“Won’t stop till I have six whole feet to lie in.”
ten56 have seemingly come out of nowhere within the last couple of years. A supergroup risen from the ashes of French metalcore veterans Betraying the Martyrs and the long dormant progressive metalcore group Kadinja, ten56 subverts the expectations set by their prog-adjacent predecessors with a sludgy and bombastic nu metalcore formula, replete with heavily downtuned chugs and rap-driven verses. Now, following the release of debut LP Downer, which released in two installments, we have sophomore effort, IO now in our midst, a full 35 minute experience that sees the band sticking to their familiar roots, for better or worse.
Ultimately, IO breaks little new ground. When it comes to immediately noticeable improvements, the production comes to mind, as the guitar tones here are much cleaner and less muddy compared to those on Downer. Beyond that, however, most everything else is exactly what you’d expect if you’ve sampled ten56 already. “Doormat,” “Pig” and “Snapped Neck” serve as an introductory triad to the record, each of which are only a few seconds apart in length. Fewer still are any moments of real substance across these tracks. While the tone is certainly more palatable, ten56’s guitar work is as dull and uninspiring as ever. Given the group share string duties with Kadinja, I would expect a little more flair and creativity in this department, but it is virtually nonexistent as just about every cut on here is a bland sludgy mess. The only truly notable aspect of these tracks are the clean vocals; well-produced and surprisingly well-delivered, these moments are fleeting and ultimately not enough to lift the songs beyond mediocre status, however.
“I Know Where You Sleep” and “Good Morning” are, at the very least, impressive from a percussive standpoint, as the drumming is sharper and more varied than ever. IO experiments with blast beats and quicker tempos more than its precedent debut, and somewhat makes up for ten56’s usual monotonous string work. Latter cuts such as “PTY FCK” and “Friends” finally venture into new territory with the introduction of industrial elements, but by this point, it is too little too late, as IO has exhausted much of its runtime already.
Also present throughout much of this record are some of the most poorly written lyrics I’ve ever had the pleasure of glimpsing. While I can appreciate the band’s attempt at vulnerability, the lyrics on songs like the aforementioned “PTY FCK” are nearly as cringe-inducing as the title itself. “Pig” contains the line “You my number one but I was just your little bitch” which had me scratching my head wondering if this was purposeful or an oversight; in any case, it is remarkably poor even by nu metal’s fairly low standards.
Vocalist Aaron Matts, while certainly competent, also does little to elevate IO beyond its standard, as very little of what’s on display here has not been explored previously, either on Downer or with Betraying the Martyrs. His typical mid-range growl dominates much of the album’s foreground, mirroring the monotonous guitar work and causing most of IO to blur together sonically. The safety of Matts’ vocal delivery coupled with IO’s well below average lyricism makes for a tedious listen, and the instrumentation doesn’t do nearly enough in contrast to redeem the record.
Ironically, IO’s titular closing track might be its strongest, abandoning ten56’s uninspired take on nucore altogether in favor of a hip hop approach. Although much of the same problems persist in the lyrical department, the track itself is fun, well-produced and easy on the ears, and quite possibly the only ten56 track I can foresee myself returning to willingly. Even still, there are far better proponents of this sound out there, leaving IO struggling to stand on its own in any meaningful way. If you enjoyed Downer in any capacity, there’s a good chance you’ll find something to enjoy on IO as well. That said, considering the talent involved behind the scenes, ten56 have yet to meet my expectations, and I can only hope a shift in sound is on the horizon that might turn things around.
3/10
IO is out tomorrow, September 5, and can be pre-ordered here.