Album Review: Misgiver - 'Loathing'

The title of your album or EP should hopefully sum up the feeling and tone of what the listeners will be experiencing. Thy Art Is Murder captured this perfectly with their last album ‘Hate’, which was a hateful dose of metal that never let up once you pressed play. So Misgiver dropped ‘Loathing’ about a week or so ago, and guess what? It’s about self-hatred and loathing attitudes, hooray!

For those unaware, Misgiver are four angry, pissed-off dudes from New York (the state, not the city) who have enough time on their hands to channel their dark, aggressive thoughts into dark, aggressive music. It’s a win-win situation really. They get to be cathartic and creative, and then we get to listen to the end result and be all edgy and hip. Plus, they’re not out killing people in their dark rage, so that’s good for everyone!

The group's new six-track EP is a 12 minute long delve into seething hatred and the darkest of sounds and thoughts. It’s short, and it’s heavy, and it’s packed full of punch, and while it is lacking in sonic polish, (we’ll get to that a little later on) it feels like a release from some of our own. Namely Tassie's Alpha Wolf and our prime mosh-lords Confession.

First of all, Misgiver, who feel like they were dropped into a bucket of guitar feedback as a child, have a tendency to switch between heavy deathcore-like chugs and grooves to threatening downtempo/beatdown breakdowns. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it feels a bit like a release from bands like Black Tongue in that regard – all chug and mosh with no entertainment value whatsoever. Yet there are more than a few saving grace points of this EP.

‘Collecting Coffins’ is a chug-heavy monster that trudges along at a slow, evil pace, and it’s a song that is dripping in distortion, reverb and sheer venom. This song is also where the vocals go from mid-range growls to throaty, stabbing demonic screams. It's easily one of the better tracks of the half-dozen. It also showcases one slow, heavy and slightly obnoxious breakdown that would make Rise bands from 2010 very, very proud.

‘APD’ is a raw, fast number that briefly picks the band’s breakdown-heavy sound off the floor and whips thing up to 11 before diving back into distortion and feedback filled breakdowns that pull down on your soul. But in a good way, of course. ‘The Marble Town’ opens with ominous, ear-piercing feedback before proceeding to beat down your ears with a mid-tempo rhythm section, chugging riffs, bellowing growls and hallowing screams, and ‘Sneer’ is really no different. Still good, mind you.

The mix is quite boomy a lot of the time and it lacks polish in some areas (like the drums for instance), but that actually works into the band’s favour, as it makes the EP that more vile and disconcerting. Although, if that was intentional, then that’s like a purposely bad movie pulling the always bullshit “You can’t criticise me because I’m meant to be bad” card, and that’s always the sign of the creators just covering their arses, being lazy, incompetent, or just all of the above. That will definitely come down to personal taste.

Misgiver’s new EP is a very short affair, but it’s one that you’ll find yourself returning to if you’re ever in a hateful, brooding mood. This New York quartet have created a very aggressive affair, and it's short and solid, but it can leave you wanting. It may also leave you a bit beaten down, mostly due to its subject matter and constant sonic assault on your ears, but not because you'll be bored to tears. Far from it.

1. Isolation Sickness

2. Sneer

3. Partially Deceased

4. The Marble Town

5. APD

6. Collecting Coffins