Fresh off the release of their new album “Inequable” on September 16th, Saint Petersburg based independent alternative metal / progressive rock band MASSFACE join us for a quick track by track ride through each and every song of the release.
From 2013 to 2020, the band released a self-titled studio album and numerous singles accompanied with music videos, including the hit singles “Black Water” (the music video reached 1.5 million views on YouTube) and “Remember” (1 million views).
In 2018, MASSFACE won Emergenza Festival Russia and played numerous shows in Russia, Belarus, and ultimately at Taubertal Festival in Germany, got signed by Sliptrick records and re-released the debut album on the label.
In 2020, MASSFACE changed their vocalist and joined Aleksandr Grigorev, with whom began the work on “Inequable“.
“Inequable” means ever-changing, unequal, just like the shifting sound shapes of every song on this album – you can’t be ready for the next part of the next song until you get to hear it.
“Inequable” shows MASSFACE‘s growth as a band. They picked up where they left off three years ago with proggy single “Blank” and continued experimenting with different rhythms, and elements of different genres they never tried before, from punk rock to metalcore and progressive metal – even used acoustic guitars this time! And the new vocalist Alexandr took the lyrical and vocal game to another level and helped produce this really mature progressive rock/metal record which MASSFACE have all the rights to be really proud of.
MASSFACE are: Vocals – Aleksandr Grigorev, Guitars – Ivan Romanchuk, Guitars – Aleksandr Tarabrin, Bass Guitar – Aleksey Novikov, Keyboards – Semyon Martsinkevich, Drums – Denis Shulika
“Aftermath” is the lead single off “Inequable” as it perfectly captures the vibe of the whole album – ferocious yet fragile, heavy yet soothing, bitter yet giving hope, and overall unpredictable. But at the same time, “Aftermath” is a ride of its own. Started off as a song about wildfires back in 2020, the final version of “Aftermath” lyrics has way more underlying meanings if you think of it. What has humanity done to the Earth? What have we done to each other? Is there a way to fix any of it?
“Dunes“, just like a couple of other songs on the album, was inspired by an old movie. A protagonist finds himself caught in a weird place he’s unable to escape. After a series of events when he ultimately gets his chance to get out, he finds excuses to stay, understanding he’s found some sort of freedom and comfort in his own imprisonment. In a way, “Dunes” is about people stuck in toxic relationships but “going with the flow”.
“Wither” – This ethereal song basically tells that nothing really matters in this crazy twisted world since everything will be destroyed one day / everyone will be gone one day anyway. So why bother too much? Drive all the bad thoughts away and try to enjoy the life you have as much as possible.
“The Fount” – Sometimes you get this feeling of fate, that it is really unchangeable, even if it’s the fate of the loved ones. There is nothing you can do but accept it, watch what’s to come and let go.
“Evocative” kicks off with an indistinct chatter inside of an ICU and a resuscitation monitor sound which is followed by fragile fingerpicking and lonely key note drops, giving this vibe of hope for the better.
“Bewildered” was inspired by a personal story of one of our bandmates’ relatives dealing with dementia. It’s a disease which affects one’s personality and memory, it’s incurable to this day and there’s almost nothing you can do to even stop it from progressing. It is a tragic story with a tragic ending for everyone emotionally and/or physically involved.
“Bystander” – This song initially revolved around the bystander effect. It’s a social psychological theory which states that individuals are less likely to offer help to a victim when there are other people present. But during the writing process, like in case with “Aftermath”, it turned into a bit of a different idea that if you don’t have enough courage, valor and selflessness and while you don’t feel safe yourself, you may not be able to help someone in danger in order to save your own self. So “Bystander” is about an instinct of self-preservation in a way.
“One” is a story about a man who recently lost his loved one. He can’t get over it and ultimately decides to give up on living his life hoping for a reunion in the infinity. It overlaps with “The Fount” and “Bewildered”, serving as a thematic continuation for both.
“Pete Bancini” is always tired. This instrumental track serves an an outro for the album “Inequable” and at the same time as an intro for our next release – which the band hopes will be out in 2023.
