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Review: Interpolant - Arbor
Interpolant
interpolant.com
Arbor

Label: Terminarch Records
Year released: 2021
Duration: 20:44
Tracks: 7
Genre: Death Metal

Rating:
2.5/5


Review online: April 28, 2021
Reviewed by: MetalMike
Readers' Rating
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Rated 3.25/5 (65%) (4 Votes)
Review

Death metal is not my favorite genre, but I have learned to enjoy several death metal bands over the years. Also, I'm willing to give any new metal a try, which is how I came to review Arbor, the debut album from Interpolant, a one-man creation by Cypher guitarist Tobias Borra.

On the surface, the music on Arbor is sharp, technical death metal with low, growling vocals and bashing drums. There are keyboards, but not the melodic, Swedish kind. They have an '80s movie music sound that is often not in direct support of the main melody, something Borra says was intentional as his goal was to push musical boundaries. At times, I felt like I was listening to the soundtrack from Blade Runner if Death had written it. A unique sound to be sure, but one I found jarring. The vocals and drums are front-forward, and the guitar pushed back in the mix (again, intentional) and as a result, I found the whole album grating and monotonous. Adventurous though it may be, that's a glaring weakness. On the other hand, if Borra is going for music that is somewhat unsettling, he nailed it.

I will give Borra credit for trying something different and there may be an audience for Interpolant's music, but it doesn't include me.

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