Hailing from Dundee, on the east coast of Scotland, Stonethrower play music like I haven’t heard in twenty years. They’re not really post-hardcore, as some have called the band; I would call it post-emo. There is a strong math-rock influence here mixed with emotionally charged music and vocals. It’s a kind of music I listened to voraciously back in the day, and I’m damned glad to hear it being made again. As the album opens with “Hold Your Hexes,” I’m delighted to hear dissonant guitars playing angular lines and rhythms. Drums and bass push the song along with a strong amount of drive as they zigzag around the guitars. Vocals are shouted and the lyrics are somewhat enigmatic, but vaguely unsettling. The resulting song is one of precarious unbalance in the best sense. These songs with this feel, the changing time signatures, the dissonant melodies, and Delphian lyrics, part sung part shouted, still resonate with me, and for that reason alone, I love this record. But wait, there’s more! There are songs like “Thought Diary,” which are smoother and more melodic. There’s less dissonance and the vocals are sung more clearly. These are beautiful in their own right, as well. And “Constrictor” blends the smooth beauty and the math meter changes seamlessly, making it a great listen. “False Shepherd” is a favorite for its bounciness. The guitar plays a repeated line in a lilting waltz, and though the melodic line is light and lithe, the overall feel, especially on the bigger sounding chorus, is somewhat dark, providing an interesting contrast. Halfway through, the lilt is replaced by a harder edged rhythm, still in three-four time, but it treads more heavily, as the guitars build a wall of noise. Toward the end of the track it morphs again, suddenly getting quieter, the guitars seemingly floating, the drums providing a hollow beat, the bass providing an eerie thrum. This is an impressive record, especially considering it’s the band’s debut full-length LP, having only previously released an EP five years ago.

Paul Silver

Check out the album here: https://makethatatakerecords.bandcamp.com/album/legacies-lp