Thumbscrew - All Is Quiet
by James

It doesn’t seem feasible that I could get tired of hearing bands push the limits of technicality in their music. There was a time when any band that could incorporate copious time signature changes and complex riffage would be an instant hit with me. The problem is that, at this point in time, every other band is trying to do just that. You’ve got a thousand bands plus out there playing the kind of music that, in my opinion, really blew up after The Dillinger Escape Plan released Calculating Infinity. Mind you, for a lot of people, it’s a “the more, the merrier” situation. Every math metal band that comes down the pipe is instant gold for them. For me, though, you better bring something pretty spectacular to compete with your multitude of peers, which brings me to Thumbscrew’s new opus, All Is Quiet.

To be fair, I am in no way implying that Thumbscrew is a Dilliclone. They manage to mix elements of DEP and Converge with the driving breakdowns of bands like Hatebreed into a very tight, cohesive package that adds up to something which is much greater than sum of its parts. You see, the main thing that Thumbscrew really knows how to do is put their songs together. Having serious songwriting chops is the best and only way to make your band stand out from the other guys that are trying to do the same thing that you are doing and Thumbscrew brings that in spades. Of course, the musicianship is outstanding across the board, as well. Some of the little quiet bits they throw in, here and there, are amazing to hear. My favorite track, by far, is the more or less instrumental piece at the end of the album, which comes off as more of a 12 minute jam session than a single song. While there are vocals, they are pretty minimal and pushed deep into the mix. I don’t mean to sound dismissive of the nine other tracks, but this song just came across as far more daring than anything else on this CD. To be honest, I think All Is Quiet is worth hearing just for the solo at the end of the album.

So the question I should probably answer is “Does Thumbscrew manage to stand out from the myriad of technical-minded metalcore bands out there?” In my opinion, yes they do. I don’t think any person can take issue with their ability as musicians and I am very impressed with their abilities as songwriters. Once you get past the fact that there are a ton of lesser bands trying to make music like this (and not doing it half as well), you realize that these guys have far more potential than most of their peers.