Maths & Throats - 2008 Split

Band : Maths & Throats
Album : Split
Release Year : 2008
Genre : Hardcore | Chaotic | Screamo

Tracklist :
MATHS
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1. Heavy Heart
2. Statue of Her
3. Vacant
4. Breathe as it were a Story
5. Solace

THROATS
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6. Headclouds
7. Loked Blue
8. Reign of Low
9. Comedown
10. Deathnaps

Split albums can be risky endeavors. One of the artists that partakes in the split typically overshadows the other artist, or the album may have no flow whatsoever, feeling disjointed or awkward in its juxtaposition of two separate musical entities. Throats and Maths, two bands from the UK, easily sidestep this problem by engaging in the same type of business. This is not to say that their sounds are identical. Maths creates frantic screamo, while Throats produces crusty hardcore. The unifying aspect of this split album is the overall attitude present. Both Throats and Maths specialize in nasty, furious music that is not afraid to get it's hands dirty. In other words, they're both very pissed off, and it shows.
The first 5 songs of this 10 song album are allotted to Maths. No time is wasted in kicking off their short but energetic collection of songs. Opener Heavy Hearts gets right in your face almost immediately, showcasing Maths' own frenetic brand of screamo. While there are a few clean sections here and there in Maths' songs, a respite is not truly given until the short 53 second interlude entitled Breathe As If It Were A Story rolls around. By this time, Maths has blazed through 3 blasts of speedy drums, screeched vocals, and heavy guitar work, all in 7 minutes. After Breathe.. segues into Solace, the closing track to Maths' side of the split, one is treated to another piece of chaotic screamo. Although a bit homogenous, the tangible emotion behind these tracks and their brevity warrant repeated listens.

After the final notes of Solace die out, a sludgy guitar enters. Throats begin their side of the split with a slow burner, entitled Headclouds. This track is almost reminiscent of some of Pelican's work, at least until vocals enter the track. The intensely hollered vocals are full of bile and vitriol, lending the ending segment of Headclouds a sense of urgency. Throats follow this track with a crusty freak out, complete with million-mile-an-hour drums and a short guitar solo(!). Throats' side of the split continues in this vein of insanely fast tracks full of anger, interspersed with short, tasteful breakdowns. The drummer has several very impressive moments concerning double bass work, and the vocalist is instantly comparable to one Jacob Bannon, spewing lyrics with throat-ripping intensity. The guitarists serve their purpose competently, serving up down-tuned, crunchy riffs that compliment the palpitating rhythms put forth by the drummer and held together by the bassist.
Throats and Maths have crafted a fine split album, one that might remind some listeners of Converge and Agoraphobic Nosebleed's The Poacher Diaries in its consistency and savagery. Both Throats and Maths are worth a listen individually, but you can get a nice feel for each bands' personality from this split alone. Short, heavy, and to the point, you won't want to miss out on this album.

Maths | Throats | BUY! | Listen

Maths - 2009 Acoustic Medley

Band : Maths

Album : Acoustic Medley

Release Year : 2009

Genre : Screamo / Hardcore

Tracklist :

1. (Untitled)
2. Heavy Heart
3. (Untitled)
4. IV
5. Statue Of Her

Well, here's Math in acoustic version, it's very interesting. Performed by Matt Maths, live, in one take on Diesel U Music Radio, Wednesday Sept 17th 2008, Dalston, London. Artwork by Sam Dunn. Enjoy it!

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Maths - 2008 MMVII

Band : Maths

Album : MMVII

Release Year : 2008

Genre : Screamo / Hardcore

Tracklist :

1. 2346
2. II
3. IV
4. This is Forever (Demo)
5. A Well Documented Case Of Severe Autism (Jerome's Dream Cover)
6. And We Have Killed
7. How Shall We Comfort Ourselves
8. Murderers of All Murderers
9. Of All That The World Has Yet Owned
10. What Sacred Games Shall We Have To Invent
11. Must We Outselves Not Become Gods Simply To Appear Worthy Of It
12. And We Have Killed (Acoustic Version)
13. Breathe As If It Were A Story (Ambient Mix)
14. Live Show 9/11/07 (Recorded Queen Charlotte, Norwich)

Its good stuff, It is proper 90's style Screamo like Jeromes Dream (who are in fact covered) or City of Caterpillar only the songs are quiet as epically long (in terms of CoC) and are techi to the max. But I think you get the idea, that its that frantic guitaristry, with the little slow melodic bits and the manic vocals. This is no exception, the vocals are fantastic and heartfelt, the guitarmanship is exception really adding to the emotion behind each song even helping to halfway convey which emotion is being expressed, the drumming also melds beautifully into the tracks helping to set the pace.

This is mine blowing stuff, the CD compiles the new song, the 2007 tour demo, the 6 track EP, some alternative mixes and a complete live show.

However the lyrics for "ii" & "iv" can be found on their Myspace. But this is still good stuff on pure aural pleasure alone.

All the tracks are pretty noteworthy, and the added remixes are certainly a very nice touch. Im really feeling "How Shall We Comfort Ourselves" at the moment, but this is a bright star among a galaxy.  The new track, "2346" is an epic 6 minutes in length and despite the recording being a little quiet (unless Zen is going for Jeff style vocals) although this does pick up, is still a good number with some nice little guitar moments and some somber bass lines which really help to give the track shape and I particularly like the mass scream out that occurs towards the end. The Jeromes Dream cover is particularly awesome too with the band even seeming to employ the same vocal technique the Jeff does (a la no mic).

Certainly a CD to own if you've just got into Maths or if you missed the Demo and Ep's when they came out, or even if you just want it for the Bonus material. I enjoy it and there's no reason why you shouldn't. So basically, if you're into stuff like Pg.99, Jeromes Dream or City of Caterpillar then you'll get into this.

 

 

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Maths - 2011 Ascent

Band : Maths

Album : Descent

Release Year : 2009

Genre : Screamo / Hardcore

Tracklist :

 01 Gnarled
02 Consecrated earth
03 Unending bloom
04 The wind swept away

 

Maths’ first album, Descent, was an unfocused affair. It sounded melodic and titanic but it never meshed well with the concept of the album. The result was music that was more representative of the band in an identity crisis; un-empathic and directionless. However Ascent finally sees them tightening up their act and establishing an identity for themselves.
The EP is more or less one continuous song with the traditional melodies composed of repetitive chords with odd-time signatures, ascending and descending in waves pulsing with rage. As with the song structure, the album gravitates between fast and slow tempo changes, quiet and loud dynamics, all bound and taut around the core melodies with a fanatical dedication to minimalism. The moments of high-pitched, post-rock guitar work are cut back, only being implemented in the slower, more reflective moments of “The Wind Swept Away.” Yet in cutting away the excess, the guitar work feels coherent, giving much needed breathing space for reflection, and purposeful in conveying the concept of the EP. It feels as organic as the sound of Ascent is. It grows with the tightly woven trunk of the EP. Bass and guitar interchange and lead off each other with an ease that feels unstructured; the shifts between tempos flow like water through a person’s fingertips. The drums, while buried in the mix, offer a deep stability in their patterns, beats rising for support on the lower chords and fading into the flow when the riffs rise to the higher end of the fretboard. The screams are also held in check, letting the instruments convey the emotions in the more reflective moments of the EP while intertwining with the sound when it is at it’s most intense. Thanks to this methodical approach to the song-writing, their is no misstep in the music, it pulses and breaths, it is all things in nature. Thanks to the coarse production, the music feels deep and primordial yet when backed against the constant wall of one-note ambience, it feels vast and enlightened, stretching beyond the tight structures. It moves between natural contrasts and in doing so it comes alive.

Yet this is also it’s weakness. As well as the album flows, the eleven minute run time is not enough for the album to fully express itself, especially with two of the four songs being under two minutes in length. The pushing of the guitars and bass to the front of the mix establishes a strong core but shoves the drums to the side. The riffs and bass-lines are memorable but at the expense of the drum patterns. It is not to enough to hurt this release but a greater length to the EP and some leeway in their minimalistic tendencies would have a created a better display of Maths’ talent. Despite this though, they have progressed with their music, finding an identity for it from the sum of all its parts, one that embodies all of nature’s aspects. With this release, the only path for Maths is ascension.

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Maths - 2009 Descent

Band : Maths

Album : Descent

Release Year : 2009

Genre : Screamo / Hardcore

Tracklist :

 1.Belief in sorrow
2.Culpa
3.Wilderness
4.Guarded
5.From her journals
6.Boundless
7.Sleep deep
8.To be frozen
9…And let to die
10.This is forever
11.Branches
12.Belief in hope

Descent would be impossible to encapsulate by simply describing the 12 songs, as the intensity of this experience spans much farther than the confines of its half an hour play time. It leaves you with a feeling in your stomach that can be best described between the words nauseating and staggering. Please excuse the superlatives, but Descent calls for them. From “Belief in Sorrow” all the way to “Belief In Hope,” Descent encompasses a full spectrum. The harrowing swells that begin “Belief in Sorrow” leave a distinct sense of anticipation that doesn’t disappoint when it materializes into piercing screams soon afterward. This gives way to a blatant disregard for tranquility and erupts in an explosion of technical riffs. It’s these and the chaotic percussion that compliment the screams, which are best described as adequate. While the vocals certainly add to the intensity and ferocity, I feel like I’ve heard them before in bands of similar caliber. Nevertheless, it’s hard to critique the sole qualities on Descent, as it’s the cumulative experience that overcomes these tiny flaws in an astonishing manner. Every song seems to have just enough power to stand out on its own from the rest of Descent, whether it’s because of a particular melody (the catchiness of “From Her Journals”), a moment of tranquility (the post-rock diamond in the rough, “... And Left to Die”), or even the all-out eruption of gushing intensity (penultimate track, “Branches”).

Taken as a whole, though, Descent manages to connect its 12 parts beautifully, they intertwine just like the roots on the spectacular cover. The technicality is definitely a strong point for Maths, but there’s something there that separates this from other technical works. Descent encompasses a sheer factor of extremes. It has the ability to be incredibly intense at times while managing to be incredibly tranquil at others and still progress fluidly and naturally entirely throughout. It’s an uncommon quality, and makes for a very distinct listening experience.

Descent is uncompromising and demanding, even in its short time span and relatively short track length. Nevertheless, this is a lasting and valuable experience. Chalk it up to sheer epic-ness perhaps, but this record takes methods and qualities that have been tried, used, and abused, and makes them sound fresh and dynamic. While the qualities that their music is comprised of aren’t inherently unique or specialized, they do a damn good job of owning those qualities, perfecting them Maths have cemented themselves firmly in their place in the screamo stratosphere, and if Descent is any indication, their raw and visceral aesthetic is going to be a force to reckon with in the years to come. Until then, though, Descent should surely be blasting from speakers all the way from their homeland of Britain to over here in the States.

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