Music: Forthright

FORTHRIGHT

The circle gets the square: Tri-state metal trio drops belated masterwork, Antiorthodox

It was last July that News 4U sat down with the members of local metal masters Forthright - vocalist/guitarist Nick Bulger, guitarist Tyler Brown and drummer Eddie Goebel - to discuss the impending release of their incredibly ambitious sophomore album, Antiorthodox. At the time, the trio expected to drop the 13-track collection in the early fall but delays followed, pushing its unveiling off until the New Year. But the follow-up to Kaleidoscopic Manslaughter, the band's 2018 debut, has finally arrived and, pardon our language, holy sh*t - it rules. Make no mistake about it, Antiorthodox is freaking amazing across the board, kicking off thrillingly with a seeming nod to Metallica's "Battery." Well, in the sense that "Anti" similarly sets the mood with a classical guitar motif before giving way to one of Forthright's greatest songs to date, "Orthodox." It's a steamroller from the get-go, recalling the speedy thrash of Slayer, complete with heart-stopping breakdowns and time-shifts - and, most notably, the incredible vocals of Bulger, who truly comes into his own on Antiorthodox, veering from full-throated screams to near-operatic vocal flourishes over the course of this seriously intricate album.

Indeed, one blatantly obvious reason for Antiorthodox's tardiness is the sheer complexity of the material and the concept. As Bulger humbly states, "We put a lot of time and effort into it." To wit, the album's divided into three distinct chapters - Divergence, Acceptance and Consequence - with periodic instrumental passages serving to recalibrate the vibe. "Hate," synth-based and delightfully dark, stands as an unexpected highlight, leading into "Ergo," a groove monster that shows off Goebel's double-kick drum prowess and Brown's nimble riffing. Above it all, Bulger repeatedly barks, "I think, therefore I am!" - perhaps trying to convince himself of his very existence.

Forthright dive headfirst into Tool territory on "Obelus," a Middle Eastern-influenced track that finds Bulger crooning melodically at times. More old school shredding drives "Curse of the Unknown" which plays like a melding of metal's Big 4: Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer and Anthrax. No hyperbole, it's everything you could want in a heavy song - eight minutes and 21 seconds of aggression, sophistication and unparalleled instrumentation. "Premonition," on the other hand, is a short burst of frenetic percussion, almost African in nature, courtesy of Goebel. It's another intriguing transition piece that perfectly sets up the dramatic closer, "Vastation," a pummeling vehicle for Bulger's vocal versatility. Verses are borderline rapped; bass-centric breakdowns are accompanied by near whispers; distorted crescendos are met head-on by high-pitched wailing and, ultimately, a defeated cry: "And so the circle gets the square!" - which somehow sums up this complicated masterwork in one phrase.

Tracks we discussed back in July - including "Throne of Bones," "Islands of Sanity" and "Tradition" - sound just as good six months later, by the way. There's simply no let-up on Antiorthodox, one of the tri-state's best metal albums to date.

For more info, follow Forthright on Facebook.