Proselyte return with their newest EP, Our Vessel’s In Need, which also marks the first release for Gypsyblood records ( the label of Stavros Giannopoulos of The Atlas Moth) and they really nail it. The insane trio from Boston throw everything they got in this EP, putting together their admiration for bands such as The Melvins alongside acts like Cave In and Torche, crafting powerful and menacing sonic structures that will lead you to some intense listening sessions.
The strongest part of Proselyte is the way they structure their songs. And when you consider how diverse the band’s sound is, their ability to balance all those different mood swings and changes is just incredible. Take the opening song, which really stands out with its big, epic sound. The sludge-y riffs are sounding huge and the clean vocals will be echoing inside your brain for a long time to come. After listening to a track such as “End Regions” you get the impression that you have figured out what the band is all about, and that is the basic mistake you make. Proselyte comes back with dissonant parts in the magnificent “Log Computer” and they even put a hardcore type of vibe in there for good measure. The feeling of the song is insane, sounding sounding so big and intense, especially that fucking ending, it is just unbelievable. And then you get the much more aggressive outlook with the discordant parts of “Existential Risk” and the huge sludge moments of “Irish Goodbye” give you more than you can handle.
But apart from the great progression of their songs, it is astonishing how this band is able to come up with just that something extra, to make their tracks stand out even more. When you hear “A Stubborn Hell” coming in you can only expect a stoner/doom/sludge hybrid monster to come out. But Proselyte make a magnificent turn to a melodic passage, with the clean vocals whispering as the band slowly builds up the song. The ambiance is menacing and the track is not settling in one place, but constantly moving. The emotional aspect of the band is quite obvious, especially in the choruses of their songs, with the vocals, no matter if they are clean or harsh, giving an incredible performance.
Proselyte has done something that not that many bands can pull off. They have used elements of sludge, hardcore, grunge and they are able to give you both moments when their music is catchy and melodic and at other times extreme and dissonant. Having listened to Our Vessel’s In Need I am now really interested in what they can do with their next full album.
