, this band vicariously puts itself years ahead of everyone else. As of now, Compression is a burgeoning footnote to something that hasn’t been documented yet. In the future, if there is any justice, they will be the benchmark for how all others will be judged. Compression are absolute visionaries and their art shouldn’t be ignored. Embrace the harmonies of “Separation from the 3rd,†the down-tune heaviness of “Tyranna,†the mind-altering fillers, the rapid-firing riffs of the title track, the intense and vivid lyrics, the crawl to a walk dynamics of “Zealot Nazerene,†the subdued melodies of an unnamed track, and everything else Compression serves. No need to choose. Five-star chefs at work. Enjoy.
-- John Murren
