The End of the Universe

You're the Disease (2005)

Jordan Rogowski

If and when the end of the universe actually does arrive, you'd have to imagine it to a be a pretty loud spectacle. A noisy, pummeling soundtrack would surely accompany, chock full of lightning quick, crushing riffs and intense, spastic vocals riding atop a winding, pounding rhythm section. That's my assumption to what the End of the Universe sounds like, and You're the Disease works hard to back up that claim.

Tinkering with an intricate mix of hardcore and metal, akin to such acts as Deadguy, TEOTU have a firm grip on every single aspect of their intensely crafted music. The ambience of the first short track doesn't do much in the way of bracing for the followup, "Wreckage." The song is just that, an aural car wreck, complete with all the twisted metal and intense screams one would associate with that type of destruction. It all begins with Josh Nelson and his wide array of vocal talents that are prime to bridge any possible musical gaps. His versatility is a major selling point for the band, being that he can effortlessly move between highs and lows, not unlike Gabe of Ion Dissonance or Guy of Red Chord fame. It's that ability to coalesce with any pace or volume of the music that immediately has them on the right foot.

Nelson can't do it alone, however, and thankfully he's got a terrific supporting cast.

It's not so much the individual musicians who shine, but what those musicians are able to do together. No single song really sits far above another, and at the same time, there's not a single weak track to speak of either. Dynamic shifting and unrelenting fury is what really makes this release stand out, the song textures appear heavy as you can imagine, but there's somewhat of a melodic undercurrent weaving in and out of the punishing riffs. "I'd Like to Think I Was a Violent Drunk" opens with some ominous feedback and slow, rhythmic fills, and proceeds to drone under the maniacal screaming before acting as a perfect segue into the blistering "The Funeral Procession," which really lets the guitarists show their stuff. "Eleven Hours to Val Verde" continues the quickly progressing album, offering fluid tempo changes and mammoth drum fills that cascade under everything all at once. "Vampire in a Den of Wolves" is an odd note to end the album on, as it's almost entirely void of vocals, and slows down considerably to a churning, methodical descent from the peak of the band's insanity.

If these are the sounds of the end of the universe, we'd all better hold on for the ride.