Album Reviews

When one of its founding members leaves the fold, it can never be an easy time for a band. And when you’re an instrumental band that already works without a vocalist and one of your guitarists leaves, I’m thinking it can be especially trying. Yet that is exactly what Pelican went through when Laurent Schroeder-Lebec said his heart wasn’t into it anymore. The rest of the band kept going though, and seem to have found a suitable replacement in the form of The Swan King’s Dallas Thomas.

“Terminal” gets to open the proceedings with its pounding drums and droning guitars and you know right away that it’s going to be all gloom and doom from there on. Then in comes “Deny The Absolute”, about as subtle as a Michael Bay movie with crushing riff after crushing riff. They continue down the same path with “The Tundra”. And “Vestiges”. Yup, despite the introduction of some fresh blood, Pelican stays true to its formula on “Forever Becoming” and so they build, build, build and then explode. Thomas does introduce heavier riffage and some additional groove which might disappoint longtime fans seeing as it’s all become more rock and a little less post-metal. Solid album nonetheless!