Album Review: Upcdownc - Duel
Reviewed by Julian Pepper
Medway, Kent 2-piece UPCDOWNC have been plying their instrumental post rock for 23 years now and may just be about to release their heaviest and best offering to date in 'Duel'.
Album opener 'Lifequake' starts with a brief piano intro which heralds the entrance of the first of many fine guitar riffs from Chris Garth that can be found littered across this album. As is the way with a lot of good post rock, this track mixes up the quite/loud dynamics well with a mid-song lull that then blasts back into full on riff territory.
Second track 'Rising of the Lights' starts with a thumping drum intro courtesy of Dale Forster and is another track that ebbs and flows between the light and dark sides of UPCDOWNCs music. It has a great heavy swing to it throughout that reminds me a bit of Karma to Burn at their best before it brings you back to down to earth with a chilled ending.
The ten plus minutes of 'Lungs of Dust' showcase the band at their very best and is most definitely this albums masterpiece. The pace and volume changes a few times throughout the track, which also introduces a bit of synth to layer the sound further as it builds up to the huge hypnotically heavy riff that dominates the remainder of the song to great effect.
Fourth track 'Miasma' very much acts as a short melancholic interlude! A lonely guitar chimes throughout before the song concludes with what sounds like a xylophone before a swathe of synth finale.
'Exhaler' starts with an acoustic guitar refrain that wouldn’t be out of place on an early Metallica album were it not for the synth overlays! This eventually gives way to a groovy riff that plods its way (in a good way!) through the song until a more staccato guitar takes over and builds to a frenzied finale that brings back the swagger in fine style.
Final track 'Inhaler' starts with an ominous bass line and synths as its builds into an jangly/echoey guitar refrain reminiscent of Cult of Luna. The track then changes pace as some superb fuzzed out guitar riffing enters the fray. The best is saved until last though as the track ends in fine style with a wonderfully slow doom drenched riff that crawls sloth like to the finish of the album.
It’s early in the year but I predict that this heavy but beautiful album will be one of the best post rock records of 2023. I suggest that you go and check it out!
