There comes a time when every subgenre, no matter how robust, begins to repeat itself. The tech-metal world is still in a rude state of health, of course, but Extinction Level Event have anticipated djent’s creative downfall and are putting some much-needed oomph into the sonic equation with a lineup featuring three bass players and a ton of spine-jarring bottom end.
“I had always said to Duncan [another of ELE’s bassists] that someday we would do a Meshuggah-esque project together,” says founder member Ryan Reedy. “I’m originally a guitarist and I didn’t have a 7-to-9 string guitar at the time so I decided to just use my 5-string bass alongside Duncan. It became apparent after much experimentation in the studio that we needed even more bass, so the basses began to multiply to unreasonable amounts!”
Every new strain of metal needs a preposterous name for fans to embrace or reject, and the ELE ethos is no exception. Djent is dead… long live clank!
“Clank is something that evolved from the sound of the bass, when it’s muted and played rhythmically,” Ryan explains. “Duncan and I were like, ‘Hey, that’s a really clanky sounding tone!’ It stuck and we felt it was a counter to the onomatopoeia of ‘djent’. I think we all look at the bass just as we would a guitar or any other instrument. You are only limited by your imagination!”
With debut EP The Catalyst making major waves, Ryan and his sub-frequency comrades seem to have struck upon an idea that is literally making the earth move for their growing army of fans.
“We have hopes and dreams of making a career out of writing creative music and playing it to every metalhead in the world,” he froths. “Watch out, because we have a lot more in the works!”
THE CATALYST IS AVAILABLE NOW VIA ITUNES/o:p
