So this came out last week. Originally released in 2007, Sins was the debut album from Atlanta-based post-metallers Irreversible, and its new edition has seen release through Dipterid Records. Neat, right? Sure. That’s pretty much the whole story. Oh, there’s a video and they’re playing with Godflesh, but basically it’s a band putting out a record they put out 16 years ago.

The shape of their genre has changed in that time, naturally, but Sins fits well in the current sphere of atmospheric sludge and heavy crunch exploration. The five-piece (remember having four friends? I don’t) rage through the two minutes of “Blackness That Spread,” cavern-echo on the vocals and shove in the rhythm to follow the more lurching opener “Tambora” — if you’re looking for the “Stones From the Sky” riff necessary for all post-metal, it’s in there — and I’m pretty sure they use a jet engine for a transition, so that’s a nice touch as well. The full dynamic range would seem to be on display in “Iblis,” however, as the ambient beginning leads to claustrophobic crush later, melody spreading out in a way that makes me think at least one of these dudes was in a metalcore band in the early ’00s. They were probably 10 at the time. So be it.

In any case, usually I have some angle here, but not really. Just a cool record that I hadn’t heard before that’s available again. If you want to dig into the full thing, it’s below via Bandcamp, and the video’s down there too if you’re just looking to dip toes. No judgment either way. Enjoy:

IRREVERSIBLE RELEASE SINS FOR THE FIRST TIME ON VINYL, ANNOUNCE SHOW WITH GODFLESH

SHARE VIDEO FOR “BLACKNESS THAT SPREAD”

Order link: https://irreversible.bandcamp.com/album/sins

Atlanta-based post-metal band, Irreversible released one of their most well-known albums, SINS, on vinyl for the first time on Thursday, April 20 via Dipterid Records.

While the album is relatively esoteric, the audience is connected by its dense and heavy riffs, moody and atmospheric electronics, hypnotic rhythms, and emotionally resonant vocals/lyrics. Each side of the double LP seamlessly blends cryptic, dusty ambiance; sweeping waves of post-metal grandeur; textual electronic experimentation; psychedelic flourishes; and pummeling explosions of post-hardcore—all into a singular cinematic journey.

Irreversible consists of Billy Henis on electronics/vocals, CJ Ridings on bass, Jackob Franklin on guitar/vocals, JJ Hodge on guitar/vocals, and Zachary Richards on drums. Over the years they’ve played shows with Red Sparowes and Municipal Waste, and will open up for Godflesh on Saturday, July 1, at Terminal West in Atlanta, Georgia (Johnny Dang from O’Brother/HISSELF will be filling in on guitar). Additional tour dates will be announced soon.

“This whole experience has felt like a dream. We had always envisioned SINS as a double LP, from the writing, tracklist, down to the art. But after 15 years we had truly given up hope of that ever becoming a reality. Dipterid Records reaching out to see if we would be interested was really a turning point. Several of us hadn’t spoken in years and we had a lot of work to do to come back together. But as soon as we did the spark was totally back, and gathering our larger group of collaborators around the project has been amazing. The video for ‘Blackness That Spread” is such a great encapsulation of that. They were able to fuse old footage from the original era, along with clips from some of the films that inspired SINS and our vibe in general. Speakeasy Promotions has been our savior multiple times, so when they reached out to offer us the Godflesh show, we knew we couldn’t say no. Working with CJ again, and Johnny Dang from O’Brother/HISSELF has me especially excited because I think this lineup is going to bring a very special energy to these songs.” – Billy Henis

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https://irreversible.bandcamp.com/
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Irreversible, “Blackness That Spread” official video

Irreversible, Sins (2007/2023)

Atlanta, Georgia‘s experinauts Irreversible have a marked hardcore influence that comes up not directly in the music, but more in the overall pacing and intensity of their heavier moments. On their 2007 full-length debut, Sins (HERO Entertainment), they meld Isis-style structures with thickened Torche tones and tread a mostly-instrumental path through thoughtful songwriting with some heavy rock flourishes and a whole lot of consideration put to atmosphere. Making use of three vocalists — guitarist Jackob Franklin, electronic specialist Billy Henis and guitarist JJ Hodge (the lineup is rounded out by bassist CJ Ridlings and drummer Zach Richards) — and numerous guest singers and screamers, Irreversible are able to add a diversity to their sound and avoid the post-metal trap of having a record that sounds really cool but is also boring as hell.

Sins opens with “Tambora,” one of four longer pieces spread out over the course of the album’s 64 minutes. With mood and flow as focal points, Irreversible offers three shorter tracks — including album high-point “Blackness that Spread” — before the 10:47 title track, offering a range that goes against what’s typical of their region. It’s nice to hear a band come out of Georgia not aping Mastodon, Zoroaster, Kylesa or American Heritage, and while Irreversible‘s sound still fits easily into the realm of modern (post-) metal, their liberal use of electronics and well-done shifts in direction are enough to stand them out among the others with similar musical goals.

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