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Review: The Black String Theory - Remission [Album]

Reasonable melodramatic rock but with poor vocals

by jacob_wyatt, June 18th, 2012 and has been Read 890 times.
Last Edited by: Chris MUG5 Maguire June 18th, 2012.

The Black String Theory are obviously very well liked in the alternative rock scene. They were named in the top five for both the Gothic International website’s ‘Artists To Watch 2011’ and In-D Scene blog’s ‘Artists To Follow 2011’. In November 2011, their single ‘This Clouded View’ was named in the ‘Top 25 Essential Tracks for 2011’ by Live4Ever. Not many bands receive so much adoration before they even release their debut album.

LISTEN // The Black String Theory - This Clouded View

What struck me from the first listen is their similarity with Muse, so it did not surprise me to read that The Black String Theory’s dark, guitar-led music was influenced by them as well as, among others, Radiohead and Editors. Scott van Dort (founder and lead singer of The Black String Theory) also sings with the same passion and sound as Matthew Bellamy (lead singer of Muse). The piano-based songs are similar to those of Keane or Doves. However, The Black String Theory sound so much like their influences, I cannot help but think they are actually trying to copy them, not just build upon them.

Remission opens with ‘Intro(spection)', a slow song built upon a simple synth rift and repeating drum beat. Van Dort’s voice (this may sound mean, but I feel it is true) is little more than a monotone drawl, with each syllable drawn out to an exceeding length. While some may argue that ‘Intro(spection)' is not a bad song, to me, it is just incredibly boring, containing little spirit.

This style seems to carry on throughout the rest of the album. The Black String Theory produce reasonable melodramatic rock, though Van Dort’s voice does little to help the music. Whilst this may be my personable opinion, I struggle to see how others could find it appealing. At some points in the album, such as parts of ‘Young and Free’, it seems like Van Dorte is forcing his voice out, thus creating a sound that is not very pleasant to say the least. His vocals are a shame, because musically The Black String Theory are actually good at what they do.

After listening to Remission, I cannot understand how such a band can win over so much acclaim from critics. Their musical talent seems to be damped by the poor vocals, making it almost impossible to review this album positively. Seeing that Scott van Dort is the founder and main musician in The Black String Theory, I doubt that they will ever overcome this problem. At the end of this album, I am left with very few positive words to say sadly.