Brighton post-hardcore/post-metal quintet Adur have quite the pedigree. Consisting of members from acts as revered and varied as Aerosol Jesus, Sea Bastard, Grave Lines and Johnny Truant, the talent this band has in its ranks is impressive. Expectations are high and fortunately with We Fail To Love Ourselves Adur more than deliver, mixing post-hardcore aggression with post-metal expression and some djenty riffage to devastating emotional effect.
The album opens with the disarming ‘“Arrival”, a short, spoken word track, enriched with gently picked, echoing guitar lines, lulling the listener into a false sense of calm before the raucous riffage of lead single “Silhouette” storms in. Similarly, the visceral and jagged “We Fail To Love Ourselves” tornadoes in on a barrage of crushing riffs and features some of the albums most impressive vocals on the album as vocalist Oli Melville is accompanied by the equally imposing vocals of Underdark’s Abi Vasquez. Like the opener “Arrival”, “Null” offers a welcome reprieve, as shimmery guitars and swaying bass notes ring out before the crunchy, buzzsaw riffs and gang chants of “The One Percent” take the listener for another blistering ride.
“Nothing Lives In The Soil” is a true highlight as whirling, tremulous riffs and razor sharp vocals create a dizzying and unforgettable maelstrom, reminiscent of Cult Of Luna at their most oppressive. Those familiar with Melville’s previous band Aerosol Jesus will be more than aware of his commanding stage presence and powerful screams and on this track in particular they are employed to devastating effect. Similarly the pulverising chugs and soaring melodious chords of “The Longing” are enhanced with Melville’s ever emotive screams.
Special mention has to be given to bassist James Hunter here too, particularly in the way he propels the heavier cuts like “The Longing” and “Self Control” whilst anchoring the album’s quieter moments on the subdued “Null” and the melancholic closing passages of “The End Of Us”.
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Thematically, the album deals with themes of pain, loss and the struggles of dealing with our mental health in times of emotional adversity. A deeply personal album, the intense music is bolstered further by its moving, heartfelt lyrics. ‘I am closed off, I am done, in body, in mind’ Melville screams on the charging “Nothing Lives In This Soil”, whilst the album’s emotional centre piece, the epic closer “The End Of Us” finds the vocalist pleading “Swallow the shame we are living in / Put out the flame we are keeping alight”.
Adur clearly draw from a deep well of influences and one hesitates to say their sound is reminiscent of Deftones in places, but this is less about how the band sounds and more in how their sound has been captured. Much like Terry Date did with Deftones at their first creative peak, producer Wayne Adams of Petbrick has managed to bottle the band’s rawness without rendering it shapeless, giving the album both an aggressive punch and an organic, panoramic sound that allows the music to sound simultaneously intimate and expansive. One forgets when listening to this record that it is in fact a debut, such is the confident and professional sound of the tracks. Indeed, on the strength of these songs it’s hopefully the start of more to come.
With We Fail To Love Ourselves Adur have produced an exceptionally impressive, mature and assured debut as you’re likely to hear all year.
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We Fail To Love Ourselves is out 29th August
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