NIGHTMARE TOYS

Wednesday, January 30, 2019

Pulsus - Verde - Review by Jaime Perez

Pulsus - Verde
Have you ever been impressed by something you don’t really care for? I mean, really impressed? Let me give you an example, in case I’ve lost you already. I don’t like Mariah Carey’s music one bit; it’s not my cup of tea (and I really like tea!), BUT I cannot deny that the lady can sing like few others can. Her goose bump-inducing talent is undeniable, and I respect her for that. OK…I’m not reviewing Mariah Carey’s music nor do Brownsville’s Pulsus sound like her at all, but I can’t help but notice that I have, once again, been impressed by something I don’t really care for. I apologize for going awry with my explanatory introduction, now back to the music review. Pulsus started back in 2015. They have a 4-song EP titled Verde, which is a kind homage for a friend of theirs, Alex Verde, who has since passed away. I like it when music can go deeper than just performing one’s instruments, as this South Texas quintet have done so with the naming of their EP. This EP was released by Confused Records (which surprised me) and actually comes with song lyrics, which is surprising considering the EP comes in a plastic envelope with a simple, two-panel booklet. The band refers to themselves as heavy metal, which I love as much as the next guy/girl, but it is the sub-genre of heavy metal that they delve in that I have never really cared for…djent.
Pulsus are a bunch of skilled, young musicians/writers who have used their talents to create a fusion of Whitechapel/Killswitch Engage/In Flames (the music) and Killswitch Engage/Fallout Boy (vocally). The music is very melodic and well-structured. It is obvious that these songs took a while to write and some obvious effort to construct because their compositions frequently shift in tempo and incorporate many riff and vocal variations. The first two songs of the EP (“Numbers” and “Verde”) have hardly any guitar solos/leads, but the last two (“Summer’s End” and “Follow Me”) have a nice dosage of insane guitar wizardry ala John Petrucci (Dream Theater). I don’t know why Pulsus doesn’t showcase their guitar work a little more because, to me, it was definitely their greatest asset. This is beyond average guitar work…no doubt. Each song has its share of scream-o and clean vocals.
This was recorded at a place called Chuggernaut Studios (Harlingen, Texas?), and this studio conjured up a flawless production for Pulsus. Imagine the production of Fear Factory with their overly-polished, mechanized production, and now you have an idea of how well-produced this EP actually is. The downfall to this though is that it’s very difficult to distinguish where the human aspects and the mechanical aspects of the recording start and finish. It’s almost too perfect that it raises the question of how much studio magic was actually used in finalizing this release. I would like to see these guys live to get an idea of just how well they can recreate their studio performance on the live stage. These guys do their djent very well. I can’t imagine anyone who is into this style of music not being able to get into these guys. They have all the quintessential components of the genre and, really, have no musical weaknesses (other than the genre (djent) itself). Pulsus obviously love what they do because they have invested the time and effort to create this notable EP. To them, I say, “More power to you!” In the history of music, no band has ever been loved by everyone; it just can’t happen. Even the Beatles and Metallica aren’t enjoyed by all, and they are probably two of the biggest bands…ever. I hope these young men stick to what they’re doing because a lot of people are going to enjoy it as much as I enjoy Whataburger ketchup on McDonald’s fries. They don’t need to worry about writing music for people like me, and they probably shouldn’t. (JP)

About Jaime Perez -
Jaime Perez is a founding member and drummer of McAllen Texas’ longest running death metal band, Severance. He has been a part of the Texas metal scene since the early ’80s and continues to do so to this day. His music collection, both cds and vinyl, tallies in at roughly 1500 physical copies and includes a variety of musical genres, although a vast majority is metal. In addition to churning out metal, Jaime is also a former high school English teacher, currently a librarian, and an award-winning author. He has published three novels, two of which have won awards. He can be reached at:
Twitter: @JPerezAuthor



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