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Pelican, Forever Becoming: Portrait of a Work in Progress

Posted in Reviews on October 17th, 2013 by JJ Koczan

Their fifth album, Pelican‘s Forever Becoming is noteworthy immediately for being the band’s first outing since their 2001 inception to not feature the guitar work of Laurent Schroeder-Lebec. Schroeder-Lebec made his last recorded appearance with the band on 2012’s Ataraxia/Taraxis EP, and has since been replaced by The Swan King‘s Dallas Thomas, who joins founding guitarist Trevor Shelley de Brauw and the rhythm section of bassist Bryan Herweg and drummer Larry Herweg in one of the last decade’s most quietly influential groups. Not a bad gig, and while I wouldn’t want to trivialize the inevitable change in dynamic that losing an original member after more than a decade of playing together would invariably bring about in any band, Forever Becoming (released on Southern Lord) at least shows Pelican have weathered the storm well in terms of holding onto their original sonic mission and blending post-rock atmospherics and open-spaciousness with unbridled tonal crunch and low-end weight derived from doom and heavy rock. In that regard particularly, Forever Becoming should offer thrills to longtime followers left cold by the pastoral wanderings of 2009’s What We all Come to Need (review here), as it pares down some (not all) of that record’s airiness in favor of a heavier push, not quite as much as did 2007’s City of Echoes coming off of 2005’s The Fire in Our Throats Will Beckon the Thaw and Pelican’s landmark full-length debut, 2003’s Australasia, but it’s worth noting that though tracks like “Immutable Dusk” and “The Tundra” have their ambient stretches and that Forever Becoming‘s 51 minutes aren’t lacking for atmosphere, it is at times a surprisingly heavy record. Since it’s been four years since the last one — twice Pelican‘s pace up to this point — I’m not inclined to chalk all the difference up to the acquisition of Thomas for the second guitar slot, but it’s a shift that’s apparent even on LP bookends “Terminal” and “Perpetual Dawn,” which are about as dreamy as Pelican get here.

It’s the former cut given the duty of opening Forever Becoming, and it does so with foreboding tom hits from Larry that come accompanied by rumble and lurching, mechanized-sounding feedback (my mind went immediately to The Book of Knots). Between the title and the bleakness of the song itself, it’s a dark note to start off on, even with a few peaceful seconds of softer guitar before the thud and distorted rumble resumes, giving a quiet lead-in for the rush of “Deny the Absolute,”  probably the fastest track on the album and one that engages quickly with a post-hardcore feel, discernible structure, and that peculiar intensity — “hurry up and think!” — that Pelican have developed as their own over the course of their time together and many others have tried to emulate to varying levels of success. Already the band have established an overarching flow and they stick to it for the duration, as “Deny the Absolute” gives way to the somewhat slower but similarly constructed “The Tundra,” which breaks in the middle for a moment of atmospheric exploration before resuming its crushing course in one of Forever Becoming‘s most satisfying linear builds. A turn comes with the more angular riffing of “Immutable Dusk,” but Thomas and de Brauw‘s guitars work well together such that the movement into a more open-vibing “chorus” makes sense coming off the prior progression and leading to a lengthier, more subdued post-rock break, which patiently rebuilds over the next several minutes — fluid, in motion as it mounts tension — until just before five minutes into the total 7:13, a vicious chug emerges that is traded off one more time before the song’s real apex arrives to cap the linear drive, drums, bass and guitars all headed in a single direction and even injecting some last-minute churn into what makes for an exciting finale, leaving the quiet opening of “Threnody” to give a breather before  it gets underway with warm, prominent low end and a bounce that seems to be culled from a more traditional heavy rock feel, but which is developed over the next several minutes into an otherworldly exploration, bass and drums holding the momentum together in the second half while Ebow guitar adds echoing depth to the mix.

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Pelican Unveil “Deny the Absolute” from New 7″ Single

Posted in audiObelisk on August 13th, 2013 by JJ Koczan

As a precursor to the forthcoming full-length, Forever Becoming, which is due out Oct. 15, Chicago instrumentalists Pelican will release a 7″ single through The Mylene Sheath that’s set to feature an alternate recording of the song “Deny the Absolute.” On the album, the rush you hear at the start of “Deny the Absolute” signals the moment of switch between the opening ambience of “Terminal” and some of Pelican‘s most forward-driving riffage, and though it hardly showcases the depth of mood that Forever Becoming seems to have at its disposal — Pelican having long since come of age in joy as much as struggle, musically — sometimes it’s best to let a badass riff do the talking for you. Hardly the first time Pelican are doing that.

Check out “Deny the Absolute” on the player below, hoisted from Pelican‘s Soundcloud, and give it a listen in kind with the previously streamed “Immutable Dusk” for even more landmark-type riffing. The Mylene Sheath will issue the Deny the Absolute 7″ on Aug. 20, and the pre-order link is included with Pelican‘s tour dates here.

Enjoy:

Taken from the forthcoming 7″ on The Mylene Sheath. Available August 20th 2013.

7″ preorder: http://www.mylenesheath.com/pg/preorders

PELICAN US TOUR DATES
Oct 17 – Brooklyn, NY – Invisible Oranges CMJ Showcase*
Oct 18 – Brooklyn, NY – Invisible Oranges CMJ Showcase*
Oct 19 – Allston, MA – Great Scott *
Nov 1 – Cleveland, OH – Peabody’s ^
Nov 2 – Washington, DC – DC9 ^
Nov 3 – Philadelphia, PA – First Unitarian Church ^
Nov 4 – Chapel Hill, NC – Local 506 ^
Nov 5 – Atlanta, GA – The Masquerade ^
Nov 6 – Birmingham, AL – Zydeco ^
Nov 7 – Baton Rouge, LA – Spanish Moon ^
Nov 8, 9, & 10 – Austin TX – Fun Fun Fun Fest
Nov 13 – Chicago, IL – Bottom Lounge
* w/ King’s Destroy
^ w/ Coliseum

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Pelican to Release Forever Becoming Oct. 15

Posted in Whathaveyou on July 10th, 2013 by JJ Koczan

They had the Ataraxia/Taraxis EP last year (review here), but Forever Becoming will be Pelican‘s first full-length since 2009’s What We all Come to Need. That album (review here) was the last to feature guitarist Laurent Schroeder-Lebec, and though the title hints at a sense of transition, the track “Immutable Dusk,” which the band premiered today, finds their signature blend of post-rock ambience and metallic crunch well intact. If you listen, make sure you listen the whole way through. The payoff at the end is stellar.

Pelican kick off a European tour tomorrow at Stoned from the Underground in Germany and have announced dates on the East Coast with Kings Destroy and others. Behold:

PELICAN ANNOUNCE FIRST NEW ALBUM IN FOUR YEARS

FOREVER BECOMING DUE THIS OCTOBER, FOLLOWED BY US TOUR WITH COLISEUM, KINGS DESTROY, AND OTHERS

Pelican, the Chicago-based quartet whose instrumental excursions to the confluence of caustic heaviness and cathartic melody pioneered a subgenre, have announced their first full album in four years, Forever Becoming, due October 15 on forward-thinking metal imprint Southern Lord. Recorded at Electrical Audio with Chris Common (who engineered the group’s last album as well as albums by Chelsea Wolfe and These Arms Are Snakes), Forever Becoming is an immense, speaker-rattling meditation on the acceptance of mortality and its place in the eternal cycle. Composed of eight songs (full tracklist below), the album boasts a sonic palette that veers from pummeling metal, to contemplative ambience, to melodic catharsis all with landmark grace.

Following a hiatus that saw the departure of founding guitarist Laurent Schroeder-Lebec and the arrival of new second guitarist Dallas Thomas (also of The Swan King), the forthcoming album is the work of a wholly revitalized unit, sounding more focused and assured than ever. The current lineup’s undeniable chemistry was forged in front of crowds at festival appearances, including Bonnaroo, Roadburn, and Maryland Death Fest, as well as a handful of headlining club shows. Pelican return to the road in support of the new album this Fall with reigning post-hardcore stalwarts Coliseum. The tour focuses on the East Coast (the band’s first tour of the area since 2009), in addition to a coveted slot at this year’s Fun Fun Fun Fest and a run of previously announced European dates that kick off this week (all dates below).

US TOUR DATES
Oct 17 – Brooklyn, NY – Invisible Oranges CMJ Showcase*
Oct 18 – Brooklyn, NY – Invisible Oranges CMJ Showcase*
Oct 19 – Allston, MA – Great Scott *
Nov 1 – Cleveland, OH – Peabody’s ^
Nov 2 – Washington, DC – DC9 ^
Nov 3 – Philadelphia, PA – First Unitarian Church ^
Nov 4 – Chapel Hill, NC – Local 506 ^
Nov 5 – Atlanta, GA – The Masquerade ^
Nov 6 – Birmingham, AL – Zydeco ^
Nov 7 – Baton Rouge, LA – Spanish Moon ^
Nov 8, 9, & 10 – Austin TX – Fun Fun Fun Fest
Nov 13 – Chicago, IL – Bottom Lounge
* w/ King’s Destroy
^ w/ Coliseum

FORVER BECOMING TRACKLIST
1. Terminal
2. Deny the Absolute
3. The Tundra
4. Immutable Dusk
5. Threnody
6. The Cliff
7. Vestiges
8. Perpetual Dawn

PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED EUROPEAN TOUR DATES
July 11 DE – Erfurt – Stoned From The Underground
July 12 DE – Berlin – Festival Kreuzberg
July 13 FIN – Joensuu – Ilosaarirock
July 15 UK – Brighton, The Haunt
July 16 UK – Leeds, Brudenell Social Club (w/ JK Flesh)
July 17 UK – London, The Garage (w/ JK Flesh)
July 18 NL – Tilburg, 013 (w/Torche)
July 19 BE – Dour, Dour Festival (w/Torche, Converge)
July 20 DE – Siegen, Vortex Club
July 22 ITA – Milan, Segrate
July 23 ITA – Roma, Traffic Live
July 24 AT – Innsbruck, PMK
July 25 AT – Vienna, Arena (w/ Mouth Of The Architect)
July 26 RU – Moscow, Plan B (w/ Mouth Of The Architect)
July 27 RU – St Petersburg, Arktika (w/Mouth Of The Architect)

Pelican, “Immutable Dusk” from Forever Becoming

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