Wednesday, January 4, 2012

The Jonbenét - "The Plot Thickens


Artist: The Jonbenét
Album: The Plot Thickens
Genre: Mathcore
Country: Texas, USA
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/thejonbenet

1. Eating Lightning Pt. 1
2. Dramarama
3. Behold, the White Whore
4. Eleventh Century Folklore
5. Trophy Wives
6. Stolen Home
7. Scratch The Roman Numerals
8. Bartleby

Well, of course I'd find out that this band has split up while I made this post. This is really unfortunate, because The Jonbenét are some crazily talented dudes.

I think I can say that is one of the only, if not the only, catchy mathcore albums I've ever heard. These guys combine a weird amount of imagination with their technical chops . Songs switch frantically from heavy, funky, grinding sections to clean, poppy, listenable-to-the-average-person melodies. The clean vocals used by these guys is tasteful, and fits in very well with the flow of the songs, which is something few metal bands can accomplish.
While the heavy and grindy parts in this album are indeed grindy and heavy, songs remain memorable and fun to listen to, unlike many bands in this genre. Never are you listening to a plain old shredfest, or a riff that hurts your head to process. The guitar parts in this album are fun, creative, solid, and loud.
Overall, these guys have a great idea of how to write songs that really stick with the listener, and an even greater grasp on how to arrange these songs.

The Jonbenét pushes conventional thinking about how genres should stay separate straight off the roof, and watches this thinking die before their eyes. At times, you're listening to an indie rock passage, and then are thrust into a mathey breakdown. Interesting production choices really compliment these shifts, and make every part pop in it's own way. This melding of genres also means that every song is different, while combining the best of crazy, and the best of mellow.

If you're looking for a fresher, funky approach to mathcore, check these guys out, and buy some music from them. Convince them they need to get back together.
If you're looking for straightforward grind, or fretboard acrobatics, this probably isn't for you, and the cleaner, whiner vocal style may turn some people off, but there's no denying that these guys have(had...) a ridiculous amount of talent as musicians.

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