One of the more difficult aspects of reviewing records is when an individual reviewer goes into a record completely blind with virtually no knowledge beforehand regarding a particular release or artist or group. Although there can be no preconceived notions concerning such projects, a certain amount of frustration or unpreparedness might be noticeable in said review. This is Achenar's debut album, All Will Change, and though this is my first time hearing the group (or more appropriately man as it is the work of one, Duncan Hemingway); interestingly enough this album is pretty much a singularly studio project that is the work of several years of painstaking recording (as well as learning the technical recording and mastering processes at the same time). The descriptions of the album are very intriguing and the only real question left to answer is: is All Will Change everything as promised?
All Will Change seems to contain a dual personality of sorts with the alternating modus operandi of extreme sheets of noise in direct juxtaposition with pieces that are imbued with more structure which more closely resemble songs of a traditional makeup. The orchestral feel of "Survive Yourself" hearkens more to the latter while still maintaining some element of unsettling sound; the vocal performance is rather different in comparison to what normally comes my way, and this performance foments an even more disconcerting reaction when it is playing. The album has almost no organic flow or cohesiveness as its sequence seems to purposefully keep one from garnering a reaction to the music and arrangements therein the songs, and this works two ways as it also seems tailor made for individuals suffering from ADHD while people that take longer to focus on what is going on here might experience quite the opposite. Even the instrumental "noise" tracks like "Origin", "Pocket Quantum" (minus the whispering vocals that are mostly out of ear shot and act more like an added ambient effect rather than a vocal arrangement), and "Sojourn" show a breadth and versatility in the capabilities of Achenar. The latter track, "Sojourn," actually contains a beautiful sounding piano part that seemingly grounds the expansive reverberation that imbues the whole track (Hemingway's humming also effectively adds to the song's arrangement) with an almost majestic feel which makes this my personal favorite on the album. "Verify Me" contains some vocals that sound like an odd cross of Peter Murphy (of Bauhaus) and Michel Gira (Swans, Angels of Light), but the timbre of the vocals in contrast with the musical accompaniment continues to be a disquieting listen.
Proving to be an intriguing experience, All Will Change is a successful debut LP from Achenar from the standpoint that it definitely attracts the listener's attention with its varied arrangements and instrumentation; however, in its more intense moments, Achenar does not become as intense as it could which detracts from the experience. Still, I find myself intrigued by what Duncan Hemingway will produce next and hope that maybe a bit more of the calmer tracks (as I enjoy those more here) will find themselves in the mix. Adventurous listeners of atmospheric and ambient artists take note and search out this record for you as there is a nice collection of pieces here.
