Paria – Misanthropos
Black Market Activities – 2004
By Russell Garwood
Paria hail from Omaha, NE, and play……metalcore. But, before you stop reading, that label doesn’t necessarily mean their music is devoid of originality or soul. Not necessarily. And this is largely the case with
Misanthropos, for there are some unusual elements in their sound. The hardcore vocals are definitely there, but the guitars show some impressive thrash riffage, occasional melody and death leanings, and some solos. Harmonies are balanced by disharmonies throughout, and there is plenty of variation. Frequent tempo changes keep the listener on their toes, and breakdowns occur at regular intervals. The drums cope with changes in time and dynamics with ease, at times blasting their way along, at others relying on double bass rolls, and making good use of fills in a tight performance. The bass is, as you would expect, also very tight. Infrequent electronics set the band apart from some of their contemporaries, as does the range of styles evident in their music. Samples are used to great effect. Be warned however, they can be agonizing if you know the quote well, but can’t identify the film (to save you the very distressing twenty minutes I just had, the sample in “A Modernist Approach To…” is from Dogma).
Overall, this is a solid album, with excellent production. It is, in many respects, one of the better releases recently from this fast stagnating genre. There is not enough individuality in
Paria’s music to set them a long way above their contemporaries, however. Yet it seems likely that with time the band will find the identity to mark them apart from a current plethora of similar acts. Until that time, however, their releases are likely to only be truly appreciated by fans of the genre.
6.5/10
Official Black Market Activities website
Official Paria website
