Review by Joe Harvey
I listened to Kylesa’s 4th full-legnth studio release, Static Tensions, several times. I am surprised I did, because at first listen, I didn’t really like it. The more I listened to it, though, the more the almost unclassifiable sound grew on me. Static Tensions is kind of like a banana. Once you take the time to peel off that outer skin, you discover the delicious fruit hidden inside, except in Kylesa’s case, it is a psychedelic, sludgy, and very heavy fruit. There are only a few standout tracks on the album if you’re one who enjoys skipping around, but I found that the CD is much more enjoyably when listened to from beginning to end.
One of the first things I noticed while listening to the record was how heavy and drum-driven many of the songs are. Upon investigation, I found out that there are two drummers in the band, which really gives them the ability to add a constantly noticeable rhythmic element to the music via percussion.
The tracks “Scapegoat”, “Insomnia for Months”, “Nature’s Predators”, “Almost Lost”, and “Only One” are all similar in the way that none of them really jumped out at me as amazing songs. They are by no means bad songs; they just didn’t get me excited.
“Said and Done” adds a great change of pace. It is a very musically diverse song, running in different directions but still keeping that lumbering, heavy quality to it, which makes it quite enjoyable.
“Unknowing Awareness” and “Running Red” are both great songs. They retain the same tone heard throughout the album, but there’s something a bit catchier to these two, especially “Running Red”, which I would hands-down pin as the best song on the record.
“Perception” and “To Walk Alone” close off Static Tensions on a pretty good note. “Perception” is one of the more upbeat songs on the CD, evoking elements of hardcore and punk into the mix, once again keeping that same great Kylesa sound, but adding a bit of unexpected twists and turns to it, which adds a good deal of entertainment to the listening experience. “To Walk Alone” has a nice experimental/psychedelic sound to it which will not leave the listener at all feeling disappointed by the end of the album.
For more information on Kylesa:
Myspace
Prosthetic Records