I couldn’t even begin to guess how many times I have heard metal heads preach about supporting local music, whether it be in person or online; however, turnout at local gigs is still, on the whole, rather abysmal–clearly the message is not being followed.  Without succumbing to Keyboard Warrior Syndrome, I must capitalize on my Blueprint membership to do my part in supporting the fantastic local music scene that has developed in the Twin Cities area.  This seemingly out of the way ice-box that we live in may not appear to be a musical epicenter, but that is not the case at all–The Replacements, a seminal hardcore Punk band, Impaler, a renowned Gore Metal band, False, a Black Metal band on par with anything that Europe has produced, and Husker Du, another prolific Punk group, all came from the Twin Cities area.  I normally cannot stand Metalcore.  I would still like to shed light on the local group Foundations’ E.P. “Sentience” though,  as they are one of the only Metalcore groups that I actually enjoy.  Comprised of Sean O’Reilly as well as current Blaine High School students Brady Sedesky, Chris Zywicki, Alex Holm, and Jake Novak, Foundations have found a style that is unique enough to catch the attention of skeptics, such as myself, but also true enough to the genre’s conventions to satisfy its devoted fanbase.

“Failure,” the opening track of “Sentience,” is a strong indicator of the formula the remainder of the album will follow.  It begins with a synthesized melody that quickly gives way to the song’s first riff, which interestingly grooves around the beat, and effectively drives the piece forward.  “Failure” then goes through several verses, accented by familiar guitar chugs before reaching its musical, and intellectual climax–where Jake’s clean vocals are cleverly layered over guitar chords, a technique strongly reminiscent of Tesseract’s work, and a piano part.  The symphonic contribution of the piano is very unique, and adds a layer of depth to Sentience that is lacking in most of Foundations’ contemporaries–it should be noted though that the piano part definitely sounds triggered, and would benefit from improved production.  The three tracks that follow stay in line with the interplay between melody, and guitar chugs presented in “Failure”–they are all enjoyable, but they also do not surpass the opening track.

All of Foundations’ members are talented musicians, and it is admirable, and refreshing that they do not feel the constant need to remind the audience that they are talented.  Both Alex and Jake are very capable guitarists, yet they refrain from excessive soloing, opting to develop the album’s precise riffs–not to say that “Sentience” is devoid of showmanship, as it does contain some impressive solos.  Brady’s drumming accentuates the guitar parts with precision, as does Chris’ bass playing.  It is a shame that they are never given the spotlight, as this could attribute greater variance to the album.  Sean’s vocals carry a rasp that gives them a sense of force, distinguishing him from the masses of bands that–to a devoted extreme metal fan–sound painfully generic.

It may seem like I am taking shots at Metalcore because I am, this is an opinion piece so I feel no need to disguise my opinion.  In turn the compliments that I give to Foundations carry special weight–the fact that I can stand them, let alone genuinely enjoy their work as I do truly speaks volumes to their credibility as a metal band.  Foundations is playing a concert at The Garage on Friday, December 13.  I urge any fan of extreme music to give Sentience a listen, go to Foundations’ show if they are so inclined, and support not only a talented local band, but a great group of our classmates.