Scarve had a small problem while recording their latest opus, The Undercurrent. During the sessions vocalist Guillaume Bideau decided he wanted to sing for Danish band Mnemic instead, leaving Scarve to fend for themselves. The band went out and recruited Lawrence Mackrory who is most well known for his vocal work on Darkane's debut album Rusted Angel. This turned out to be a brilliant idea, as Mackrory has a unique voice and style that worked very well as he handled all the clean vocals, while Pierrick Valence handled all the growls.
On this new release the band takes a bit of a more experimental approach than they have in the past. This is clear right off the bat with the opener "Endangered", which seems to constantly lay back and roll along, never reaching a pinnacle. Once onto track two, "Imperceptible Armageddon", the listener really understands what the band is doing with the two vocalists. They did a great job of contrasting the two styles during the entire album. The band is technically proficient and creates many different moods throughout The Undercurrent, using a more straight ahead style, as well as throwing in some odd time signatures and more mellow moments for good measure. One can't help but hear the influences of certain well established bands, such as Meshuggah and even experimental era Voivod at times.
The Undercurrent is a very atmospheric album which ebbs and flows nicely as a whole. Fans of death, thrash and of course technical metal will find it very enjoyable.
Track Listing
1) Endangered
2) Imperceptible Armageddon
3) Senseless
4) The Plundered
5) Assuming Self
6) Fathomless Descent
7) A Few Scraps of Memories
8) Rebirth
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