I’m not sure why it took me this long to discover ‘Mirrored’, technically the debut album from math rock outfit Battles. Somehow it got missed out of the ‘Albums I Need’ list, and as such, it’s been floating at the back of my head for a while now. I finally picked it up about a month ago, and, rather unsurprisingly, it’s taken a while to fully settle in… yet now, after multiple listens, I can confidently say that this is one of the greater releases of the year 2007.
In fact, when listening to it, it’s easy to imagine that this record was released in 2107, rather than 2007. Almost everything about this band is so ridiculously original. Battles truly earn the accolade ‘ahead of their time’.
I’m sure there are other drummers that play in unconventional (and sometimes downright unrecognizable) time signatures yet keep a steady, infectious groove.
I’m sure that there are other vocalists that apply absolutely wondrous amounts of effects to their voices.
I’m sure that there are guitarists that can play riffs similar to the veritable arsenal of awesome arrangements that litter track 4 of the record, ‘Tonto’.
The fact remains, though, that it’s easy to believe that no other musician has ever done it this damn good.
I don’t think I’ve ever heard a vocal as bizarre yet catchy as the one that shines through on ‘Atlas’, nor have I heard a guitar play something approaching demented circus music on top of pounding tribal percussion. The utter chaos of ‘Tij’ is unbelievable; yet every single anarchic arrangement is layered perfectly. I don’t think I could emulate the incredible rhythms of ‘Ddiamondd’ even if I tried.
John Stanier, clearly, is on top form here. Stanier is the drummer of hardcore outfit Helmet (who are a rather excellent band, might I add) and he also lends his talents to experimental metal band Tomahawk. Battles are suitably far away from both of these bands on the musical spectrum, yet somehow Stanier’s rhythms add a brilliant familiarity to the music. The impeccable groove of album highlight ‘Tonto’ wouldn’t be out of place on Helmet’s masterpiece Meantime, for example. Admittedly, though, Helmet wouldn’t dare touch the time signature of something like ‘Ddiamondd’.
All in all, Mirrored is definitely not easy listening, but if you rise to its challenge, you’ll find genuine rewards. There’s no doubt that despite the experimental tendencies of this record, there’s a quirkiness and a personality to this music that’s hard to define. Most of it lies in its playful guitar riffs and unashamed vocal adjustments, yet the strengths of the album clearly lie in the amazing percussion work provided by Stanier.
Wholeheartedly recommended; I honestly can’t wait to hear more stuff from these guys, as it’s honestly some of the most fresh, original, challenging music I’ve ever had the pleasure of hearing.
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