Kansas quartet The Browning have often referred to their signature sound as drawing influences from all manner of genres, and with this third album, the aim is to serve up their most ambitious work to date.
The ability to straddle the jarring genres of metal and electronica alone – and with conviction – is no easy feat, so when a band starts chucking in everything but the kitchen sink, cohesion can quickly give way to confusion.
Tracks like Cynic and Isolation successfully meld bludgeoning riffs with thumping industrial flourishes and acerbic vocals, but the cringeworthy Pure Evil is reminiscent of the happy hardcore tripe you’d hear at some dodgy late-90s rave. Album standout and multi-textured gem Fallout combines huge choruses and a skittering of beats, while synths complement crunch’n’chug rhythms on the Rammstein-esque Vortex. Unfortunately, these moments are just as easily extinguished due to an over-reliance on cheesy programmed voiceovers. Just a little bit less would have proved to be a whole lot more for The Browning this time around.
