Pursuit of alchemy - pursuit of alchemy

Pursuit of Alchemy

Pursuit of Alchemy
self-released; 2013

3.5 out of 5

By Ethan Skeleton

Pursuit of Alchemy, a four-piece alternative band formed in Perth, Australia, started out as a college project believe it or not. That’s a great beginning and, from the sound of their first effort, the end is nowhere in sight. These guys stake claim to a unique sound and if their hunger for innovation stays active, they’ll shake the underground. 

The album starts with a quick instrumental piece called "Antecedent" which acts as a segue to the first song. “The Journey We’ve Been On” from their self-titled EP Pursuit of Alchemy, glides in riding a wave of distortion and is  also one of the highlights of the album. It's a pretty straight forward rock that is well written and relies on catchy vocals and equally as melodic lead guitar parts to keep your attention. They make use of filters on the lead vocals to add some diversity to vocals which is effective.

I was pleasantly surprised when listening to “Warzone.” Who knew they had some synth in them? The song relies on melancholy and nostalgia that was apparent on the first song. I was intrigued by the contrast on the bubbly, warm synth and the harsh waves of distortion the guitar was making. 

Perhaps my favorite of the album is the Joeyw remix of “Feel Alive.” This has some bump to it, really creative and quality production, pick up the tempo about 20 clicks and it’s ready for the club! The part that really resonates is the stuttering effect the remix artist applied on the chorus. Lovely layering of instrumentation, emptying of sound, building elements, dub step half time romp. Play this one in your car and watch the passenger’s heads just rock forward.

Overall, the production could be a bit better but the songs are solid and worth your time to listen to.
This group has some work cut out for them, but they’re set for the haul especially considering the amount of ground they’ve covered already and their small-scale history.

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