So the inevitable is occurring as Relapse is reissuing this behemoth of an album (although at right around thirty minutes that is a stretch to call it such by today's standards). Recently awarded a spot in the Decibel album hall of fame, 0:12.2: Revolution in Just Listening is a supremely curious album as it is a document of a band in utter turmoil while showcasing Coalesce's evolutionary steps from the time of their previous record, Functioning on Impatience, and the original version of the Led Zeppelin cover record, There Is Nothing New Under the Sun. Although an important album for sure in metal influenced hardcore and another touchstone for the blasphemously burgeoning metalcore genres, it both is underrated and overrated at the same time; allow some exposition and that statement will not be such the oxymoron that it reads like.
0:12.2: Revolution in Just Listening gifts listeners with one of the best opening tracks to grace an album, "What Happens on the Road Always Comes Home" is just over three minutes of beautiful chaos contrasting with blotches of rock grooves during the choruses, a wickedly ominous bridge that gives way to the sound of children playing; the song also contains some of vocalist Sean Ingram's more introspective lyrics on any Coalesce record. "Cowards.Com" is a commentary on the at the time still relatively new concept of internet shit talking which seems even more prevalent today than at the time of this record. The music employs angular guitar riffs, strange "off" time rhythms, weird grooves (where grooves probably should not be able to be), and enough noise to make it feel like the band is attempting to outdo everything that they previously attempted in one fell swoop. The bass on "Burn Everything That Bears Our Name" is instantly recognizable when it kicks in right after the beginning or rather it should be as it gives the song a unique quality much the same as the wah pedal guitar does later in the song (lending the song more chaotic qualities in the process); the last part of the song is absolutely frantic sounding.
The intriguingly titled "Sometimes Selling Out Is Waking Up" (when people still cared about that type of thing) is another track with a ton of riffs that are somehow smashed together to create a strangely "together" song; there are riffs that show the influence that the Led Zeppelin cover record snuck into Coalesce's music, and there are noisy riffs that do not sound like a human could have ever conceived them. The same could be said for "Jesus In the Year 2000/Next on the Shit List" where the incredibly ominous piano piece gives way to one of the most blues-based rock 'n roll riffs that the band ever wrote sits in front of the cacophony of sound. "Counting Murders, Drinking Beer (The $46,000 Escape)" is one of the top Coalesce compositions that the band ever put to tape, the thrumming verse just reverberates off one's skull and is also one of their most crushing songs to see live; it should come with a warning for the weak at heart, "This song may incite behavior akin to what is normally ascribed to wolverines, badgers, or animals that are infected with rabies (see Cujo for an example)", as fists fly and bodies are thrown around in sheer abandon with no regard for potential bodily injury.
This re-issue of 0:12.2: Revolution in Just Listening features an entirely new look with new, vivid artwork and a new layout (not that the previous version of the release did not already have a good layout or pretty recognizable artwork) that somehow stands out as much as the original version of the album. The best part of the reissue is it is available again on vinyl, but as it stands now, the record is long gone already and even though there are quite a few complaints regarding the quality of the vinyl, it will probably be highly sought after in the secondary market.
While 0:12.2: Revolution in Just Listening is a great record and even though it does stand up well to time (i.e. it does not sound dated and could still smack most pretend metalcore bands around with its power, relevancy, and songwriting), this is arguably not the best Coalesce record (it certainly is not my favorite even though I do like this album a great deal). Whether or not the Decibel Hall of Fame nod is the cause for this record getting the re-issue treatment or as a result is not important, but the re-release version adds no new tracks whatsoever no extensive liner notes which makes the reissue not very essential and barely necessary, but it does bring the album some press and could put the album into the hands of new listeners. So for that it is not completely unwarranted.
Rating as a record: 8.5
Rating as a reissue: 7.0
