A pivotal moment for me as someone into metal was discovering The Inalienable Dreamless by New Jersey grindcore band, Discordance Axis. It stuck out to me first with its bright blue cover of the ocean and sky, a contrast to horror-themed artworks I had seen prior. Since my first listen, I have only grown more attached to it.

I had always loved grindcore’s short songs and intensity but hadn’t become a fan of a band until I listened to this album. If you include the bonus tracks, the album is just under 25 minutes. The screams are extremely high-pitched, while the drums are relentless, and the guitars are dissonant, technical, and rhythmic. Their chord voicings are distinct yet don’t fall into math-core territory either. There’s no bass on the album, so they rely on unpredictable rhythms versus groove. While other bands usually add supplementary instrumentals to create atmosphere, Discordance Axis achieves this through their instrumentation alone and ending the album with an ambient track. This allows them to aim for longer, experimental song structures without relying on repetition. Just three people created such a raw and chaotic soundscape that is purely grindcore but still nothing like anything else in the genre. From the first listen, it always stuck out to me as the cleanest and freshest metal I’ve ever listened to. I think the mixing and engineering of the album played a large role in amplifying their already distinct sound. The genre can easily sound muddy because of distortion, but their team did a fantastic job at making each component sound crisp and distinct from each others. The album leans towards the higher end of the frequency spectrum but sounds refreshing and bright instead of screechy.

Metal oftentimes relies on gore to captivate its audience, and while I think it’s fun at times, it is not something that resonates with me often. This album showed me the intensity of metal doesn’t always have to be derived from horror or irony, but instead is a valid medium to explore new themes and ideas. The band itself aims for futuristic branding, but not in a kitschy way that most American bands would aim for. The vocalist was inspired by the anime Neon Genesis Evangelion for this album which gives off an authentic nerdy vibe. There’s a genuine energy I get from them to seriously create something new, inspired by things they love without being blatantly obvious. Even the song Loveless discusses a feminine figure without tongue-in-cheek violence or resentment but in a ghostly, longing way. Considering they were mostly popular in Japan, it makes sense that they were since their branding leaned more toward a Japanese take on science fiction that’s minimal, clean, and very technology-based.

I think their branding helps with the ambiguity of the album. They’ve managed to stick with me because their music evokes feelings that I can’t easily categorize into sad or happy. I think the spiraling and hypnotic riffs can easily put me in a meditative or reflective mood, the speed can make me feel energetic, and certain guitar riffs can make me feel a little sentimental. It is so fascinating to me how the album can just take on whatever I’m feeling at the moment. I think the vocal delivery is also responsible for this because you can’t understand what he’s screaming, but the lyrics are carefully written. The lyrics don’t follow typical song structure but rather play out as poems, often asymmetrical in form. They’re introspective in tone and reflect existentialist feelings yet remain clinical and detached. The lyrics are abstract but not entirely meaningless as the words are chosen to reinforce their intended futuristic, post-apocalyptic feel. This album got me interested in experimenting with abstract poetry and I think I also learned a lot of new vocabulary while studying these lyrics. I think the band nailed a signature style that was successfully executed not only through the music, but titles, and lyrics.

They never did music videos or interviews, and I admire how much they prioritize the music over everything else, but it also challenges my own tastes. I enjoy when bands embrace their personalities and I can learn about them as individuals. It makes me wonder if the album would feel as impactful with supplementary material or if their mystery enhances the underground appeal and tone of the album. I’m trying to see it as a case-by-case choice rather than a hierarchy, but it does make me wonder what I would have done in their position because both approaches are ones I enjoy seeing.

Lately, I haven’t listened to the album much but it always makes me excited to discuss. Their passionate, authentic, and genuine approach to the band is something I admire. They taught me that being passionate about my art is what matters most, not external success or approval. There was a period when this album was the only thing I could listen to when commuting due to phone service issues I was having. With each listen I became more familiar with individual songs as it helped me walk faster in public, but even nap on the bus. This was the first grindcore album I got a physical copy of and the first CD I’ve gotten that is packaged in a DVD case. This will forever be one of my favorite albums. It’s one of those pieces of art for me that makes me nervous about ever making something that could live up to this.

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Song – The Third Children

My first favorite song of the album was A Leaden Stride to Nowhere, but The Third Children has become the one I listen to the most on its own. There’s a passage towards the end where tension is built up with dissonance until suddenly you’re launched into the catchiest riff of the song. This part evokes a feeling I still can’t quite put my finger on, perhaps yearning for something more?