In the Wake of an Ethereal Nightmare

In collaboration with 15 Counts of Arson, Ire week comes to an early terminus. Head over there to download Ire's first LP and scroll down a little for the second and some early tracks. I predict some disagreement as to which of the band's releases showcases their best material; since I have the floor, I'll say that "What Seed, What Root?" is my favorite. It really is a matter of taste, but on "WSWR?" I love the way the band exchanged some of the emotive sentimentality and cold mathematics of their previous two phases for warmer, riff-centered song-writing, along with some crushingly repetitive, hypnotic sequences. The song lengths are a bit shorter than their first LP, but the entire project retains an expansive feel as each song flows into the next with a narrative fluidity. To allocate Ire to a genre at the end of their career is not easy, but they might have found a comfortable spot near Token Tantrum or Lost, yet I can see logically how some of the members would be involved in The Black Hand demo as their next project. For full enjoyment, play it loud, and play it when you're not too antsy or distracted.

"What Seed, What Root?" by Ire (Scorched Earth Policy Records, 1999)