The question posed by Insomniac Doze, the third and most recent record from Envy, is fairly simple: how long can you take it? This veteran hardcore band from Japan has a specific and meticulous approach it closely follows.
Starting off small and meek with soothing guitar lines (and occasional vocals) whispering sweet nothings in listeners’ ears, the group unleashes its entire arsenal of crushing, distorted riffs, while their vocalist offers soul-cleansing screams in Japanese. Moments later, the peaceful strumming resumes as if nothing happened.
This soft/loud methodology will be familiar to fans of Mogwai and Envy‘s countrymen Mono. But as with their peers, Envy‘s music can get tedious and predictable. None of the seven songs on Insomniac Doze dare to venture far from familiar sonic territory. And with song lengths up to 15 minutes, listeners expecting change might crave something more, or a different record.
Fans of this brand of epic hardcore, however, will be gripped by the group’s leviathan riffs and pristine melodies. You might feel compelled to use the album as the soundtrack to your own fantasy epic, or to stand near a large body of water and stare at it menacingly with a raised fist and watering eyes. Maybe.
In the end, it comes back to how long you can take it. If the prospect of sitting through this whale of a record has you grinning, pick up Insomniac Doze immediately and assume the warrior pose.
– Steve Mizek
Envy (Temporary Residence)