South Louisiana duo Radiant Knife (drummer Greg Travasos and guitarist/synth/vocalist Stephen Sheppert) issued an inspired—if also monotonous–collection with last year’s eponymous debut LP. Housed within a post-metal foundation, the pair’s “heavy aural trips tangled in a web of off-timings [and] layered psychedelic synth/vocal textures” change considerably on sophomore effort Science Fiction. While the record is still wildly heavy at times, its greater emphasis on slower grooves and vibrant shifts makes it the more accessible and dynamic sequence. Like Radiant Knife, however, it's also too repetitive and indistinguishable to enjoy as a cumulative journey.
The band proudly compares itself to “experimental projects such as Zebulon Pike, King Crimson, Today is the Day, and Zombi.” Although those acts are more fascinating and multifaceted than Radiant Knife, there is enough on Science Fiction to warrant such comparisons and appeal to invoked fans. For instance, “Stereo Lords” kicks things off with a dizzying hodgepodge of crashing cymbals and hypnotic riffs that any devotee of Robert Fripp—as well as Mastodon, Enslaved, Ghost, and the like—should enjoy. Furthermore, its evolution into zanier patterns and calming chants yields a thoroughly unpredictable aural ride.
To be fair, there are several other standout moments on the full-length that absolutely merit attention, such as “The Human Condition.” With its devilishly forthright bass tones, grungy guitar conflicts, and throwback vocal howls, the track is soothingly malevolent from start to finish. Later, “Swarming Lights Surround You” eases into its destruction with an effectively sparse and haunting build-up of periodic percussion and clean strums; its closing verses also capture the piercing emotional dissonance of Alcest (which is never a bad thing). The penultimate “Withered Hands” offers nice momentary respites by bookending its chaos with either entrancing arpeggios (at the start) or brief acoustic guitar chords (at the end). Closer “Suffer Under God” manages a similar juxtaposition—with an initially more ethereal encapsulation, evoking the great Agalloch—that results in blissfully discordant wreckage by its conclusion.
Despite those instances of noteworthy individuality and impact, the tracks still sound too alike overall because Radiant Knife’s formula relies on the same timbres and techniques. Even more maligned are tracks like “Wasted Minds” and “All We Are is All We Know” because they more or less run a recurrent central riff into the ground with very little in the way of significant deviation. (Even the more overtly technical and lively “Awakened” leaves you yearning for more innovation and variety before too long.)
Radiant Knife certainly has a worthwhile sound and they deserve acclaim for making Science Fiction an adequate follow-up to Radiant Knife (with enough reworking to give it its own persona). That said, the main problem with the duo’s initial outing—its contented stagnancy in terms of both arrangements and tones—remains here. Each piece on the LP is adequately appealing (to varying degrees), yet the overarching experience feels too repetitious, familiar, and uninspired by the end. True, the style itself invites such characteristics—and some listeners will adore them—but as Radiant Knife themselves acknowledge, there have been many others bands who approach a comparable identity with greater success.
Score: 6.5/10
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