Pendulum tend to get a lot of bad press. Some tracks are undeniably tinged with a touch of cheese but what people seem to forget is that these guys pretty much introduced drum and bass into the mainstream consciousness and continue to reel in new listeners that might not otherwise be introduced to the genre. With their latest album Immersion heading back towards their original foundations, it could be just what they need to redeem themselves from the ‘sell-out’ aspersions that haunted their last release.
Immersion opens in an instrumental style, which creates the impression that this record is going to see them venture back to their more traditional roots. A brief, space-like intro with building trumpets, rolling drums and computer bleeps aplenty creates the sense you’re about to go on a mission, and prepares you for the accelerated rollercoaster of electronic beats that is 'Salt In The Wounds'. The way this track builds is resonant of 'Slam', one of their better known and older tracks, and you’re left contemplating for a second the possibility that you might end up listening to a slightly re-mixed version of their widely-lauded debut work. Alas, this grandeur is not to be repeated as we move on to 'Watercolour' and a flurry of distorted vocals that these guys seem to have grown accustomed to including. The vocals aren’t terrible, but simply serve to distract from the thumping bass, which is a shame as Pendulum are bloody good at concocting them. However, the group’s more intrepid attitude to vocal inclusions at points has some rather impassioned results. 'Self vs Self' is a collaboration with Swedish heavy metal gurus In Flames, and demonstrates that some fast-paced D’n'B intertwined with raucous guitars and screaming vocals when done well, can actually be rather rousing, instead of simply a failed pairing of two musical genres.
The record overall is a pretty mixed bag, split between their more recent commercial and slightly toned-down style, and the thick, grimy, pulsating poundings which got them recognised in the first place. It’s understandable why they’d want to create a more universally appealing sound — record sales are falling, the industry is in turmoil and bands need to come up with methods to lure in as many punters and their cash as possible. Yet it is undeniable that the undisturbed, frenzied electronic bass thrashings simply walk all over the newer tracks which, let’s be honest, have vocals that sound like they’re a result of the hijacking of Cher’s voice distorter. Pendulum are so much better than a throwaway dance-electronic group, and they should really revert back to not being afraid to prove it.
This review was originally posted on www.culturedeluxe.com
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