It’s melodic, it’s atmospheric, it’s spiritual, it’s driven and it rocks. Self-described as a faith-driven alternative 3-piece outfit, The latest EP by New Jersey’s The Finite Beings “A Shell of What Could Be” is a holistic journey that reflects on our connections to ourselves and each other.
The lead track and first single, “Untamed” sits somewhere between A Perfect Circle and Deftones, full of rich stepping heavy guitar riffs. It’ll appease the heavy metal headbanger just as much as the grunge-rock feet shuffler with its half-time drum breaks and the sweeping rock licks, woven together with the infectious drift of the vocals which are infused with strong melody and just the right amount of nasally snark. The combined elements seem to bend and sway in and out of each other giving movement to the metal-infused alt-rock sound that can otherwise often sound rigid or constricted and we’re quickly enthralled to be sucked in by its massive gravitational pull.
This liberating loose atmosphere carries itself warmly into The Virus, lulling you in with a simple arpeggiated guitar akin to the melancholic arrival of Metallica’s “One”, but with a much more lush silky coating, a production choice that is felt throughout the entirety of this EP like an eloquent varnish.
On “The Shade” we hear a much moodier side of The Finite Beings who up until this point have carried a certain air of introspection that is positively affirming. Lyrically “The Shade” points to feeling withdrawn and removing oneself, which sits between heavy double bass kicks and aggressive chugging, while tauntingly taking on a sinister character who seems hellbent on pulling you out of your comfortable hiding place and into the naked breath of a new world. It tugs anxiously at you until it fades out dramatically, leaving us wondering if this shadowy beast is soon to return and where we can go to avoid its slimy grasp.
It appears we’ve reached the precipice of this shell which The Finite Beings have us climbing with “Time Slave”, a soft ballad-esque cradle song. It’s the guitars that really shine on this one, bringing an unexpected ethnic worldly tone when coupled with the pitter-pattering of the drums which have laid into a more rhythmic sweeping rather than the hard driving pulsing on the previous tracks. We imagine ourselves making the long walk across a desert, secluded if not for the wild camels that graze its empty pasture in dire search for some relief, water or shelter from the beading heat that keeps our walk to a crawl and the sweat abundantly pillowing our brow. As lead vocalist Michael Nicholas guides us towards a perceived promised land, his repeating of “become a time slave” begins to fester like an unwelcome infection; we have to turn the track back over to hear if this continuing droning is made to inspire us to escape this hopeless feeling of being victims of our perception of time and our lack of it as sentient beings or lure us back towards it and embrace the anxiety it stirs within us.
Capsulated on the mountain’s peak, “Hope is Sleeping in Grace” falls into a natural continuation to “Time Slave” however it would appear The Finite Beings have come to a resolve about the challenges they’ve walked through with us. They return swiftly to their faith and choose to patiently wait as the wisdom they’ve been seeking makes its way towards them and that positive affirmation we began the journey with makes a gradual return. It’s clear that the future remains uncertain, but it is their belief that by holding on to hope they will overcome everything that has proven itself an obstacle. Musically it’s the track on the album that is the least stimulating, but undeniably fitting for the somber resolution that we’ve been taken to and in its own way, it is refreshing how it doesn’t try to overtake the album while still returning to the theatrical alt-rock sound that was introduced to us on “Untamed”.
All in, “A Shell of What Could Be” is a climatic cohesive record that delves just enough into the metal-rock sphere that guitar-aficionado’s will find themselves possessed to return for repeat listens, while even the most casual alt-rock listeners will find themselves attracted to the return of the early 2000’s feel prevalent on this record.
For more, check out The Finite Beings website or social media channels.
Website: www.thefinitebeings.com
Crooked Forest 