It's been 7 years since the last full-length CD from 5ive. They are an instrumental band made up of guitarist Ben Carr and drummer Charlie Harrold. There is no bass player, and of course no vocalist. Their latest release was produced by Andrew Schneider (Cave In).
Hesperus is an eclectic and diverse CD. Having no vocals puts a lot of pressure on the band to change things up and keep the listener's interest, and they succeed. Some of the songs are thick and sludgy with layers of music that almost becomes oppressive. Others are more lighter and more nuanced. And no matter what the level of intensity, 5ive has clever hooks and riffs that keep the momentum going.
I tend to lose interest quickly with instrumental albums, but 5ive really surprised me with how compelling their songwriting and musicianship is. From mellow acoustic passages to heavy stoner metal, Hesperus is one of the better instrumental metal albums I've heard in a while.
(released February 19, 2008 on Tortuga Recordings)
