ÅHM – The Mechanics Of Falling Apart EP

It has been a while since we covered some heavy and melodic music on our pages, but things are about to change today with ÅHM’s brand-new EP, The Mechanics of Falling Apart. If you have been a dedicated reader and followed what we were posting here, our social media, and in our playlists, then you’re probably already familiar with this incredible duo. If not, buckle up, because you’re about to witness one of the finest heavy rock bands the underground scene has birthed in years. ÅHM are no strangers to the longtime fans of underground music. Quite the contrary, these Swedish musicians based in Linköping have already had stints in bands such as Interlace, Iguana Machinery, Roswell, Frozen Still Life, and Circle Six. Then, there’s really no wonder why their music sounds so otherworldly, powerful, and captivating. Across six incredible compositions, ÅHM builds its sonic universe where every vocal harmony, guitar riff, bassline, and beat has its place and purpose. Sonically, ÅHM crafts emotionally resonant, tremendously heavy, immensely captivating songs where each note and beat acts as a tectonic shift. By continuously levitating between modern and retro grunge, heavy rock, post rock, alternative, and nineties rock, they write, compose, arrange, record, and produce music that firstly appeals to their likings and then the broader auditorium. This approach suits them as well, as their taste in music is quite expansive, and it will suit anyone who appreciates cleverly assembled, flawlessly performed, and professionally produced underground music.

This epic sonic journey commences with “Rotors,” a perfect opening tune that vividly demonstrates what you might expect from the remainder of the material. ÅHM’s impressive songwriting is on full display here, as they stack all those harmonious chants, ultimately heavy guitar riffs, colossal basslines, and groovy beats. The song arrives with perfect structure, decorated with many clever arrangements, profoundly detailed segments, brilliant ideas, and outstanding musicianship. You’ll also hear those jangly, angular, subtly reverby, arpeggiated chord progressions decorate the verses, while the perfectly accentuated beats keep the momentum going. The band shines during both calm, soothing, relaxing, ethereal moments and those raw, unfiltered, aggressive, heavy segments. “They Drain” channels early nineties grunge sound, with another interplay between captivating chord progressions and warm-sounding basslines, while the vocals command attention, elevate everything to new heights, and guide listeners on an epic journey through the expansive sonic universe. The instrumentation expands to include perfectly articulated guitar riffs and odd time signatures, giving more emotional depth, complexity, and melody to the entire composition without ever losing groove, heaviness, depth, and clarity. “The Ash Of The Sermon” leans toward heavier post-rock territory, with the additional metal orchestration that unquestionably makes this composition one of the heaviest on this fine piece of sonic artistry. You’ll immediately fall in love with those reverby, luxuriant guitar temes, paired with colossal riffs, complex low ends, and intense drumming performance. Besides those heavy moments, the band also provides calmer verses where the focus remains on the incredible vocal performance. ÅHM are also good at writing, composing, arranging, and producing stripped-down acoustic songs, and “You Will Yield To Me” exemplifies their dedication to the craft. Based on perfectly accentuated chord progressions delivered on acoustic guitars and a profoundly emotional vocal performance, this composition calms things down and prepares the listener for what’s about to come next. “Memorial Garden” is another excellent song where the band blends only the finest properties of modern grunge, post-rock, alternative, grunge, and nineties rock. The combination of generous servings of distortion and fuzz perfectly pairs with the melody, harmony, and complexity of those riffs, while the vocal performance contributes even more rawness through natural distortion. The orchestrations are as melodic and complex and possible, with all that beautiful guitar and bass work, intricate beats roaming around and offering a perfect soundscape. This journey comes to an end with “Fall Apart,” another incredible post-rock composition that gradually evolves from an almost cinematic ambient piece where half-time rhytmic patterns support subtle guitar works and calm vocal performances to a raging beast where every instrumental and vocal performance contributes aggression and power. With this piece, ÅHM exemplifies how underground heavy rock can still sound fresh, unique, and exciting.

ÅHM crafted six impressive composition that not only showcase how good songwriters, composers, and musicians they are, but also how longtime genres like grunge, heavy rock, alternative, and many other still has so many things to say. It’s one of those recordings you’ll dearly want to place in your record collection due to the fact there are no skips here, and the band sounds absolutely creative and amazing from scratch to finish. Their tremendous experience, knowledge, talent, creativity, ideas, and musicianship are on full display here, and The Mechanics of Falling Apart is one of those recordings that rewards repeated listens. Do not miss it!