Whether judging a band’s future direction on the basis of one, albeit substantial, song is fair or not, it is immediately notable that the group has, for the purpose of this experiment, eschewn much of the melodic character of their previous releases in favor of a musky, cavernous doom ‘n’ deathmarch approach. Now former vocalist Xavier Therat wrote all the lyrics, and while his deep growls, moans and roars are reliably and remarkably delivered with a recognizably human (and noticeably French) accent in both tone and phrasing, he frequently takes a back seat to bassist/vocalist Marion who when not engaged in dingy rumbling upon her four strings, alternatively intones hypnotically and screams hysterically over the din. The remaining members, stripped of previous melodic and structural considerations are entrusted with creating a spooky, harrowing soundscape over which the two vocalists expel their demons. Benjamin’s drumming might as well have been performed on timpanis rather than a standard rock kit, his low-key and minimalistic, methodical thumping blends perfectly with deliriously droned out guitar work by Antoinne and Pierrick to evoke a harrowing post-apocalyptic horror show. Tiphaine’s synth and electronic manipulation adds an extra layer of dirt, disease and distress signals throughout the fray, making for music which, though composed of metal/hardcore elements, more often evokes an unsettling ambiance.

Ambiance would be the key word here, not to be automatically associated with the relaxing, new age-y tones one usually presumes with that description, rather on Born Again, atmosphere comes first and the listener must first grow comfortable within that context before exploring and enjoying the musical elements of the composition. While that can be easier said than done due to the slumbering pace yet unrelentingly excruciating sonic nature of the epic, the astute audience will find that while this new release from Overmars is certainly not for everyone, it is not for everyone in all the right ways. Within the muck and mire that these Frenchmen (and woman) unmercifully shovel into your aural cavity, there is a singular radiant song that ebbs, flows, develops, decays and resonates beneath the remains of your eardrums, and on the frayed ends of sanity, you will find yourself mysteriously humming along.

Audio samples from Born Again can be found here: http://www.crucialblast.net/overmars_born.html 

In support of this colossal release, OVERMARS will be touring the US for the first time this month! The band will be touring alongside Translation Loss Rec’s artists Battlefields from Mid-August through early September. 

OVERMARS / BATTLEFIELDS US Tour:

8/14/2009 31st Street Pub – Pittsburgh, PA

8/15/2009 Kyber Bar – Philadelphia, PA
8/16/2009 Club Europa – Brooklyn, NY

8/17/2009 Cherry Street Station – Wallingford, CT

8/18/2009 O’Brien’s – Boston, MA w/ Voyager
8/19/2009 The Pirate House – Ithaca, NY
8/20/2009 Westcott Community Center – Syracuse, NY
8/21/2009 Roboto Project – Pittsburgh, PA
8/22/2009 Dayton Dirt Collective – Dayton, OH
8/23/2009 Mix Tapes – Grand Rapids, MI
8/24/2009 Cobra Lounge – Chicago, IL
8/25/2009 Vaudeville Mews – Des Moines, IA
8/26/2009 The Uptown Bar – Minneapolis, MN
8/27/2009 Mix Tapes – Moline, IL
8/28/2009 Fubar – St. Louis, MO
8/30/2009 Dragon’s Den – New Orleans, LA
8/31/2009 The Atlantic – Gainesville, FL
9/01/2009 Square One – Greensboro, NC
9/02/2009 The Side Bar – Baltimore, MD
9/032009 The Charleston – Brooklyn, NY

With feet firmly planted in the Isis, Cult of Luna School of crushing drone and ambient interludes, Overmars flesh out the sound with a malign intellectual depth that’s holds more extreme appeal than the usual repetition and atmospherics of their peers. Burst or Buried Inside also seems to appear as viable comparisons. As expected, the twelve mammoth tracks are littered with a common theme interludes (“Destroy All Dreamers” parts I-V), that space the draining tension of the ‘full’ tracks, which often contain their own segues.

After the surprisingly brusque opener “Obsolete” the withering eleven minutes of “This is Rape” reveals the tortured soul of Overmars and even with their lumbering wall of noise, the vocals remain in a death/doom metal roar that deepens the already heavy aptitude of the track. With that vocal approach, Overmars should not only appeal to the usual sub-metal core/noise pundits, but could also see this having some appeal for fans of Swallow the Sun, Draconian, etc, as it often has the same layered, emotional construct, just with a less obviously death metal lineage. Part I of “Destroy All Dreamers” is the album’s first dreamy break, which is more than needed after the preceding track and offers up a delicate acoustic tangent and haunting clean vocals that bridges effortlessly into the equally lucid and relaxing instrumental build of “Deus Measures de Solitude” before the haunting and disturbing, piano laced “Buccolision / (bis) The Mistaken One pt. II (Geography is Just a Symptom)” sends seismic shivers down your spine.

“Destroy All Dreamers (Part II)” replaces the prior tracks psychosis with a whispered acoustics before the expansive Oceanic drone of “A Spermwhale’s Quest” takes hold with lucid ebbs and flows. After another chapter of the “Destroy All Dreamers” tale, the thirteen minute “En Memoire des Faibles qui Ont Survecu a Darwin” begins with an industrial throb before tumbling into more familiar Isis/Neurosis territory. Its first six minutes lacks the draining, emotional feel of the prior tracks, but halfway the heavenly acoustic break and subsequent climax is lull shattering. “From Love to Exhausting – The Story of This Intangible Thing Between Us” revives the creepy ambiance that Overmars seem to thrive on, this time starting with an eerie, swampy, Creole ooze before exploding into the more tidal throes of more Isis/Cult of Luna familiarity.

Ultimately, Affliction, Endocrine… Vertigo is a captivating and disturbing journey into the mind of seven talented and twisted Frenchmen, who have taken the structures of a successful genre and given it a sour infusion of garlic and angst. Good stuff.

With the help of the nicely done booklet (again, wish it was in English) I figured out that the two bands share almost the same line up. Now, I’m sure they have their reasons for making up two different bands that play (to an untrained ear) rather similar music, but I still have to question why they did’t melt the two together. Unless it’s because they share completely different members despite the identical names. Too bad good stories have sad endings and I also found out that, apparently, Donefor split after the release of this split; I guess they truly are now done for (Jimbo, throw me a rimshot!). However, when things get less complicated, it also means that I have to throw my highly complex conspiracy theories of different, unknown bands to the trash bin. I mean, it would have been great if one of the two bands was, in reality, formed by evil clones originally cloned from the other band’s members’ genes. In a true Pulp-fiction manner.

Anyway. In the Arms of Octopus starts with the pummeling attack from the over marching martians, Overmars, against Earth somewhere in the vein of earlier Neurosis and acts similar. Mainly slow and mid-paced mass of sound following repetitive, yet hypnotizing patterns that sometimes burst out violently into displays of anger. As expected, vocals scream blood from the bottom of the lungs. While things generally might seem familiar, the Neurosis comparison is just there to give some kind of a idea of the material. Overmars’ lines are a bit more straightforward and the atmosphere is slightly less neurotic than with their American counterpart. I also think that the band could have added some more life to the compositions in order to make them more memorable. For example, well thought and executed, small details such as the use of different instruments and mediums; analog and digital. Things that make the songs deeper and force the listener to balance between the borderline of the mind’s awareness. Of course it’s wrong from me to compare a band that started rolling in the ’80s to a band that has been around for only a brief moment, but it’s only because I care about the band’s future well being. Unleash the potential, dammit! Still, however you look at it the 26 minutes spent with Overmars are moments that you can truly enjoy.

Donefor joins the massacre on the fourth track. Musically they’re more melodic with their delivery and closer to acts like, f.ex, Poison the Well (although a bit more intense I think). In general offering a bit more varied experience than Overmars. For example, their opening song “Evolution” starts with rather pressurizing tone and then half way calms down into a much more mellow entity, only to rise back with a force at the end. Perhaps they’ve got a better grip of this kind of style since the songs are more thrilling and appeared to be constructed on a better foundation than the more ‘experimental’ stuff heard in the beginning. The last track “My Black turns to your Grey” is a 26 minute epoch that begins normally but after crossing the three minute point, it shape shifts into a nihilistic ambient soundscape. Take the more quieter (experimental) moments off from Ulver’s Perdition City and you get the idea of what to expect. Even when the track follows a certain pattern, it still keeps evolving without becoming boring at any moment. The frames are mainly created by a huge bass wall in the background while lighter noises play on top. During some minutes, we also get to hear more recognizable, mechanical drumbeats and of course, dialogue that can’t be decoded. The track gives the Split a powerful and stylish ending.

Overall, In the Arms of Octopus offers 66 minutes of quality music with a nice coarse edge to it. And it truly is a shame that Donefor called the quits since this could have been the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Luckily Overmars is still around. Hopefully they will continue and if they hone and develop their skills, compositions and visions, I’m quite sure we’ll be in for a real treat in the future. Even when at the moment things seem a bit unpolished, In the Arms of Octopus is a highly recommended experience that I found myself listening again and again. Remember to keep your eyes and ears open for things to come.