Album Review :
My Epic - Violence

By in Reviews | 7 Comments

Label: Facedown Records
Release Date: May 10, 2018

Tracklisting:

  1. Bloody Angles
  2. White Noises (ft. Cory Brandan)
  3. Spit and Blood
  4. Black Light
  5. Spit It Out
  6. Tsuneni
  7. Bad Accent

It’s been a long wait for My Epic fans since the release of Ultraviolet over a year ago (our review can be found here). As a quick recap, Violence is meant as the second, heavier half of a project that seems to expound on the premise of Viscera‘s “Open Letter”, seeing the band tackle tough questions of faith, pain, doubt, forgiveness, and grace. Both EPs were initially expected last year, but as is standard for the creative process, release was delayed for Violence. Add in the promise that this would be the group’s heaviest material to date and fans were excited.

Arguably, it’s these expectations that leave the most tension for listeners; the expected initial release date rolled around and the band hadn’t even finished writing. The singles caught many listeners off guard, too; apart from Cory Brandan’s feature on “White Noises”, the songs certainly weren’t as heavy as classics like “Lower Still” or even “Royal”. The song structures felt more straightforward, and the choruses lacked much of the dynamic lift listeners have come to expect from My Epic.

All this said, it’s hard to approach Violence objectively; it’s easy to view in relation to these precedents, the band’s early work, or its thematic counterpart, Ultraviolet. My Epic’s discography is vast at this point, and the level of variation over the past few releases doesn’t feel that far conceptually from Thrice’s Alchemy Index in some ways. In other ways, it leaves listeners with a band that seems far from what My Epic “should” sound like.

Oddly enough, Violence seems to play into lyrically as well – how there are sides of God we tend to avoid or misunderstand. Given Aaron Stone’s penchant for pouring hours into lyrics, it feels remiss to suggest that Violence isn’t an intentional work. The brevity of verses on “Spit It Out”. The frantic, hookless nature of “Bloody Angles”. The vocal distortions on “Spit and Blood” and “Tsuneni”. These may not be the ideal musical choices, but they work effectively as storytelling devices. Traditionally, this responsibility has rested largely on the lyrics and, while there are still some lyrical treasure to be found on Violence, there are a lot of subtleties at play that help frame the concept at hand. Ultimately, there are indeed heavier moments at play. The one-two punch combo of “Black Light” and “Spit It Out” are likely the high point of the EP, including some incredible riffs, big hooks, and even a bit of gang vocals listeners haven’t seen since Yet.

Violence may not feature the “heaviest” songs My Epic has written, but it certainly has a heavier concentration of it. “Spit and Blood” and “Tsuneni” are the two dissenters here; the former is a somber piano ballad with autotuned vocals, while the later an industrial-type track its own share of vocal processing. Both tracks are over three minutes long, but it still feels appropriate to think of them as interludes. These two tracks probably seem to least My Epic-ish in nature. It’s for this reason some listeners may be prone to skip these tracks – interludes can get a bad rap, and when they’re long and exceptionally experimental, they may be perceived as filler. It’s cool to see My Epic venture in these directions but, as on Ultraviolet, they still seem to be working through some kinks on using electronic elements in their songs.

Lyrically, Violence is a mixed bag. “Black Light” is probably the highlight traffic in this respect, with this moving segment that seems to pair up with “So Be It” off Ultraviolet:

No good G-d would cause a thing so ugly
It leaves you cursing while you’re trying to pray
This time I think they’re one in the same

Conceptually, it wrestles with how God permits evils but doesn’t cause it – and also questions the notion that every bad thing is meant as a character lesson in the moment. Other tracks wrestle with forgiveness, empathy, leaning on others, and confessing theological uncertainty. Once again, My Epic acknowledges the reality of mystery around God – but they tread the line carefully. It wouldn’t be a stretch to claim that My Epic doesn’t see their work as the end-all-be-all of theology and that their work here is part of inviting a deeper conversation. No, the Gospel is not proclaimed directly on Violence – but we see ripples of its influence throughout. It would be wildly inaccurate to say that Violence feels agnostic in any manner.

Violence ultimately is going to be divisive in the same way its subject manner is. Grief and weakness are raw emotions and don’t need to be dressed in exorbitant poetry. My Epic lets these ideas live and breathe authentically. Violence may not say what you want to hear or speak in a tone you like, but My Epic invites the audience to come and hear nonetheless.

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Mark K
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Mark K
May 21, 2019 3:47 pm

This has been a tough listen so far. I felt like it was easier to get into “Ultraviolet.” I had lower expectations for the “soft” album. It went down easier when it was better than I had thought it may be. (like Demon Hunter’s “Peace”) I had high expectations for Violence. “Yet” is still by far my favorite, in both sound and lyrics. I like the harder, more organic sound and it was shorn off in the mix for “Behold” and generally absent in general since. The more organic sound has been lost in a warmer, bass soaked sound since.… Read more »

Mark K
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Mark K
July 22, 2019 11:24 am
Reply to  Mark K

I’m just going to leave this here and say this Ep is fantastic in every way! It was a grower and it took awhile, even up to 2 weeks ago before it really clicked. Those sky high expectations are hard to overcome with your favorite bands. Absolutely loving it, including the interludes.

Noah
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Noah
September 30, 2019 5:03 pm

My Epic has to find a way to have BOTH great stories/themes and great music/composition. The first EP had it. “And We Were So Close to Perfection” is one of the best songs I’ve ever heard since it came out.

thenorthsea
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thenorthsea
May 16, 2019 9:11 pm

While I love all of My Epic’s library, I feel like Violence is their best work since Yet. As much as I enjoy their soundscapes in their other albums and EPs, I loved hearing them venture into heavier material again. I even enjoyed what they did with Tsuneni, as it scratched that industrial itch that I can never get enough of.

jeremiahg
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jeremiahg
May 18, 2019 6:02 am
Reply to  thenorthsea

really not sure what you mean. i feel like the opposite is the case, unfortunately, and i am not trying to be a downer. i would say almost consistently every release of theirs has been a small notch down from the last. with the exception of Yet, and maybe behold, both being solid albums. They had so much creative potential and uniqueness, with incredible lyrics from the start and they have lost much of that. Attalus’ Into the Sea’ is a perfect example of what they could have done.

thenorthsea
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thenorthsea
May 18, 2019 10:06 pm
Reply to  jeremiahg

I’m a fan of heavy music. While I love the atmospheric soundscapes My Epic creates, from Behold and on, I’ve missed the raw gut punches they had before on I am Undone and Yet. I’m not including Broken Voice in this, since it’s a different beast all on it’s own, and I love it for that. For me, I’ve felt that everything from Behold and on has lacked the heaviness that initially drew me to them. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve enjoyed everything they’ve recorded, but this EP struck a chord with me musically. If it didn’t for you, that’s… Read more »

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