Local Review: PINE – Nibiru

PINE
Nibiru

Self-released
Street: 09.07
PINE = Tool – Dream Theater

PINE’s first full-length release, Nibiru, combines dark overtones, lengthy track times, progressive guitar riffs and thick bass fuzz to create a moody—occasionally chaotic—hard-rock experience. There’s a dark energy that permeates the record, creating a head-banging badass-ness that I really dig. Best of all, PINE keep things instrumental, so if you want to dive into guitar riffs, double bass rhythms and a combination of ambient wandering mixed with head-banging hype, I recommend you look no further than Nibiru.

While six songs don’t sound like a lot, an average song length of over eight minutes gives PINE plenty of time to explore each sound they create. Nibiru is an album that starts off being ephemeral and ambient, thick with sounds clips and delay-heavy guitar-plucking. As things progress, however, the sound of PINE grows more and more concrete. Pulsating loops, full orchestration and tight drum fills provide a fat sound that slowly evolves throughout each song. The 11-minute epic, “Disintegrate,” bridges the gap between effect-heavy, distant ponderings and brutal, in-your-face riffing. Then the hardcore vibe of the album really takes off in my personal favorite song, “Shapeshifter,” with intricate fills, licks and riffs stacked together in a satisfying chaos.

Not often am I able to find a band that satisfies my craving for both slower-paced thrumming as well as chaotic thundering. PINE focus on melody as much as on riffing, and the combination pays off with excellent dynamic range and a roller coaster of energy packed into each song. There’s so much I enjoy on Nibiru, and I’m eager to hear what comes out of PINE next. Their Bandcamp (pine2.bandcamp.com) is a great place to get a teaser of the band’s style, featuring their first and only EP, and make sure to watch their Facebook page (facebook.com/pine4443) so you’re up to date on PINE’s next show! –Alex Blackburn