Harmonic is the first listen we get into the sounds of the trio Philm. It features Gary Nestler from Civial Defiance on vocals and guitar and Pancho Tomaselli on bass. The most recognizable member of the band is of course Dave Lombardo on drums, most notably behind the kit for thrash titans Slayer.
The first four songs "Vitriolize", "Mitch", "Hun", and "Area" all have their own ample amount of staying power. With heavy riffs, catchy choruses, groovy basslines and incredible drumming and a great use of dynamics, there isn't much I can say negative about the record thus far. However, when "Way Down" comes in, for me this is where the record lost its cohesiveness and concentrated efforts. It almost has a Pink Floyd vibe to it in the nature of the vocals and spacy, effects-ridden riffs. It's an interesting offering of different sonic possibilities, but after a few minutes of guitar noodling it seems to lose its purpose.
The rest of the record (save for the straight-forward "Held In The Light") unfortunately follows suit, as there are great ideas, many different styles covered and memorable moments within tracks, but these are overshadowed by a jam factor that seems unorganized. I'm sure the band wanted to use this factor in their favor, as the record was recorded live. Sound-wise, although it makes for a more raw sound which I'm sure they were going for, the production comes across more murky than they probably intended.
This is an interesting record at moments, but all in all it seems like the band needs find out exactly how to blend their outstanding musicianship for jams and quality songwriting abilities into one machine. You'll enjoy this record if you're an open-minded Slayer fan or if you're a patient listener looking for something different to listen to that covers many sound capabilities.
Staff Rating
3.00/5
User Rating
0/5
