Hailing from Scotland’s capital, Codespeaker perform a volatile and bleak rendition of sludge-ridden post-metal that invests in creating devastating riffs, exhibiting desolate sonic landscapes. An intriguing band who have seemingly stuck to their guns to carve out a unique identity for themselves, delving into life’s depleted and nihilistic tendencies. Themes of power struggle and the sociopolitical brutality of modern existence in society are further rendered through the band’s sound and lyrical depictions (something we discussed here at Everything at Noise for the premiere of Codespeaker’s single release “Verte”). The Edinburgh five piece’s self-titled debut further reveals their fascination with humanity’s dismal and sombre qualities; however, with the release of Codespeaker’s sophomore record Scavenger, they aim to expand on these brutally chilling foundations further, turning over a new leaf for the band, who have undergone three new line-up changes, revealing a harsh and foreboding level of intensity that sees post-metal at its most established.
Opening with the track “Usud”, an eerie shoegaze-style guitar phrase sets a sombre mood, pulling a weight of tension under the surface soon to be followed by a powerful climatic barrage of heaviness that pursues the low-end in great depth. The song further places much of its emphasis on building tension through these Neurosis-style atmospheric sections that allow the rhythmic aspects of instrumentation to flourish from melodically imbued bass lines to dense percussive build ups. “Signum” takes a more rounded approach to the band’s sludge/post-metal demeanour, implementing dissonant guitar riffs to produce an ominous feeling of helplessness and dread, whilst the viscosity of the vocals bulk up with the density of these pummelling riffs.
Subsequent tracks “Rescission” and “Hecatomb” display a more stripped-back style that really enhances the dynamic shifts between downtrodden doom metal volatility; dark ambient moods that implement elements of spoken word samples and jarring instrumental leads; and surprisingly captivating heavy crescendo sections that convey moments of catharsis. “Samsa” opens as a rather more progressively leaning track that seemingly takes influences from that of ’90s post-metal outfits like Isis and Neurosis, exploring interesting rhythmic intervals and complex time signatures crafted from thick layers of distortion and low rumbling feedback that moulds into one.
By the mid-point of this record, we can see much more experimentation within the record being actively utilised. “Enso” displays elements of black metal within its sonic foundation, eerie vocal growls and haunting guitar lines set a disconcerting mood to this hauntingly captivating track. Bordering into shoegazey territory, “Karst” infuses mysteriously placed guitar harmonies accompanied by minimalistic drum patterns, the song’s majority runtime consists of this sluggish, gradual build that unbridles near the final minute of the piece. Following in from this, “Verte” explores a range of textural and dynamic ground that really allows the band to demonstrate their strongest and most dexterous attributes in trademark fashion. With powerful sludge-infused riffs, menacing vocals and interweave between harsh and clean sections, weighty bass lines, and violently expressive percussion, this penultimate track successfully exacerbates Codespeaker’s nihilistic and pitiless character. The final track “Hiraeth” finalises the record with groove-driven heaviness putting much emphasis on a hook based rhythmic section to create the atmospheres of this track with the bass and drums taking centrefold. The jarring guitar riffs feel like they’re stabbing you in the chest with their sharp and immense force, whilst the vocals reign over you with overbearing density and ferocity.
On the surface, Scavenger may appear as quite a minimalistic and direct form of sludge and post-metal execution. The ruthless and unnerving release of sonic deprivation through harsh and unrelenting heaviness formulate the cold and brutalist aesthetic that Codespeaker carve out for themselves. Yet, as you delve further into the bleakly expansive sound that this record has to offer, you begin to visualise a whole range of distinctive sonic and thematic elements that explore new ground and experiments with different modes of tonality, harmony, and rhythmic structure. For those still wondering what lurks within heavy music’s disquieting underground, Codespeaker awaits anyone who seeks to explore the cruellest aspects of human existence.
