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)
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:
Email:
jaimeperez917@yahoo.com
Twitter: @JPerezAuthor
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