Source: EP Cover
One thing that needs to be made blatantly apparent before we even get into the nitty gritty of the stunning new EP from Arcane Roots – Heaven and Earth – is this, they have managed to create an astounding marriage between melodic, atmospheric rock music and the heavier darker side. Think of it this way, the differences between the two sounds are so different it often times feels like Twin Atlantic have been chucked aside by Refused and told to sit down. What is truly fantastic though, is at no point does this feel jarring, every single twist and turn that the EP takes feels natural and almost necessary. Take for example, the opening track ‘If Nothing Breaks, Nothing Moves’, there is a danger at some point the track will stick to its perfectly good melodic tones, but there you have a danger of becoming something tried and tested and bland, the darkness gives the album that extra edge that they need to stand out, and standing out is exactly what Arcane Roots have always done.
Arcane Roots are exactly what you think when you want something that you can easily get into, yet at the same time what that gritty alternative side, they’re experimental without ever feeling like they’re performing complex chemistry with sounds. Another clear example that the band have shown is through ‘When Did The Taste Leave Your Mouth’, honestly, the start sounds ominously similar to Editors, yet suddenly as the heart of the track kicks in, what it’s transformed into is a spine tinglingly massive track.
‘Slow Dance’ is another killer track, and although it starts off nice and steady there is a technical side to it that you have to really listen out for to begin with but suddenly kicks in and stays a constant throughout at around the halfway point. Honestly, there isn’t a single bad track, and each individual one seems both a chance for Arcane Roots to try out something different, and at the same time doesn’t feel like a mix tape of random sounds. It’s just a shame that this isn’t a full length album, but regardless, if Heaven and Earth is the sign of things to come then we’re in for an exciting ride from the lads in Arcane Roots.
