NEWS4U MARCH 2022 | MUSIC
FORTHRIGHT The circle gets the square: Tri-state metal trio drops belated masterwork, Antiorthodox
I
t was last July that News 4U sat down
flourishes over the course of this seriously
Megadeth, Slayer and Anthrax. No hyperbole,
with the members of local metal masters
intricate album.
it's everything you could want in a heavy song - eight minutes and 21 seconds of
Forthright - vocalist/guitarist Nick Bulger,
guitarist Tyler Brown and drummer Eddie
Indeed, one blatantly obvious reason
aggression, sophistication and unparalleled
Goebel - to discuss the impending release of
for Antiorthodox's tardiness is the sheer
instrumentation. "Premonition," on the other
their incredibly ambitious sophomore album,
complexity of the material and the concept.
hand, is a short burst of frenetic percussion,
Antiorthodox. At the time, the trio expected
As Bulger humbly states, "We put a lot of time
almost African in nature, courtesy of Goebel.
to drop the 13-track collection in the early
and effort into it." To wit, the album's divided
It's another intriguing transition piece
fall but delays followed, pushing its unveiling
into three distinct chapters - Divergence,
that perfectly sets up the dramatic closer,
off until the New Year. But the follow-up to
Acceptance and Consequence - with periodic
"Vastation," a pummeling vehicle for Bulger's
Kaleidoscopic Manslaughter, the band's 2018
instrumental passages serving to recalibrate
vocal versatility. Verses are borderline rapped;
debut, has finally arrived and, pardon our
the vibe. "Hate," synth-based and delightfully
bass-centric breakdowns are accompanied
language, holy sh*t - it rules. Make no mistake
dark, stands as an unexpected highlight,
by near whispers; distorted crescendos are
about it, Antiorthodox is freaking amazing
leading into "Ergo," a groove monster
met head-on by high-pitched wailing and,
across the board, kicking off thrillingly with a
that shows off Goebel's double-kick drum
ultimately, a defeated cry: "And so the circle
seeming nod to Metallica's "Battery." Well, in
prowess and Brown's nimble riffing. Above it
gets the square!" - which somehow sums up
the sense that "Anti" similarly sets the mood
all, Bulger repeatedly barks, "I think, therefore
this complicated masterwork in one phrase.
with a classical guitar motif before giving
I am!" - perhaps trying to convince himself of
way to one of Forthright's greatest songs to
his very existence.
Tracks we discussed back in July - including "Throne of Bones," "Islands of Sanity" and
date, "Orthodox." It's a steamroller from the get-go, recalling the speedy thrash of Slayer,
Forthright dive headfirst into Tool territory
"Tradition" - sound just as good six months
complete with heart-stopping breakdowns
on "Obelus," a Middle Eastern-influenced
later, by the way. There's simply no let-up on
and time-shifts - and, most notably, the
track that finds Bulger crooning melodically
Antiorthodox, one of the tri-state's best metal
incredible vocals of Bulger, who truly comes
at times. More old school shredding drives
albums to date.
into his own on Antiorthodox, veering from
"Curse of the Unknown" which plays like
full-throated screams to near-operatic vocal
a melding of metal's Big 4: Metallica,
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