It has been a while since I heard from Hamilton-based quartet Achilles Complex, some 18 months since I reviewed the single “Vice”. They are now back with a new EP in the works, and “Jack In” is the first single to be taken from that. I previously thought they fitted in the genre of crossover prog, but now they have moved in a different direction with a heavy dose of synthwave combining at times with some WBW/Linkin Park style crunch. Lyrically this is a follow-on from the last single, but musically it is quite different indeed. The synths are the support for most of the song, with guitars adding melodic lines over the top, or crunch when the time is right. The production is very clean indeed, and at times it feels as if we are back in the Eighties with the likes of Depeche Mode or Numan in one of his later darker moments.
The one thing which lets this down is the drumming, which for the most part is so basic it made me think we were listening to a machine, as it is only rarely that it comes to life and there is also little in the way of bass in the final mix. This means that although the band is a quartet, there are times when it feels we could be listening to just two people who have layered the accompaniment. It just doesn’t have the life within it which it needs, and there is a feeling of being constrained. It will be interesting to see if the full EP is similar or if this is an experiment. I do still very much want to see these guys live as I am sure that in concert they are going to be a very different proposition indeed.
Rating: 6/10
