This record is full of off beats that are as hard to understand as they are to ignore. It's absolutely mind-bending to me when something this complicated and mathematical gets stuck in my head. It'll drive you crazy if you can keep up with this thing. You'll be hummin' these parts from inside a rubber room at Bellevue, writing shit on the walls with lime Jell-O. Compared to their contemporaries, like Mastodon and Knut, American Heritage go sparingly on the vocals, allowing the music to do the talking. Sure, the singing is brutal and mean, but whoever said a guitar can't make death threats?

From their instru-metal, math-rock roots to a vocalized, hard-hitting rock beast, Chicago's American Heritage deliver a heavy-weight amalgam of technical prowess and focused power on their debut. Bipolar opts for a gritty, street-level dirge, intensifying their turbulent and primal approach. They skillfully assemble complex songs and angular arrangements without sacrificing the nuances and rhythmic qualities they have come to be known for. Bipolar collects unreleased and new material spanning several recordings by past and present incarnations of the band.

~Read reviews of this album?
~Post your own review?