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If were talking strict, black and white absolutes, there are one of two ways the trajectory of a bands quality can go over the course of its existence. On one side, there are the defenders of the old-school faith. Those who staunchly believe that the older stuff will always be the best stuff and that the raw energy and youthful hunger of a bands formative years can never be topped. Thus, they should refrain from continuing to embarrass themselves, because anything beyond those initial 50 copies of their first two CD-R demos recorded on an eight-track is nothing but sell-out bullshit. On the opposite end, the more realistic music fan takes each album on a case-by-case basis, waiting, watching and listening to see if past promise can be capitalised upon, improvements commensurate with attained experience can be made, different directions explored and so on (none of this, by the way, addresses the silent third category: those bands that are shit and always will be shit).
 
The members of Savannah, Georgias Kylesa have never, at any point in their eight-year history, been slouches and their discography has shown a consistent progression, moving from being sludgy n noisy sons (and daughter) of the humid American south to a quasi-sludge metal band making increasing use of classic rock, catchy slabs of crust core, progressive wanderings and Pink Floyd, even if their last album Time Will Fuse Its Worth was considered a difficult listen by some who thought it possessed too much talk and not enough rock. If that was a concern to guitarist / vocalist / producer Phillip Cope and his merry band of charges, then all has been addressed by the decidedly uptempo, one-two opening combination of Almost Lost and Insomnia For Months, which are two conventionally structured tracks that fall somewhere between whiskey-drinkin-gun-firin southern rock, proggy tribal rhythms and the textural beauty of Neurosis at their mid-period best (ie. Through Silver In Blood).
 
Somewhere along the line, it seems, a switch went off in the bands collective heads. Theres a healthy helping of irreverence scratching at the foundations the deeper you dig into Static Tensions; its not like they care if Perception sounds like a Lynryd Skynyrd-propelled drag racer firing off next to your eardrums, or that Running Red mixes the sounds, styles and instrumentation of a multi-cultural metropolis. All that matters is that they are good songs that, when more layers are peeled back, can be interpreted as a melodic and anthemic rallying cry for those who dare step out of the roles prescribed to them by parents, authority, government, workplace politics, significant others and groupthink peer pressure all while calling out to those whod infringe upon the pursuit of personal independence, balance and happiness. A prime example is Natures Predators which captures Copes expression of anger towards those whove sullied the name of the fucking the town I live in. Its a powerful, yet simple, statement and overall, fits Static Tensions brilliant totality rather well.
 
For fans of: Neurosis, Intronaut, Torche, Baroness
 
9/10 Kevin Stuart-Panko
http://www.rocksound.tv/reviews/article/kylesa-static-tensions
 
While always holding down the fort as a doom metal band, Kylesa has been a great story of maturity in evolution. On their 2002 self titled debut Kylesa was a rough around the edges sludgy doom metal band heavily influenced by the hardcore scene which was becoming the center of the heavy music worlds attention. However, unlike many of their counterparts (Bleeding Through being a good example of a group who has remained static for most of their career), Kylesa has gone from a youthful band adopting the sounds of their peers, to coming into their own as a band best amplified on their latest release, 2009s Static Tensions. This isnt hardcore tinged doom anymore, this is a full on psychodelic sludgefest.
 
Now instead of echoing images of their hardcore brethren, the metal fan will probably liken Static Tensions to the breakout stoner artists The Sword, more than any other group. I dont know what long time Kylesa fans think of this their latest album, but the crisp guitar tone, laid back drum technique, and well produced vocals leave me, as a newer fan, smiling from ear to ear because I tend to eat this stuff up. Older Kylesa was much more heavier and raw, especially off of their self titled debut, and really brought the aggression, but I think the band has shown true gusto by going in a much more atmospheric/psychodelic direction. Dont get me wrong, the heavy sludge factor is there still which Kylesa should never lose in my opinion, but its much, much more refined with far superior production values.
 
Essentially, Static Tensions represents the bands transition from the pecking order, into a fully grown outfit. I hope that doesnt sound derogatory because as a listener, this is about as big of a comment as I could give these guys. Kylesa, despite being a metal band, is one that does not need to rely on heavy, pulse pounding aggression to get people to buy their record, instead, they can interlace quality songwriting with excellent production. Of course, knowing when to turn up the heat and blow peoples faces off is always good too, and thank God that Kylesa still knows how to make eyeballs pop out of peoples heads like Arnold in Total Recall. Oh yeah!
 
VERY GOOD
 
Review by CODY
http://allmetalresource.com/2009/03 … review-kylesa-static-tensions-2009/
 
To create an album this hungry, this passionate and this important so early in 2009 assuredly didn't come easy given the harsh adversity Kylesa has faced to reach this moment of homogeny. Consider the loss of original bassist Brian Duke, who passed from this life due to an epileptic seizure, not to mention the subsequent exit of drummer Brandon Baltzley and vocalist/bassist Corey Barhorst, and one might insinuate this has become a moment of destiny.
 
Static Tensions is an appropriate title for a band that has been progressively sifting through their troubles and finessing their sludge-punk-doom art into a cohesive soundburst of rightful and harmonious distortion. Pouring every ounce of sun-baked humidity from their native Savannah territory, the core remnants of Kylesa, Phillip Cope and Laura Pleasants have triumphed yet again amidst the smoke of a hard-fought trench battle beginning with their radar-hailing sophomore album To Walk a Middle Course.
 
At this point in their career on album number four, Kylesa have not only taken the next logical step from the careening vibrancy of their Time Will Fuse Its Worth album, they have demonstratively issued one of this year's statement albums in the form of the booming and dexterous Static Tensions.
 
It's enough that Static Tension's psychedlic artwork by John Dyer Baizley will leave you thinking of Batman's vegey-vogue nemesis Poison Ivy squeezed through an unnerving Berni Wrightson terror sieve, but the content within is a combination of excitable hardcore and hellish doom strides that never loses intensity. Returning to the expansive production of Time Will Fuse Its Worth's double trouble drummer attack in the form of Carl McGinley and Eric Hernandez, Kylesa is now far more formidable on Static Tensions than they've been in the past. The percussive sublets sculpting through "Running Red," "To Walk Alone," "Unknown Awareness," "Said and Done" and "Only One" capitalize moreso on this album than its predecessor, carving apart what few empty spaces Kylesa leave in their dense and sometimes gorgeous sonic channels.
 
As Static Tensions kicks open the doors with the monstrous ass-chewer "Scapegoat," expect the pacing of the album to maintain a consistent heaviness on "Insomnia For Months," "Said and Done" and the Fugazi-ish "Almost Lost." Even "Only One" roars like every ounce of past pain in this band exonerated through song once it assumes a blazing Black Sabbath and Electric Wizard tonal explosion following the series of tribal rolls opening it.
 
The doom expressionism slowly driving "Nature's Predators" on the main verses give way to a series of stepped-up and varied tempo switches reminiscent of Quicksand and Botch before switching back to the lollygagging thunder of the core melody. Perfectly written and executed, "Nature's Predators" changes mood with flawless congruity amidst Phillip Cope's protesting wails of "This is the town I live in, it is an American tension..."
 
"Perception" adopts a structural theory similar to Isis in the way it comes out raging then has the guts to step backwards and rebuild the intensity of the track with each towering bar, growing louder and louder and then climaxing in a Kyuss-esque free-for-all blitz segment until finishing with a stomped-down finale.
 
Whereas the drumming duo scheme on Time Will Fuse Its Worth was understated, this time around, their presence is loud and clear and Kylesa has now become the band they were fated to become: a stoner, doom and punk hybrid boasting a high level of class only a few meager steps away from Mastodon's supreme down-tuned artifice. With no pretention intended, Static Tensions is one of 2009's immediate elite.
 
Rating: ****1/2
 
Posted by Ray Van Horn, Jr.
http://rayvanhornjr.blogspot.com/20 … -review-kylesa-static-tensions.html
 
Ive been sitting on this review of Kylesas fourth full length, Static Tensions, since late January, but its not for lack of an opinion. When one of your favorite bands releases a new record, it tends to produce a visceral response, love or hate, and polarizes assessments. I wanted to see if time and repeat listens yielded further insight. I remain steadfast: this is the best Kylesa record to date.
 
Static Tensions picks up where Time Will Fuse Its Worth left off - two drummers weaving beats around each other, spurring on pummeling riffs. While the dual drumming usually results in a monolith of primal sound, its used on songs like Said and Done to create a polyrhythmic cacophony. The guitars are tuned bowel-loosening low, but the vintage amplifiers lend them a warm, soothing tone. There are a few proggier numbers, like Running Read and Only One, vaguely reminiscent of the bands fellow Savannah, Georgia dwellers Baroness, although a fair bit darker (incidentally, John Blaizelys cover art is amazing). Unknown Awareness is a continuation of the bands one psychedelic ballad an album approach (see Between Silence and Sound and Welcome Mat to an Abandoned Life for past examples). To Walk Alone, Natures Predators, and Said and Done mark the pinnacle of the Kylesas achievement: sludgy bottom end, psychedelic leads, heavy grooves, hardcore punk speed, and compelling vocals.
 
Static Tensions improves on this formula in two ways. By diversifying song structure and integrating more progressive elements, Kylesa crafts songs that dont just hit hard and run away; they become epics. Moreover, the spacey sections are just short enough to leave you wanting more; if they were any longer theyd ware on the majority of ADHD listeners nerves. Guitarist/vocalist Laura Pleasants vocals are utilized to their full potential this time. Shes got a hypnotic, melodic singing voice and a hell of a scream to boot. Guitarist/vocalist Phillip Cope, whose previous shouts tended towards mono-tone in the past, is in rare form heremuch more musical. Copes production is spot on as well. Despite the deluge of sounds coming through the speakers, every noise is discernable. Static Tensions is the embodiment of Kylesa at the top of their game. I no longer have to tell friends they need to see em live to really get the music.
 
Review by Nick DeMarino (StonerRock.com)
http://www.stonerrock.com/forums2/a … 09241559&ID=44781&StartAt=0