A deeper look at the grooves pressed into the Modify The Sacred LP by Seized Up. Let’s get this out of the way first, because it’s almost never the thing that metal heads like to read: as metallic as Modify The Sacred is, it’s impossible to deny that the album has a sizable punk streak running through it too. From front-to-back, for example, it’s very easy to hear reflections of Keith Morris’ vocal styling in singer Clifford Dinsmore’s vocal delivery. The feedback which helps to power the guitar parts on songs like “Forum Of Decay” overloads just like innumerable grunge and punk bands. The busy bass in “Force Fed Hate” isn’t quite as fast as Matt Freeman’s, but it is not even a little bit as plodding as the average cut by Black Sabbath or Iron Maiden. That might be a deal breaker for some readers; they’ll say they know what they like – in self-defence – and updating that which they find most flavorful is neither required, nor is it acceptable.
To them, I say, “Fine. You’re missing out – Modify The Sacred lives up to its name, and this will end up being the album you wish you heard.”
There is just no denying how solid Modify The Sacred is, from front-to-back. As soon as needle catches groove and “Deathweb” opens the A-side of the album, listeners are assaulted to a searing blast of incendiary guitars and guttural bass lines which are all pushed by a great drum performance – and are simply left to sink or swim against that established current. That is, needless to say, an imposing start – but when Clifford Dinsmore (previously of BL’AST!) enters the mix, his presence and performance changes the game (escalates it) completely; sounding like a more muscular version of Keith Morris, Dinsmore wastes no time and asserts himself in the mix. Right away, those vocals make the mix just feel oppressively thick and dense; guitars grind, drums pound and bass throbs, and Dinsmore rides on top of that wave, delivering an incredibly acerbic tone. Lines which make mention of vermin, difficult conditions and trying to rise above it all slither into listeners’ collective consciousness and, on the wrong day, can be incredibly off-putting – but also they’re also incendiary and can utterly win fans, on the right one.
…And luckily, the band has a whole lot more of what “Deathweb” offers in reserve for listeners. As the A-side continues, “Forum Of Decay” follows right behind “Deathweb” and really firms up the consistent sounds and aspects of the album; namely, the dark themes which manifested in the lyrics also appear in the punk-via-metal guitars, the thick bass and the enormous drum sound – but unlike how other bands balance all that while still keeping their focus on punk (as Cancer Bats have been known to do, and also how Rancid’s Matt Freeman’s side projects) Seized Up manages to keep the sound consistent without collapsing into novelty. On “Forum Of Decay,” for example, Seized Up emphasizes the dark, metallic tones that “Deathweb” led with, and increases them by making the beat kick just a little harder while Dinsmore gets just a little more dramatic (which makes him sound like he’s really trying to perform – much like Keith Morris did with OFF! on Free LSD). The results easily further the album’s development and, while that development does stall as the A-side progresses (to be clear, “Force Fed Hate” just can’t keep itself from sounding lyrically trite but musically excellent, and “Omen Of Despair” inverts the formula that the band used for “Force Fed Hate” but ends up being completely forgettable), the manic energy increases perfectly when the side closes with “What You Kill”. There, Seized Up slows down slightly to really project confidence, which sets Dinsmore up perfectly when he parts the band’s walls of sound to defiantly claim, “You won’t keep us down.” It’s a perfectly satisfying close for the side because it ensures that listeners will still be looking for something comparable at the top of the B-side.
As much as they’re still looking for more of the same when listeners flip Modify The Sacred over they’ll discover that they’re getting more more than they bargained for. There, while “Turn Christian and Move Inland” begins at a stomp rather than a run for the first few barres, business picks up quickly and while the lyrics are focused on, “Slowly dying,” the tempo of the song stands in clear opposition to that (read: it’s a really fast mover, at three minutes and seven seconds), and holds that speed through “Hanging in the Balance” – which holds the distinction of being this critic’s favorite cut on the album because the tones from the guitars just wail in agony while the vocals come nowhere close to anything comparable.
Unfortunately, the late-playing of Modify The Sacred does hit a couple of faults as it moves along (“Mindfield” tries some low-fi indie production on for size and discovers that such trappings never fit a metal band, and the auto-wah effects on the guitar of “United in Frustration” just come close to inspiring headaches), but Seized Up still manages to close out Modify The Sacred well and soundly with “Forged in Fire.” There, guitarist Danny Buzzard finally gets his greatest due on the album; here, Buzzard hits his palm-muted marks perfectly, and plays more for the song than for a solo [there is some lead work, but it remains tasteful –ed]. Those who have run front-to-back with Modify The Sacred will find the end that ‘Forged In Fire” gives Modify The Sacred incredibly gratifying; while the album isn’t without its’ faults, the final cut perfectly sticks the landing and leaves listeners feeling energized. [Bill Adams]
Artist:
https://www.facebook.com/seizedupsc
https://www.instagram.com/seizedupsc/?hl=en
https://seizedupsc.bandcamp.com
Further Reading:
Vinyl Vlog 458 – Seized Up – Brace Yourself LP
Album:
Modify The Sacred is out now. Buy it here, directly from Pirate’s Press Records.
