Legendary Hungarian melodic hardcore group The Idoru has unleashed “Undertow,” a brand new material consisting of ten exceptional songs. It’s their first piece of work since “One Word,” “The Loneliest Drive,” “So Kind, Yet So Cruel,” and “Old Songs,” several standalone singles and 7″ released from 2020 to 2022. The band announced this full-length album with “The King Is Naked,” “This Ship Will Sail” and “Sewn Shut”, three marvelous compositions that masterfully showcase what you might expect from the remainder of the material. Soundwise, they more or less retained their signature moves based upon the late nineties and early noughties melodic hardcore and post-hardcore sound, but with many improvements stacked along the way. Besides some of the vividly hearable sonic ingredients like melodic punk rock, emo, and metal, you’ll also notice many innovations in writing, composing, arranging, recording, and producing. They retained their renowned sound and adapted to fit these modern times.
The Idoru doesn’t waste time and immediately strikes hard with the mentioned “The King Is Naked,” an outstanding demonstration of all the experience, knowledge, experience, skill, talent, and ideas distilled into powerful and engaging orchestrations. From fast-paced rhythmic structures and equally complex, semi-distorted basslines to the cleverly assembled guitar interplay and otherwordly vocal harmonies, The Idoru instantly draws your listening apparatus into this mesmerizing melodic hardcore journey. The band becomes even more technical with “Sewn Shut,” a mid-tempo track with many mindblowing virtuosities showcased on both guitars, and the catchy, addictive, hypnotic, anthemic chorus that will force you to sing along. The remainder of the band sounds equally intricate, as they propel these instrumentations to the max. Also, it’s good to mention that this particular number vividly showcases the new, improved sound of The Idoru.
“The Center Of Everything” dives deep into the post-hardcore fundamentals, as it showcases recognizable sound of The Idoru we all adore. Garnered with delicate song structure based upon half-time and fast-paced beats, breaks, fills, and other percussive structures, heavy riffs, and enough vocal harmonies to convince even the pickiest fans to singalong, this band proves they’re still capable of delivering premium music to the table. The Idoru slows down the pace with the “Lighthouse,” but the technicalities remain. You’ll notice how the interplay between rhythm and lead guitars struggle for dominance by delivering catchy riffs on one side, while the other emits slightly reverby themes, melodies, harmonies, and other guitar virtuosities. The impressive vocal range commands attention and guides your listening apparatus by balancing low, mid, and high notes with such ease. Everything sounds top-notch, ensuring that “Lighthouse” will become one of the crowd’s favorites.
“New Directions” signifies that you’re already at the half of the album with a proggy post-rock introduction that gradually builds up another melodic hardcore atmosphere worth repeating every time you need flawlessly performed music. The vocal harmonies and guitars guide your ears once again, as they pair harmoniously from beginning to end. The rhythm section delivers more than necessary heaviness with rich, warm, deep basslines, and dynamic drumming maneuvers. Like on the previous tracks, “New Directions” will immediately draw your attention with its catchy choruses. The Idoru continues with another faster song called “Extremes,” which might come the closest to modern melodic punk rock, but of course, performed in their recognizable style. Each orchestration shines and bursts with so much engagement, heaviness, and power, building an ambiance that continuously levitates between emotion, melancholy, and aggression. The breakdowns enclosed within are something special, and the listeners will know how to appreciate them.
“This Ship Will Sail” continues at the same tempo as “New Directions,” but with more emotion and melancholy attached. You’ll especially hear these details during all the segments of the songs. You’ll hear how the impressive vocal range steers the course, as the skillful singer nails every note and beat with precision and finesse. Of course, the remainder of the band is at the top of the game, and The Idoru is one of those bands without flaws. With great assurance, I could easily say “This Ship Will Sail” is among the standouts of the material, or at least the best of the best. The band also delivers more abstract, anthemic, and ultimately heavy “Until The End,” a song that somehow signifies the closure of the album. Like the remainder of this material, it contains perfect song structure and anthemic chorus where the back vocals and singalongs reign supreme. “Mystery” is another banger that resembles the nineties melodic punk rock music in the best possible way. The interplay between guitars and heavily distorted basslines serve as an adequate backdrop for all the vocal articulations, while the drummer drives the groove and pace with such ease. “Between Good And Evil” is such a perfect closing track of such an incredible album. The Idoru saved the best for last, as they mesh their signature moves with innovations, empowered with a complex structure that carries many segments decorated with impressive vocal, sonic, and rhythmic maneuvers. These folks spare no punches with this one, and you’ll gladly repeat the entire album over again.
Besides flawlessly written, composed, and recorded music, The Idoru also thought about visual aspects. The album arrives in a high-quality digipack garnered with marvelous illustrations. You’ll find everything you need to know about it within these pages, and although I am much more of a vinyl guy, I must admit that the CD version looks equally impressive. Therefore, head to the Blackstarfoundation Records Bandcamp page and order your copy. You won’t be disappointed!
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