I’ll continue to write reviews for Mylene Sheath albums, even though they never acknowledge us.
The Mylene Sheath has been the home of some of my favorite post-rock bands for quite some time now, although recently, the latest editions to its line-up have been less than stellar. With my fears for the its future becoming more and more real, one band has helped shine a little light into the darkness: Beware Of Safety. With Dogs seeming almost a century ago, I was more than prepared to listen to probably one of the best on their label. What they had to offer was equal parts intensity, grace and creativity, with all the mind-blowing skill you’ve come to expect over the years.
Leaves/Scars was well worth the wait for any post-rock fan that likes to get a little dirty. If you want pretty elevator-music, you’ve come to the wrong place. Right from the first track, this album sucks you in with its technical skill, slowly swelling in energy until you’re being crushed by the incredible bass (check out the sweet solo at 3:34 of “Meridian”) and almost post-metal-like guitar riffs. And after all that noise, you’re brought down and soothed for a few moments, just to be rocked in the eardrums by these primal screams that make you utilize all self-control to not start smashing things. Track two, “Kevin Spacey”, sounds more like the It Is Curtains Beware Of Safety in the way that it’s still heavy, but doesn’t begin to edge the line of metal like the previous song. “Lowercase West” lulls like a generic post-rock song up until 5:08 or so, when they bring the ruckus with one of the best guitar lines I’ve heard from them yet. “Small Victories” plays like a track from the first couple This Will Destroy You albums, although it’s pleasant to hear in order to balance out the overall intensity this album brings.
Rating: By far my favorite Beware Of Safety album, and probably the best Mylene Sheath release of the past year or two, Leaves/Scars leaves almost nothing to be desired, earning a 4.5/5 kegs.
B.
