If you’re looking for a record to echo the sense of doom and apathy that has been universally felt through the events of 2016, The Truth In Our Bodies fully encompasses this. Formed only last year, Earth Moves are comprised of guitarist Samuel Ricketts (ex-Grappler), vocalist Jordan Hill, bassist Mark Portnoi and drummer Gary Marsden (both We Never Learned To Live), blending together elements of post metal, shoegaze, post-hardcore and ambience. On the surface it seems like that, but ‘The Truth In Our Bodies’ isn’t a record you can digest easily, and that’s maybe the point. Despite only being 38 minutes long, the debut album from the dissonant post-rock Brighton outfit will chew you up and spit you out emotionally in the best way possible.
Opening with ‘Omen’, Jordan Hill’s lyrics set the tone perfectly for what’s to come. While it’s never explicitly clear what this album aims to target or whether in terms of writing the words are a conscious train of thought, “praying for guidance/that was the hardest/when you’ve no belief in anything” personifies the general theme of disparity and dealing with grief on display here.
Coupled with some black metal drum fills and tremolo guitar riffs, it’s also clear this isn’t your typical post rock by the numbers material, with a slow build up leading into an inevitable crescendo. Those elements are still there, but Earth Moves build on their heavy influences and create something far more substantial and ultimately rewarding. The sense of aggression felt in these tracks couples well with the inevitable recluse into quieter sections, showing that Earth Moves can bring you into a wall of sound at one moment and lull you with pretty ornamentation the next.
The elegant flow into ‘The House Of Flowers’ is almost effortless despite the inevitable tempo changes. Jordan’s vocal delivery shifts drastically from skramz-influenced shrieks into almost guttural growls. While the inevitable Deafheaven comparison in a positive light can be made here, the difference with Earth Moves is the abundance of balanced sonic clarity that allows you to engage with the lyrical content rather than just as an ornamentation over heavy music. Much of this credit can be given to Brad Boatright’s mastering, allowing there to be a nice balance between tight performances and mesmeric concentration.
The band showcases its further post rock and gazey elements in ‘There Was An Apple Orchard’ shimmering over to create some deceptively beautiful sonic landscapes. These amalgamations of genre mixing instrumentation on paper might seem rather chaotic and jumbled but here they fit together due to the carefully crafted dynamics set in motion.
On ‘Pia Matter’ the general crescendo formula is still omnipresent, however here the group relies on minimalism. Hill’s vocals border on becoming melodic but ultimately transcend into half shrieks. It captures a real sense of defeatism and anguish that not many bands manage to capture authentically in this sort of genre without becoming melodramatic.
‘The Truth In Our Bodies’ might not be for screamo traditionalists or fans of metal, or even fans of post rock, but that’s not really the point. It’s not a record trying to pander to popular heavy music tropes or fit into an obscure niche. What this record ends up being is a cathartic, emotional rollercoaster that feels genuine and tells a heartbreaking story. Not since the likes of ‘Clarity’ by Vales has there been a Holy Roar release that manages to retain a sense of melancholic escapism mixed with emotionally draining lyrical content until now.