Static Tensions

Last updated
Static Tensions
Kylesa Static Tensions.jpg
Studio album by
Kylesa
ReleasedMarch 17, 2009
Genre
Length40:24
Label Prosthetic
Producer Phillip Cope
Kylesa chronology
Time Will Fuse Its Worth
(2006)		Static Tensions
(2009)		 Spiral Shadow
(2010)

Static Tensions is the fourth studio album by the American heavy metal band Kylesa, released on March 17, 2009 by Prosthetic Records. The artwork and layout was created by John Dyer Baizley of the band Baroness. [1] Like its predecessor, Time Will Fuse Its Worth (2006), the record features two drummers. [2]

Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the United Kingdom. With roots in blues rock, psychedelic rock, and acid rock, the bands that created heavy metal developed a thick, massive sound, characterized by highly amplified distortion, extended guitar solos, emphatic beats, and overall loudness. The genre's lyrics and performance styles are sometimes associated with aggression and machismo.

Kylesa band that plays sludge metal

Kylesa is an American heavy metal band that was formed in Savannah, Georgia. Their music incorporates experimentalism with heavy riffs, drop-tuned guitars and elements of psychedelic rock. The group was established in 2001 by the former members of Damad, with the addition of guitar player Laura Pleasants who is from North Carolina. The band has since undergone line up changes; the remaining original members are Phillip Cope and Laura Pleasants. In 2006, the band added two drummers. Eric Hernandez joined in 2008 to replace Porter. The dual drum tracks are often panned strongly to the right and left.

Prosthetic Records

Prosthetic Records is an American record label specializing in heavy metal recordings, founded in Los Angeles, California in 1998 by E.J. Johantgen and Dan Fitzgerald, both former employees of Columbia Records. Prosthetic Records released the first two albums by Lamb of God and are currently home to Scale the Summit, Skeletonwitch, and was the North American home to Gojira.

Contents

Composition and music

Static Tensions is a sludge metal album. [2] On the album, Kylesa features a three singer- and two drummer-lineup, which distinguishes the band's "technically busy brand of post-progressive metal from contemporary competitors (and fellow Southerners) like Baroness and Mastodon," according to AllMusic's Eduardo Rivadiava. Rivadiava also noted the use of downtuned guitars and different singing styles such as shouting, crooning or croaked singing styles, along with elements from stoner rock, sludge rock, psych-rock and alternative rock. [3] Pitchfork critic Cosmo Lee characterized the track "Scapegoat" as "a hardcore punk two-step" and added: "But despite this newfound efficiency, the songs are more baroque than ever. They flaunt melodies shamelessly now. Choruses are insistent. Practically the whole record is hummable." Lee also noted that "the track 'Running Red' alternates Slayer harmonies with riffs redolent of Black Sabbath's 'Iron Man'" while Laura Pleasants' singing, once a buried gem, is often upfront." [2] Spin critic David Marchese thought that the band's guitarists "summon amorphous detuned riffs covered in reverb that suddenly snap into distorted single-note flurries. Throughout, drummers Carl McGinley and Eric Hernandez play tight, tribal beats." [4]

Sludge metal is an extreme style of music that originated through combining elements of doom metal and hardcore punk. It is typically harsh and abrasive, often featuring shouted vocals, heavily distorted instruments and sharply contrasting tempos. While the Melvins from the US state of Washington laid the groundwork for both sludge metal and grunge in the 1980s, sludge as a distinct genre emerged after 1990 through the work of Louisiana bands such as Eyehategod, Crowbar, and Acid Bath, who generally borrowed from Southern rock. Later bands often border on stoner rock or post-metal.

Progressive metal is a fusion genre melding heavy metal and progressive rock that combines the loud "aggression" and amplified guitar-driven sound of the former with the more experimental, cerebral or "pseudo-classical" compositions of the latter.

Baroness (band) American band

Baroness is an American heavy metal band from Savannah, Georgia whose original members grew up together in Lexington, Virginia.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 79/100 [5]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [3]
Alternative Press Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [6]
The Austin Chronicle Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [7]
Pitchfork 8.2/10 [2]

Upon its release, Static Tensions generally received positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from critics, the album received an average score of 79, which indicates "generally favorable reviews", based on 8 reviews. [5] AllMusic critic Eduardo Rivadiava wrote: "At the end of the day, the best single word for describing Static Tensions is "unpredictable," and although this characteristic may demand a few more listens before the album's many amazing qualities can sink in properly, the ultimate payoff is very much worth the effort." [3] Jesse Raub of Alternative Press stated: " Though some might fear the band have lost their edge, their latest album is more focused and, like a laser beam, ultimately more destructive when concentrated." Raub further commented: "Although a more varied use of the two drummers would be appreciated, the overall echoed effect with the cleaner production offers a complete, homogenized sound, which, when consumed en masse, makes for a killer album." [6] The Austin Chronicle 's Raoul Hernandez thought: "While not as compositionally right-angled as 2006 Prosthetic disc Time Will Fuse Its Worth, liquefies massively ("Perception") and even psychedelically ("Unknown Awareness") into a multiton Teutonic corkscrew ("Only One")." [7] Pitchfork critic Cosmo Lee wrote: "The band has etched light, dark, sky, and earth so deftly onto wax that it vibrates the very soul." [2] David Marchese of Spin commented: "The heat subsides at times, but it never breaks." [4]

Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of media products: films, TV shows, music albums, video games, and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged. Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc Doyle, and Julie Doyle Roberts in 1999. The site provides an excerpt from each review and hyperlinks to its source. A color of green, yellow or red summarizes the critics' recommendations. It has been described as the video game industry's "premier" review aggregator.

<i>Alternative Press</i> (magazine)

Alternative Press is an American music magazine based in Cleveland, Ohio. It generally provides readers with band interviews, photos, information on upcoming releases, and music charts. It was founded in 1985 by Mike Shea, who is the president.

<i>The Austin Chronicle</i> American newspaper

The Austin Chronicle is an alternative weekly newspaper published every Thursday in Austin, Texas, United States. The paper is distributed through free news-stands, often at local eateries or coffee houses frequented by its targeted demographic. The newspaper reported a weekly readership of 545,500. It is part of the Association of Alternative Newsmedia and it emulates the typical publications of the 1960s counter-culture movement.

Track listing

All songs written by Phillip Cope, Carl McGinley and Laura Pleasants, except where noted.

No.TitleLength
1."Scapegoat"3:25
2."Insomnia for Months" (Cope, Pleasants, Eric Hernandez)2:04
3."Said and Done"4:09
4."Unknown Awareness"4:22
5."Running Red"5:46
6."Nature's Predators"4:10
7."Almost Lost"3:03
8."Only One"5:20
9."Perception"3:43
10."To Walk Alone"4:22

Personnel

Kylesa

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References

  1. ↑ "Baroness's John Baizley On Six Influential Album Covers". Stereogum . Retrieved July 3, 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Kylesa: Static Tensions". Pitchfork .
  3. 1 2 3 "Static Tensions - Kylesa". AllMusic.
  4. 1 2 Marchese, David (April 16, 2009). "Kylesa, 'Static Tensions' (Prosthetic)". Spin .
  5. 1 2 "Static Tensions by Kylesa". Metacritic . Retrieved July 3, 2017.
  6. 1 2 Raub, Jesse (May 24, 2010). "Reviews: Kylesa - Static Tensions". Alternative Press .
  7. 1 2 Hernandez, Raoul (March 20, 2009). "Pack of Wolves, Kylesa, Tombs, Absu, Megazilla, Wolves in the Throne Room, and Earthless". The Austin Chronicle .
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