Beak | Eyrie

Someoddpilot (2012)

By MICHAEL CHRISTOPHER | April 3, 2012

3.5 Stars

One word describes this debut EP by Chicago foursome Beak: brutal. Five songs, no filler, all sorts of post-metal power not heard of since the battle flag of Neurosis was picked up by Boston natives Isis and later Cult of Luna. Through these 25 minutes of light and shade, by turns entrancing and pounding, it's clear that these cats know exactly what they're doing. The second half of opener "Angry Mother of Bones" features delicate guitar work reminiscent of Metallica's "To Live Is To Die," then it all comes hurtling back to heaviness. Listening to it is probably akin to what it feels like to be one of those crash-test dummies going through a windshield. The centerpiece of Eyrie is "Men at Arms," which initially sounds like something Tool might come up with before it gets 10 times heavier than anything Maynard and Co. would think up on their best day. At the 2:23 mark, the track gets crazy devastating through a hybrid of sludge, metal, and hardcore. Equally destructive is closer "The Weight and Time," which signals the only downside — the end comes too soon. Then again, maybe it's best to take this intensity in small doses.

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