With no song less than five minutes these Irish lads take ample time letting their ideas flow forth. When dropping the heavy, it gets really heavy. Chunky riffs force the need for movement, whether just headbanging or full-on mosh destruction. Those churning and heaving riffs are countered by plenty of syncopation, with the duo locked in with each other, pounding your ears into submision. The effect is close to maybe deathcore or metalcore but never feels as played out as those genres.
Let's not forget the melodies. As deft as Chosen are at the ground and pound, they are equally adept at laying up and letting prog elements filter through. The effect of such diversity is that you can never really pin Resolution into one genre. The cruch and pace likens to death metal, as does Shields's scratchy rasp but at times one can feel classic metal influences or even a touch of industrial. Track such as "The Narcissism Epidemic" and "Metalphysical Contradiction" -- the two longest -- also see Shields utilizing clean vocals to emphasize the softer side of the band.
While the band do play with mostly culture-neutral tendencies, their Irish roots are displayed in places via acoustic guitars and other strings, but only briefly. It's something this writer wouldn't mind Chosen exploring more in the future.
Resolution is an enigmatic and agressive album from a band with a clear vision of their direction. Chugging staccato rhythms and sweet melodic prog blend seamlessly to form tracks that will bubble to the surface of your mind when you least expect it. Ride the waves crashing into the rocky shores. With further development Chosen is a name we could be hearing more of.
Resolution is available for free at www.chosen.ie
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