By: James Southworth
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Every once in a while, a band comes along to you by luck. Other times, you find a great band by recommendation. Time, The Valuator was a band I discovered with a combination of both. A friend in a Facebook group that I'm a part of was heavily promoting this band constantly, and at first I didn't really think much of it. Then I saw this group in my YouTube recommended feed with one of their singles, "How Fleeting". So, I decided to give this album a listen, without hearing any of the songs in advance of the album. This is not something I normally do. I thought it would be an interesting experiment to go into an album completely unaware of the band's sound or their lyrical style. And let me tell you, I was very pleasantly surprised. What I got here is what I would truly call a masterpiece of an album from a very exciting new band.
As you go through this album, it will become clear that the album's title "How Fleeting, How Fragile" is in reference to the nature of time and our lives. For a new band to tackle such a huge concept as the fleeting and fragile nature of time/life is risky to do. But I think the band nails it, especially in this album's ending moments. That doesn't mean that the beginning of this release is weak or anything- far from it. We get off to an excellent start with "Terminus". This cut showcases exactly what you're in for on the rest of this album: intricate guitar riffs, surprisingly effective inclusion of the piano, interesting drumming patterns, and a jaw dropping performance from lead vocalist Phil Bayer. I was quietly stunned the first time I heard all of these elements together in this nearly 5-minute opener. You get a real sense of urgency in this cut as Bayer sings "Take me back to where I came from/Open up the ground beneath my feet/Take me back to where I came from/Please take me back, mother earth". It's an intriguing idea to begin an album discussing how so many of us are disconnected from the idea that our time on this world is inherently limited. Because of that we aren't connected to the world- or to each other- in the way that we should be. The chorus in this song is absolutely ethereal, and there's a rare moment of screaming from Bayer in the bridge of the song (one of the only things on this album that I wish there was more of in quantity). "Out of Control" finds a similar urgency to its predecessor, as the guitar riffs go to very interesting places, and the drumming hits hard. Phil's performance here is one of his most impressive on the album as a whole (which is saying something, since his vocals are flawless throughout). This track's thematic arc of wanting control of the self-destructive parts of yourself really compelled me. The way this theme is drawn through the musicality, especially as Bayer lets his vocals go to new heights in the chorus, is clever and well thought out. The band clearly knows how to draw the emotional heft behind the album's main concept in both textual and sonic ways. I also can't go without mentioning Nico Schiesewitz's guest vocal performance, as he actually blends pretty well within this song.
Out of all the tracks on this album, "The Violent Sound" was one of the ones that I had the hardest time figuring out whether I enjoyed it or not. I've come around on the song significantly with more listens. Believe me, I gave this album plenty of listens, since the more I heard it the more I thought this album would most likely be my first 5/5 of 2018. But back to the song now. This one combines electronics, rock, progressive metal tendencies, and even rap/rock all together. It sounds like trying to put all these genres together could be a little confusing. But, it makes sense to have all these seemingly disparate genres in one song. This track is about how hard it can be to figure out what the right thing to fight for is, when there are so many voices telling you so many different things. At the end of the day, with how limited our life is, should we truly care about anything? Is it all just violent noise? Bayer begs these questions of the listener, but he never answers them. I like this choice, as it makes the song have an appropriate complexity behind it. I actually like the rap/rock section of this song the best, as it reminds me of Linkin Park. My favorite song on this album comes in the beautiful, haunting, and emotional track "Fugitive". A song like this makes me really anticipate all that this band could do in the future. Bayer shows some incredible vocal range in this track. I had to do a double take at the beginning of this song, as it doesn't even sound like him. He's so versatile in this song, having some lower moments as well as moments where he really shows the boundaries of his higher vocal range. The ending of this song is particularly unbelievable, as Bayer just keeps going higher and higher, and the guitar riffs keep building and building. Featured vocalist Matteo Gelsomino brings some fitting intensity to this track with some guttural screaming. He also sings on this track, though, and he holds his own against Phil; I particularly like when the two of them combine their vocals at the final chorus. The lyrics in this song touched me, as Bayer describes his desire to escape this futile cycle of darkness that he's thrown himself into: "This won't just fade away/And I can't keep it silenced/For the rest of my life/The path that I chose to tread". This song plays into the album's central theme of the fragility of life a little more subtly, and that is why it stands tall as the best moment here.
There are still plenty more moments to talk about on this album. "Cloud City" is an atmospheric, dream-like track. I feel like the instrumentation is more the star of the show on this cut. Just listen to all the intricacies of the piano, guitar work, and drumming in the background. It sounds quite complex and challenging. Whenever I hear "Elusive Reasons", this album's lead single, I have to remind myself that this is just this band's debut album. If you went into this song not knowing anything about the band, you'd think they were at least three or four albums into their career. This track proves Time The Valuator know exactly how to write a good hook. The chorus of the song has been stuck in my head for weeks. This is the perfect, seminal lead single. It would be criminal if this song doesn't cause people to pay attention. Thankfully, this single is moderately popular, so I think people have definitely taken notice of this group. Everything about this song works, from Bayer unleashing on his vocals in interesting ways to Yunus Proch's pounding drum work. "Heritage" starts out with an almost jazzy piano playing, which shows how much this band is willing to be experimental. This will make them a band to continue to look out for in a genre that has become somewhat diluted with similar sounding content. Remember how I said in the beginning of my review that I feel the second half of this album is even better than the first? Well, this song is early evidence of that. Bayer struggles with whether we inherit the flaws of our ancestors or if our flaws are simply choices we make of our own volition: "A little light/Slipping through my hands/Just like the smallest grain of sand/Meant to guide me/But merely a burden/Dragging me back to the ground". That lyrical moment is one of my favorite parts of this album as a whole. I can't emphasize enough how I love, love, love the bridge of this song. It just keeps on building, with Bayer's vocal performance becoming more and more intense. It then explodes in this epic climax with some beautiful vocal harmonies and djent-inspired guitar work from Rene Mollenbeck. I think almost anyone could find something to love in this track.
And yet, despite how much I love "Heritage", I might love "How Fleeting" even more. In its 4-minute run time, this song is actually quite unpredictable. It goes through several different musical movements. The chorus of this track is my favorite on the album. With how much I've been praising the choruses of the rest of the tracks here, that's saying something. This is the first track that hints that there could be redemption beyond life, and that maybe we should accept that life is inherently short. The track has a simplistic acceptance of what our ultimate fate is: "In the end we all turn back into dust". However, that doesn't stop Bayer from still wanting to pursue everything he has right now to the fullest: "Don't hold me back now/I need to live this dream again". But, believe it or not, we are not even to the best moments of the ending half of the album. There are three tracks back to back that are so masterful, starting with "When I Meet Death". This song made me tear up when I first heard it, and was an immediate favorite of mine. This song's bittersweet acceptance of death draws both heart wrenching and heart warming emotions from the listener. This song feels deeply personal, as Bayer is clearly talking to a specific person. Whether it's a lover, friend, or even parental figure is a bit unknown. But that adds to the beauty of the track. The chorus of this song soars as Bayer sings out "I'm not afraid anymore". It seems fitting after this somber moment to get a more intense, fun track in "Onryo". This is definitely the most hard hitting song on the album, especially in its INCREDIBLE ending where the guitar riffs will certainly get your head banging. If this band were to do a more metalcore tinged album in the future, you wouldn't see me complaining.
I've discussed several moments in this album that shocked me (and the fact that this album is pretty shocking as a whole for a fresh, new band). But, "Starseeker" takes the cake for the song that surprised me the most. This track is over six minutes long, and it goes to some amazing heights. The song is about the afterlife, and reaching a new plane of existence. The song itself is attempting to musically, lyrically, and vocally evoke this theme. I would say that it succeeds in doing just that. The song begins with some subtle piano and ambient electronics, with Bayer showing off the beauty of his lower vocal registry. There's a real progression to this song. Strings start come in, as well as a haunting choral effect. It feels like everything just continues to build. I got the impression in this song of a individual literally ascending from the earth into space; it's ethereal. This song reaches several climactic points, with the choruses being the moments that accentuate each subsequent climax. But then there is a sort of ultimate climax, where the guitars, drums, and Bayer's high vocals explode in combination with some excellent electronic effects. My mouth was hanging wide open when I first heard this, and it still impresses me now. I don't know if there's much else I could do to describe this song to you; it's really an anomaly you have to experience for yourself! The album ends out on "How Fragile", which is rather understated in its beauty. On my first few listens, it felt to me like maybe "Starseeker" instead of this track should have ended the album. But, then it started making sense to me why the band wanted to end on this note. For one, this is part two of their title track sequences. For two, at the end of the day we have to come back to earth to consider two questions: "How fleeting is a moment in time?/How fragile is the essence of life?". They are both profound and simple questions, unanswerable and answerable at the same time. So is the very idea of life and time itself. What a profound revelation.
In every year, I'm always looking out for an album that can define a year in a way that feels positive, powerful, and encompassing. For 2016, it was RED's "Of Beauty and Rage", an album that chronicled an individual's journey from the darkest parts of themselves to beautiful redemption. For 2017, it was While She Sleep's "You Are We", which expressed the importance for all of us to overcome our differences and unite together in common, human goals. I feel like the year 2018 has been a particularly dark one for the world as a whole. We have been more divided than ever, and it only seems more hopeless by the day. We needed a band like Time The Valuator to remind us of who we are at our very human core: we have fragile lives, and our time in this world is fleeting. Those two facts apply to all of us. I don't know if this band has any belief in God, but I felt as though He was working through this album in many ways. This is one of my longest reviews to date. But this group- and this album- deserves it. This is almost certainly going to be my favorite album of 2018. I just don't see how another release is going to beat it out. I may even like this release better than my favorite of 2017. Please, listen to "How Fleeting, How Fragile", and give this band your support. I am indescribably excited to see where they go next!
Favorite Songs: "Fugitive", "Starseeker", "When I Meet Death", "How Fleeting", "Heritage", "Onryo"
Least Favorite Songs: NONE
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