Review: Modern Technology ‘Conditions Of Worth’
Heavy metal has always had a negative view among the general public. Start adding words like doom or funeral in front and people think even worse. I don’t have to explain how awesome the metal community truly is because if you’re reading this, you’re deep in it and already know. My point is, with record labels like Human Worth who make a strong effort to give back and help those in need, the focus of the general public should begin there.
While Human Worth is going above and beyond by giving a percentage of the sales to charity, that’s only part of what makes them awesome. They have a flawless lineup and with the new release of Modern Technology‘s Condition Of Worth, the bar has been raised. Featuring Owen Gildersleeve on drums and Chris Clarke on bass, vocals, synths, Modern Technology is two talented musicians who can make a hell of a lot of noise.
I must add that I’ve been sitting on this album for a while and should have put words to paper (phone) quicker but it’s not for lack of listening because Conditions Of Worth has fueled my car to and from work for weeks. The fuzzed soaked bass riffs, the driving force of the drums and the throaty vocals fired those pistons more than the gas!
Having spent so much time with this album, I learned it’s the little moments that make it so powerful to me. Such as the droning intro to Lurid Machines with Clarke’s echoing cries ‘Why are they so alone?’ creating a haunting vibe. It also reminds me of a harsher Nate Hall of US Christmas as it portrays emotion directly through the speakers.
The fuzzed soaked bass riffs, the driving force of the drums and the throaty vocals fired those pistons more than the gas…
Or the drums mixing effortlessly with the bass as the album opens with Dead Air. It’s chilling. I didn’t realize how important drum tone was to me until I listened to Oceanic by Isis or Station by Russian Circles, but now I can add Condition Of Worth by Modern Technology to that list.
Or the powerfully relentless closer Believer that consumes all the emotional energy used to create this album in an explosive conclusion. Gildersleeve says it best, ‘…the emotion, frustration and pent up energy from that time has definitely been captured in this record.’ That time referring to new life brought into a world that is in a constant state of peril.
Or the break from intensity the band allows with The Space Between. Clarke offers a slow clean bass riff. But it’s the vocal crescendo from serene and dark to the gut-wrenching power with a demonic sounding transition in between that leaves a lasting impression.
It’s the little things. The little things that Human Worth seem to focus on and the general public pass over. Those interested in the current trend or what’s popular miss out on the little things. The emotion, the intricate sounds that evoke feeling, the human connection and all that can be felt across the eight tracks on Conditions Of Worth.
Label: Human Worth
Band Links: Facebook | Bandcamp | Spotify | Twitter | Instagram
Scribed by: Josh Schneider
