Belgium’s Hybridism play a brand of djent/progressive metal, combining ambient elements and delicately played clean layers over top of the stuttering and stabbing rhythms set in place by Meshuggah and SikTh. The difference is, the music on their debut self-titled EP feels much more lush and organic, setting themselves apart from the very mechanical sounding contemporaries who follow a similar formula. While the melodic djent thing isn’t new, Hybridism manage to sound unique and fresh, thanks to the atmospheres and singing.
The guitar work is split between the dry and low polyrhythmic chugs and clean and melodic layering for ambiance. These two styles fit together in perfect harmony and create some wonderful soundscapes and textures. The bass is also very present in the mix, which is an added touch of brilliance. You can hear it slapping and popping along throughout the EP, even taking a few moments here and there to be the focal point of the music from time to time. Oh, and the drumming is actually real, which is a nice change of pace for a genre that likes to program everything or play it through an electronic kit. This is one of the contributing factors for the EP not sounding like an overproduced machine.
As for the musical composition, “Hybridism” does feel like one song and flows through tracks logically when things take a change in pace or theme. The band can definitely demand the attention of the listener without having to drop a solo every few minutes. These guys know what they’re doing.
With the release of “Hybridism,” Hybridism are moving out of the periphery (no pun intended) and into focus. If they can come up with this great music in the course of a half-an-hour EP, we are in for a treat when their debut full-length is out. Check it out here.
Post a Comment