*. Judgement Day .*

Album: Polar Shift (2012)
Genre: Prog Rock (Prog Metal/Instrumental/Exp.)  /  USA

There comes a time in every reviewer’s life when he/she realizes the grade given to a particular album will, in essence, be the maximum score for any album of that same genre. This is assuaged somewhat by the fact that said genre will most likely be so esoteric the threat of similar-sounding albums diminishes rapidly. But such remains the conundrum with Judgement Day, who have assumed upon themselves the wonderfully/woefully niche style of “string metal.” The band formed in Oakland, CA in 2002, when brothers Anton and Lewis Patzner began busking on street corners with violin and cello covers of metal songs, and soon began selling CDs. Their latest album, Polar Shift will be released July 31 through Minus Head Records. As per the band’s core sound, every track on the album is an instrumental, limited precisely to one violin, one cello, and drums. Scoff as you may, Judgement Day does more with this setup than other bands do with an entire orchestra-wide circle jerk. But, despite these achievements, the listener is still left wishing the band would branch out a bit more. Maybe some vocals here, guitar there, keyboard scattered about. Nothing too fancy. The problem is less with the band and more with the constraining nature of the medium they’ve taken upon themselves. The use of the term “metal” in Judgement Day’s self-described subgenre may confuse some readers. The fact is, one should expect less demonic shrieks and more finely-attuned melodic variations tracing a path through a surprisingly large array of musical influences. All three members are recognizably accomplished musicians (we took particular note of the drummer, Jon Bush, whose rapturous rhythms counterpoint the string arrangements perfectly, though also leave one questioning whether this is the best outlet for his skills). More importantly, they’re also quality composers, more concerned with crafting intricate melodies than simply masturbating their respective instruments. The opening track, “Ghost Hunt,” sets the tone for the rest of the album—the violin and cello interweave with each other in a way that is somehow both harmonious and combative, all over a furious tempo set by the powerful yet controlled percussion. But the best of the album comes in a cluster of tracks six, seven, and eight. “The Jump” opens with the unique drumming patterns of Mr. Bush, while the strings develop a riff that subsequently evolves into modulations and more complex melodic patterns over an increasingly-explosive tempo. “Redneck Rumble,” as per the title, introduces elements of bluegrass into the album’s sound, yet maintains the same degree of aggressive yet controlled modulations. The eighth track, “The Treachery of Kyodai Ken,” shows off Judgement Day’s versatility across one song. The track opens with a rather epic tempo and dark, nigh-fantastical string work. However, the music suddenly drops into a slow, isolated melody crying against the sudden silence. The pace quickens again soon after, and the listener is treated to this back and forth between two poles until the track comes to an abrupt conclusion. And yet, even in light of these powerful moments, by the end of the album, listeners will likely find it difficult to forget they’ve been listening to the same three instruments over and over again. By the final track, tediousness remains, and individual merits of individual songs begin to blend together in light of these insurmountable musical limits. Which returns us to the central thesis of this review. Polar Shift is about as good as an album of the nature could possibly be—the nature itself proves to be the problem. The album’s appeal is as limited and precise as the subgenre itself. Regardless of the band’s best efforts, those who weren’t violin nerds in middle school most likely won’t find this album a sufficient reason to start looking into “string metal” with any interest. The members of Judgement Day are obviously talented, and this will be clear to most listeners regardless of musical prejudices. But the addendum coupled with this recognition will be “I hope they branch out a bit,” and not “I hope they keep doing this exact same thing for their rest of their career.” Review by "Steve Hanson" (http://inyourspeakers.com).

RATING:  6.25 / 10

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