Rolo Tomassi - Where Myth Becomes Memory

4.7

Rating

4.7/5

Flyctory.com Pros

Great variety of music
Very high vocal and instrumental quality

Rolo Tomassi are already releasing their sixth studio album. It is very hard to define their exact style of music – which is defined somewhere between mathcore, jazzcore and experimental rock. On 4th February 2022, they are releasing a new set of ten songs, Where Myth Becomes Memory. I had the chance to listen to the album before its release.

Rolo Tomassi – About The Artists

Rolo Tomassi have been founded in 2005 in Stocksbridge, Sheffield. Two founding members are still part of the band, lead vocalist Eva Korman as well as keyboarder and vocalist James Spence. Nowadays, they are a quintet, including Chris Cayford (guitar), Nathan Fairweather (bass) and Al Pott (drums). They very quickly became very active in publishing music. Already before their 2008 debut album Hysterics, they had released three three EPs, a self-titled one in 2006 and two ones the year later. They regularly released EPs and albums. However, since their last album, the 2018 Time Will Die and Love Will Bury It, they had some sort of small break in that way.

Rolo Tomassi – Where Myth Becomes Memory – Track by Track

The ten track album lasts 49 minutes.

1. Almost Always

The 6:30 minute opener is taking a rather slow introduction to the album. The first some two minutes feature Korman’s voice and electric guitar sounds, before the song breaks and turns into piano melodies. Some two minutes later, the guitars are back. Very atmospheric, very spherical as well. I haven’t been too much into jazzcore and mathcore so far, but at least I appreciate the musical skills and arrangement of this first track.

2. Cloaked

As said, I have neither been too much into Rolo Tomassi nor their genre so far. Cloaked feels great to me, though. A touch of black metal here – which is almost suddenly dropping into very fine melodic parts, which feel comparably fragile. Great arrangement, great contrasts.

3. Mutual Ruin

You simply don’t know what the song will be like the next second. Mutual Run, for example, starts with monotonous piano keys and then suddenly turns into a sound, which may even sound scary for die-hard Cradle of Filth followers. A lovely collaboration on the microphones between Eva Korman and James Spence. Great wide range of sounds.

4. Labyrinthine

Labyrinthine is simply loud. Okay, there is a short moment to relax during this 3:27 minute powerhouse, but the remaining time is at full force.

5. Closer

Closer is the full opposite of its predecessor. You almost feel to dream away into a new world while listening to this single release. A very intense experience, during which you wait for the guitars to start the fire and power their chords… But it is just not happening.

6. Drip

No matter if there is a rather quiet or a rather loud part, Drip feels hammering with full rhythmic power for almost six minutes (apart from a relax in the middle). The female lead vocalist is doing an amazing job.

7. Prescience

While I am typically rather fascinated by the rough precision of Rolo Tomassi in the metal-alike parts of their songs, my favorite while listening to Prescience is rather the gentle, melodic parts. Great range of sounds, which finally almost feels like the bands wants us to sing (or bawl) along with them.

8. Stumbling

Stumbling feels like a classic, very gentle piano songs. The guitar players take a rest. This contrast between the eighth song and its predecessor is amazing.

9. To Resist Forgetting

To Resist Forgetting is rather melodic, but there is also a lot of material for guitar riff lovers and headbangers. Excellent mix.

10. The End Of Eternity

The last trip on Where Myth Becomes Memory is a six minute sogn, The End Of Eternity. Rolo Tomassi again rather go for melodic parts – some sections even feel like a mainstream popper. But if you dare to play this song in mainstream radio, you should go for the fade out after three minutes latest… The scary sounds are coming back. Nice one!

Rolo Tomassi – Where Myth Becomes Memory – Spotify

Here is the album on Spotify

Rolo Tomassi – Where Myth Becomes Memory – My View

I love to dip into new spheres of music. Jazzcore / mathcore was indeed new to me. Yeah, it is confusing and a bit of frightening as well – but on the other hand, the Sheffield guys made me feel so much talent, so much energy from the very beginning. There is no way to hate Where Myth Becomes Memory, if you like rock, but also melodic elements. Ten fascinating songs – and the fact that it is already their sixth album also tells a big part of their story. Great album.