Redemption: This Mortal Coil

This Mortal Coil is Redemption's fifth studio album and the follow-up to their amazing Snowfall on Judgment Day. My guess is that most Redemption fans will pick up this disc for similar reasons: corrosive riffing, melodic vocal parts that can only be sung by Ray Alder, a powerful and intricate rhythmic tandem, sparingly used keys for atmosphere, introspective lyrics, etc.

However, the album falls short in one important department: production. It is interesting because years ago when Redemption released their debut album which was marred by a subpar mixing job, which totally killed Rick Mythiasin's career-defining vocal performance, I posted my thoughts on a message board which was also frequented by guitarist Nick van Dyk. I argued that Redemption should get Neil Kernon (Queensryche, Spiral Architect) for the next album (The Fullness of Time) because Kernon was easily the best producer on the planet that would achieve the perfect balance between such heavy riffs, mood-reflective atmospheres, and indelible vocals. Nick van Dyk was cool enough to email me personally and discuss the sound he had on mind for the new album. He said he had talked to Kernon, but a co-operation wasn't possible at the time due to conflicting schedules and they were definitely going to make it happen sometime in the future. He had decided to go for another great producer, Tommy Newton (who did the amazing Ark records), because he wanted to explore a warmer sound with more resonance. Every Redemption fan knows the result: The Fullness of Time is still the band's high-water mark, both musically and lyrically.

Years passed, and Redemption continued to release solid albums, with The Origins of Ruin (also by Tommy Newton) being their finest work sonically but a step behind its predecessor in compositional quality; and Snowfall on Judgment Day (with Tommy Hansen) being a rawer yet more intense statement that, at times, matched the perfection of The Fullness of Time. I thought the work with Neil Kernon was never going to happen until one day it was announced that the duo had got together in order to create the "21st century Rage for Order." Obviously, I was ecstatic, but also slightly concerned to hear they were back in the studio so soon, given Nick van Dyk's medical condition.

Nick van Dyk was diagnosed with a form of blood cancer a few years ago, but thankfully he is well now. Obviously, the lyrical subject matter is deeply inspired by his battle as well as coming to terms with mortality, to which the song titles also attest. Each Redemption album has been a personal release for van Dyk so far, but This Mortal Coil is definitely more intense for obvious reasons. The lyrics are dark and reflective and they are worked beautifully into the music with lots of recurring themes throughout the course of the album. Actually, the final track "Departure of the Pale Horse" revisits these themes and ties them together for a unified thematic statement. At over 10 minutes, it is also representative of the overall sound of the album.

Back to the production, maybe Kernon's mix is not the problem. Maybe the album got butchered during the mastering stage, but whatever it is, the production is definitely imperfect. Ray Alder's vocals are on the quiet side and they get buried during the heavier, more riff-oriented passages to the point that you can't hear him! This is unacceptable. Also, the mastering is very loud, unbearably compressed and distorted. There are moments in the songs when everything comes out of the speakers like a huge, grey smear with little sonic distinction. This formula might have worked with an extreme metal release where the ultimate goal is full-on aggression, but for a Redemption album, it falls flat. The riffs drown out everything when they are centre-stage, and there is no dynamic range to speak of. Everything is compressed to the max, which is a shame. Also, this might work well in the car or as background music, but for someone like me, who loves enjoying his music on headphones cherishing each and every detail in the mix and production, it is simply overkill.

Musically, there are also some shortcomings. Ray Alder is easily among the greatest singers of all times, but on this album, he sounds like he is almost straining to add melody to the passages. His vocals simply don't gel with the music. His voice cracks terribly at exactly the 5:00 mark on "Blink of an Eye." I can't believe no one in the studio heard and decided to correct it because it's not just a single moment. He continues to struggle with the verse until the finale. The vocals in the intro of "No Tickets to the Funeral," also, sound weak and uninspired. The transitions are not as smooth as on prior releases. Because of this, Alder has a hard time applying melody, and when he does, it doesn't cohere.

The best thing about the album is Sean Andrews' bass. His work on This Mortal Coil has parachuted him into the league of best bassists for me. He applies a unique sense of low end to each passage, punctuating van Dyk and Versailles' guitars and accentuating the themes. "Path of the Whirlwind" is entirely built around his bass foundation as is the clustered drone of "Dreams from the Pit" during the tense breakdown. The experimental "Noonday Devil" recalls a lost Engine song: it is informed by a haunting key intro, effect-laden guitar chords, and a bass-centric design which pushes it back into Redemption territory. Chris Quirarte is also fantastic behind the drum kit. His style is never pattern based and he grooves within the most unorthodox meters effortlessly. The ethnic percussion on "Let It Rain" suggests he could also fit into more experimental music, as this song is the band's approach to light/dark evolution. Crunch-filled riffs are evened out by tense, nerve-racking silences before it all picks up with the heavier riff work.

As it stands, some of the riffs seem bland and puny, if not recycled from earlier albums. Until this disc, every Redemption song had moments with very memorable melodic refrains. This one sort of plods along; the instrumental parts with shred guitars overstay their welcome because each time they are over, you are left with nothing. There are no hooks. The use of keys was fantastic on Snowfall on Judgment Day; Greg Hosharian added subtle nuances to each song. Here, it seems everything was handled by Nick van Dyk without Hosharian having the chance to add his own voice, and the keys are once again relegated to a background element to the guitars, which detracts from the depth of the compositions. That's why the unison solo on "Begin Again" sounds flat and forced. Hence, the problem doesn't only lie in the poor production; it is also the somewhat rushed songwriting that holds back the band.

Redemption's sound definitely owes a lot to Symphony X and Dream Theater. What makes them great is that they apply these influences within a more riff-centric framework. So far, I'll have to say This Mortal Coil does not match either the new Symphony X or Dream Theater album, and we'll have to wait for their new work with recharged energy and inspiration.

Track Listing

1. Path of the Whirlwind (5:26)
2. Blink of an Eye (5:57)
3. No Tickets to the Funeral (6:26)
4. Dreams from the Pit (9:11)
5. Noonday Devil (5:03)
6. Let It Rain (7:21)
7. Focus (5:43)
8. Perfect (4:48)
9. Begin Again (6:11)
10. Stronger Than Death (5:29)
11. Departure of the Pale Horse (10:15)

Added: December 18th 2011
Reviewer: Murat Batmaz
Score:
Related Link: Band website
Hits: 5673
Language: english

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