ALBUM REVIEW: Paradox – Corporate Pollution

In 2004, Paradox released their second album, Sacred. It was an impressive collection of alternative rock tracks with its roots firmly in the grunge and garage rock of the 90s, but with a strong sense of melody and a musical maturity that made it stand out from the crowd. The only mistake the band might have made with that album is in creating an album that would be difficult to follow.

It’s taken seven years (although lead singer/guitarist Pete Mac did release a solo acoustic album in 2009), but that follow-up is finally here. And, against all the odds, it’s taken the style of Sacred as a strong foundation and constructed something that doesn’t just equal its predecessor, it surpasses it.

The album’s eleven tracks clock in at sixty-seven minutes; an average song length of over 6 minutes. This gives each one time to develop and the band really get the most out of each song without letting any of them over-stay their welcome.

Paradox seem happy to wear their influences on their sleeves, clearly inspired by the early 90s grunge scene, most notably Nirvana and Alice in Chains, but the music here is ultimately heavier than Alice in Chains and with more mellow sections and longer songs than Nirvana typically offered.

The vocals delivered by Pete Mac are even reminiscent of Kurt Cobain’s more refined moments whilst maybe edging towards the sound of Silverchair front-man Daniel Johns, and the vocal harmonies between Pete and brother Mike echo those of Alice in Chains. Maybe the ultimate compliment you can pay to this album is that you could listen to it between Nirvana‘s In Utero and Alice in Chains‘ Dirt and it’s every bit as good.

The drumming also deserves a mention here. Sometimes, the well-paced beats become the highlight of a song and really grab your attention but drummer Mike Mac doesn’t overdo it and at times there’s a feeling that less is more, with the drums becoming very subtle to suit the mood of the song. In Repress Excess, for example, the majority of the song doesn’t feature drums at all, but this just adds to their presence when they are introduced. It’s just another example of a minor detail that Paradox have got absolutely right throughout this album.

The title track kick-starts proceedings as they mean to go on; crunching guitars, heavy drums and a tune that finds a nice balance between hard rock and melody. The lyrics are of a political tone, as on a couple of songs on this album, although it’s when the lyrics take on a more introspective, personal feel that they work best, such as on the next track, Emptiness, a song that sweeps gently along, fuelled by a passionate vocal delivery.

Next up is Mind Mud, the shortest track on the album at 4 minutes and with just a brief vocal section in the second half of the song. It’s aptly named as it trudges along with slow and heavy riffs and distorted, anguished vocals. The album continues in this manner offering an almost perfect mix of mellow, heart-felt moments and heavier sections of grunge-fuelled rock.

The album’s first single, Mr Bureaucracy, is probably the catchiest piece on the album but still gives a good indication of what to expect from the other ten songs, powering along at a good pace but still finding time to mix in a softer bridge which adds extra depth. Other highlights include Bury The World, Shedding Skin and the beautiful ballad, Serenity, a melancholic song about pain and loss – a perfect way to bring the album to a close.

For me, though, the strongest moment of the album comes in the form of the penultimate track Mitigate. It’s the album’s longest track at almost 9 minutes, but at no time does it feel dragged out or bloated, which is a real credit to the writing and execution. Compelling drums create an intriguing hook from the outset as distorted guitars threaten to burst into life behind them. The song gradually builds up to a thunderous chorus before subsiding to build all over again, always driven by that pounding drumbeat. At times it’s slightly reminiscent of Razorblade Suitcase-era Bush and it even brought to mind early Tool, but ultimately this is something else. This is Paradox.

If you’re partial to grungy alternative rock and you’re new to Paradox, Corporate Pollution is a great place to start. Alternative rock doesn’t come any better than this.

You can currently listen to the whole album, as well as other Paradox songs here.