ENCROACHING DARKNESS — Experimetal (review)

ENCROACHING DARKNESS — Experimetal album cover

Album · 2015 · Progressive Metal

1.5/5 · 2024-01-29
siLLy puPPy

ENCROACHING DARKNESS is the one-man project of Montara Mike who originated in the San Francisco Bay area coastal suburb of Montara. So far this guy has cranked out four releases all emerging in 2014 and 2015. It’s actually unclear which are EPs and which are albums because no database can seem to totally agree but it appears that the EPs were indeed EPs at the time of release and then re-released (some with new artwork) with extra tracks making them albums.

Such is the case of the final release EXPERIMENTAL which many databases show as having only five tracks with the album cover of a sand bank jetting out into the sea however the current Bandcamp page features 10 tracks and a silhouette of Montara Mike with a guitar lurking in the shadows. Whatever the case is, this is some of the worst music the Bay Area has to offer and i’m actually quite please this guy stopped in 2015.

After trying to listen to the awful self-titled album i actually had to stop because it was so cheesy and amateurish in a BAD way that i couldn’t even bring myself to listen all the way through. Unusual for me as i’m extremely tolerant and can find a challenge in hearing new music in virtually any genre however when it’s just substandard to the point of nausea, i draw the line.

Next moved onto “Mellowcore” which was even worse! Ugh. I thought an album titled EXPERIMENTAL would be the ticket but lo and behold, this EP / album is just generic rather than unlistenable. Finally something i can at least sit through to review! Why bother? I’m a glutton for punishment and when i decide to scour a region for its musical gems i want to include some of the dross so it doesn’t look like every artist is a shining star waiting to be the next thing.

EXPERIMENTAL is a collection of 10 instrumental tracks that feature Montara Mike on guitars, bass, keyboards and the drum programming. The tracks are mercifully short mostly hovering around the 3-minute mark. This album is one of those guitar oriented ones that tries to showcase some kind of instrumental prowess but this guy doesn’t really have any talent. Not only are the compositions boring but his playing skills are rather weak as well. It’s sorta djent, sorta progressive and wants to be neoclassical.

While trying to craft some guitar god album that features a series of riffing, atmospheric build ups and then a bunch of guitar soloing, it unfortunately not only falls shorts but stumbles in every way from the beginning. I have to say though that at least this one is listenable unlike the high pitched cheesy keyboard oriented crap of his other releases. This one at least features grungy guitar and decent beats. EXPERIMENTAL though? LOL. Not even close.

Well here you have it. One of the Bay Area’s most UN-innovative contributions with a series of albums that everyone who checks out seems to agree are just the worst of the worst. This is probably the best thing Montara Mike pumped out during those two years and his best seems to be a few lackluster instrumental tracks that fail to offer anything beyond the conclusion that in the modern day, ANYONE can buy recording equipment and release music at home! Luckily this cost me nothing but 43 minutes of my life. If you think Animals As Leaders with no talent then that is what you can expect.