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Mureau

Rumors & Reputations

Written by: PP on 02/03/2012 02:50:35

I like Mediaskare Records. They sign mostly -core bands, but unlike Rise Records or Victory Records, they have an uncanny ability to wade through the generic crap, so the vast majority of releases this label spits out are excellent in one way or another. Mureau from California are one of their latest additions, and as predicted, it wasn't long before Mediaskare would dip their toes in the trendiest of trendy styles circa now, namely djent metal.

Following in the footsteps of bands like Periphery, Mureau draw great inspiration from Meshuggah's original groove riffs, but interject a layer of post-hardcore, clean vocals, and soaring choruses on top of it to make it more accessible to the wealth of scene music fans out there drooling to find the next big thing. As such, "Rumours And Reputations" is an interesting mix between the technically superior composition of djent, and the big choruses and hook-driven metalcore riffing of, say, a band like As I Lay Dying. So if you follow my train of thought here, it means that Mureau are slightly less focused on the bent-riffs and groove than most other djent bands, and concentrate on finding a balance between that and the more accessible elements from metalcore, with a stronger leaning on the latter side.

Djent purists may argue Mureau are dumbing down the genre, but you could also argue they are doing the genre a favor, and showing it is possible to integrate it into existing material without 'selling out' the sound. A song like "California" has a really poppy and irresistible chorus, yes, but it isn't so at the expense of technical songwriting nor a solid progressive hardcore foundation. Most other songs lack the immediacy of the lead single, but uphold the generally high standard found throughout the album. Check this out if you find 'pure' djent a little too pretentious.

Download: California, Castles In The Sky
For the fans of: Periphery, After The Burial, As I Lay Dying,
Listen: Facebook

Release date 08.11.2011
Mediaskare Records