Narcissus Crave And Collapse CD

Third full-length album features 13 tracks produced by Bill Korecky (Mushroom head, Keehaul) at Mars studio. Abacus. 2003.

It's funny how a vocalist can make or break a band. Narcissus' Crave and Collapse has a number of intriguing things happening instrumentally, coming off like a prog-leaning amalgam of Tool and Deftones -- but when singer John Pope strays from his constipated hardcore howl and unleashes a perpetually off-key and strained wail (particularly painful: "Indifference of Living," "Division of the Figureheads," "Talented Prey, Weak Hunter"), one bad ingredient spoils an otherwise moderately flavorful broth. The other problem with this Ohio-based band's third full-length effort is the infiltration of a similar mid-tempo slog throughout, resulting in a blur of many compelling individual instrumental chunks, but with no songs really standing out -- although the occasional solid groove and riff sometimes dethrone the band's obsession with overly complex arrangements -- "To James" and "Blessed Coma" -- which trade off clean guitar arpeggios and odd time signatures with straightforward grooves and power-chorded riffs. Although bands in the U.S. hardcore scene who attempt to stretch the boundaries of a maddening meat-and-potatoes genre -- and Narcissus does possess a more intellectual, sometimes psychological, approach to lyrics and songwriting -- should be welcomed with open arms, Crave and Collapse, over the course of 13 tracks and 61 minutes, seems to falter under the weight of its own ambition. Especially when it comes to Pope, who apparently thinks his voice is powerful and elastic; maybe someone should tell him otherwise. ~ John Serba