Century – Black Ocean
Prosthetic Records – 10056 – 29 April 2008
By Jason Jordan
Post-hardcore
Century made critical waves with their 2006 full-length
Faith and Failure, and their 2008 follow-up
Black Ocean, while in a decidedly similar vein, is another fine effort from these unique Pennsylvanians. What’s new, though, is that they no longer call Tribunal their home, but, rather, the rising Prosthetic.
I say “unique” because truthfully, despite their intermittent
Burstisms, this four-piece do indeed have a sound that is mostly all their own. Raucous opener
‘Pantheon’ is decisively confident—a positive attribute for sure—but it’s the emotionally evocative and occasional melodic moments of the title track (0:28-0:43),
‘Equus’, and
‘Daylight Algorithm’ juxtaposed with frantic, harsher sections of
‘Erasure’,
‘Drug Mule’, and
‘Rising Sun’ that propel
Century to noteworthiness, and perhaps beyond. Plus, it’s nice to see a few of the art motifs from
Faith and Failure make it onto
Black Ocean, which further bridges the gap between the previous album and the latest.
Century have made it easy for me to recommend the acronymed
BO to those who think that
FaF is a good outing. This record may not break down barriers, do anything ridiculously different from the norm, display an astounding amount of progression from its predecessor, or whatever, but it’s still a praiseworthy installment from a band to watch.
Official Century Myspace
Official Prosthetic Records Website
