A natural starting point for a band’s sound is the collective influences of its members, but to stand out there needs to be some individual character as well. Memories in Broken Glass have plenty of that, making ‘Enigma Infinite’ a natural synergy of various influences, rather than a forced attempt at trying to sound a certain way.
Opening with an immediate blast of heavy riffs and the kind of screamed vocals you’d usually associate with black metal, ‘Search and Discover’ doesn’t give you long to acclimatise before it diverts to soaring melodies that are far removed from the early, aggressive tones. This pendulum-like movement from deeply heavy riffs and screams to almost pop-like melodies is a theme throughout and it’s done so seamlessly and tastefully that it becomes the record’s core strength.
Fans of acts like Northlane, Tesseract and Napoleon will appreciate the djent-style riffs and unconventional rhythm patterns that are now synonymous with the tech-metal genre. ‘Echoes of Command’ and ‘The Constant’ are particular highlights, but not content with sticking to one style, the band layer in elements of post-hardcore to avoid the temptation of plodding formulaically through jagged rhythms – something that plagues the aforementioned bands and makes them seem repetitive and uninspiring.
‘As the Tables Turn’ showcases impressively technical riffs that break away through dynamic tempo changes, moving the song in different directions to prevent predictability. Saul Castillo’s hook-driven, clean vocals add more layers, but in a way that sounds natural rather than simply following the sing/scream formula that modern post-hardcore feels it needs. Castillo is also responsible for the piercingly aggressive harsh vocals across the record as well, making the transition to crisp, pure melodies even more impressive.
Memories in Broken Glass achieve a highly successful blend of styles with this debut album which gives them a unique character. When it’s heavy, it’s blistering, and when it’s time for a hit of melody, it rivals the most infectious of pop-rock bands. This might put some listeners off if they’re averse to either one of these extremes, but for anyone else it makes for a versatile and rewarding experience.
MARK JOHNSON