These Armes Are Snakes - Tail Swallower and Dove

For some reason These Arms Are Snakes (TAAS) have not 'grabbed' me like many bands out there, but they are certainly unique for the genre they are often pinned down into. The brand of post-hardcore / metal they create comes from a well developed, unoriginal pool of lackluster bands, but TAAS have a certain flare in their stylings - it could be in the abrasive vocals, the thick synth like basslines or the overwhelmingly heavy guitars but there is just something that when im in the mood for, ill blast it.

Ambitiously titled Tail Swallower and Dove is their third (i think)...or is it fourth full length from this American act, their first EP was nothing short of brutal and their first long play effort 'Oxeneer' for short was an amalgamation of the vocals and instruments described above and since then TAAS have evolved their sound, not dramatically, but enough to keep a casual listener interested.

The album itself has some 'heavy as fuck' moments and they still utilize their signature rhythmic danceable basslines to maximum affect however they seem to be combining these with a much more focused and cleanly recorded dynamic. The guitars meld together beautifully, the bass drives the songs and the vocals eshrew sheer intensity.

The album starts off with a start stop heavy number which ahlf way through changes direction to conclude with a powerful heavy guitar crescendo and this sets the tone for what this album is going to entail. The only request that i ask of TAAS is that they stay away from 3 minute songs - the only one on the record 'Prince Squid' tends to annoy me with its drum and vocal only intro and seems daft and uninspired - but this detrimental sphere gives rise to TAAS's heralding stregths - they know how to write an epic. "Ethric Double" and "Seven Curtains" surpass the five minute mark and encompass everythign from gigantic buildups, elongated metal jams and sprawling synths that amalgamate all that is perfect aobut this band into one sitting.

Yes, this album has flaws, but the strengths far outweigh what is a generally solid album.