Conor Fynes
'Apparition' - The Contortionist (6/10)
Before the release of their excellent full-length 'Exoplanet', The Contortionist laid down a very solid foundation for their sound with this self-release. Having been introduced to this American progressive deathcore act through their debut, I have had high expectations for all of their other material, but at the same time, it is difficult not to compare this EP (and 'Shapeshifter') with the debut, which is significantly more developed and refined than the sound here. 'Apparition' is certainly a strong statement for this band though, especially considering it was released while they were still an underground group. While the band's progressive elements are firmly intact here, a little too much of the rather lame deathcore sound is still present, which can make The Contortionist's sound a big of a mixed result.
Even upon first listen, I noticed that many of the musical ideas were sounding familiar, and indeed they are; The Contortionist would later go on to recycle many of these ideas for their more mass-distributed full0length, and luckily, it's the best parts of 'Apparition' that make the cut, as opposed to the weak elements, of which there are a few to mention here. The Contortionist plays a technical style of metal that then alternates between heavier deathcore moments and lighter post-rock sections. The Contortionist can certainly hold their own when it comes to metal; their riffs are fairly standard when it comes to technical death metal, but enjoyable nonetheless. The more simplistic deathcore breakdowns are inherently mediocre and lacking in much interest, but the lighter moments of The Contortionist do tend to set them apart. It is a very nice feeling to hear a band go from chaotic technicality to something very beautiful and effective in its simplicity. The sense of melody is also quite strong in these parts.
'Apparition' does tend to feature a little too much of the adolescent deathcore elements than I might be comfortable with, and while they do tend to make me cringe towards the most generic of the breakdowns here, the rest of the sound that The Contortionist has to offer does make the trade worth it. Many of the best ideas here would go on to be further developed with 'Exoplanet' though, so in hindsight, 'Apparition' can feel a little obsolete. Be that as it may, the EP is fairly strong, and indicative of the potential that they would later grasp with the debut.