An album that really goes to show that hardcore and metal really do mix
'This Elegy, His Autopsy' is a bewildering record, switching from hardcore to metal to post punk in the blink of an eye. Sometimes loud and aggressive, sometimes quiet and unnerverving, this record is full of surprises and strange moments. It may not always work, but it's clear that there are some original ideas on it and not a half arsed affair. Well, that's if you ignore the crap tracks.
The promo cover has their influences down as 'tech Metal gods and punk directness' and, for tracks like 'It's Good Weather for Black Leather' and 'Brown Eyes (No Name), add hardcore to that list and you've got it. It's takes a little while to get used to, but the metal and hardcore don't aurally batter you into submission, rather they'll fire you up. 'It's Good Weather for Black Leather' fuses the two together so much that it seems natural - the stop-start, restlessness is damn effective. 'Brown Eyes (No Name), however, tries its very hardest to do the aural equivalent of pinning you against the wall. It's fast and violent but even that has more subdued moments where the tech metal really comes into its own.
Sometimes it's hard not to be reminded of shouty angry bands such as Rage Against the Machine and Converge - even smaller bands including Jetplane Landing. 'Knight the Arsonist' is one of those songs. It's short, fast and comes at you like a crazed madman on a mission - and like most of the rest of the album, damn it works. The drumming is awesome, although the musicianship is great all around. The same could also be said of 'Man the Traps' which has a wicked opening riff.
It's surprising, then, that one of the best songs on the album is quieter, more melodic affair. '...And on the Day that he Became a Human Plumb Line' is probably one of the most surprising tracks, given that Beecher are much better at fast and angry. It's urgent, builds and builds, and is a tune you either love or hate - the spoken word vocals play off the tune, and the short, sharp burst at the end fits perfectly.
But, as always, there are flaws within 'This Elegy, His Autopsy'. On their own, 'Not Guilty', 'The Biting Cold', and 'Happiness' might be decent tunes, but surrounded by the likes of '...And on that Day' and 'Brown Eyes (No Name)' they're lacklustre and disappointing. They're also undeniably strange. 'Not Guilty' is metal through and through - in fact, it wouldn't be out of place at an Orc/Lord of the Rings convention - and to say it's slow, drawn out, and painful would be an understatement. With an odd little piece keyboard melody tacked on at the end, it's too long and is all wrong. Whilst 'The Biting Cold' is a metal instrumental that never gets going - all it does is show off the band's technical proficiency - 'Happiness' (which is anything but) is pure feedback and a waste of an album track.
As far as crossover records go, Beecher have done themselves proud. 'This Elegy, His Autopsy' is a fierce and unrelenting album, bar a few songs, and it's all the better for it. It's no surprise that this was recorded with Converge's Kurt Ballou, but that doesn't mean it's unoriginal.