The band name Metronome the City evokes images of mind-controlled masses milling through daily life while a simple metronome atop a skyscraper dictates the prescribed regimen. The group’s latest EP, End Transmission, does the name justice through experimental and ambient rock.
Since 1996, Metronome the City has recorded music inspired by ’90s-era indie rock and cities where the band has traveled. Places like Toronto, New York and New Orleans, the city where the members grew up, all share common elements of beauty and madness that inspire the band.
The standout track, “8A,” captures a darkened urban landscape. It opens with a hammering guitar and bass line accented by wriggling synths and an arpeggiating drum beat before breaking down into a guitar riff that sounds like a horn. Harmonic keys softly hang in the background as the song builds to a drop where the boom-tap-crash of the drums accompanied by noodling guitars and synths descend like a fog on the skyline.
Softer songs like “Supernova” or darker ones like “Firefly” explore each instrument fully with branching peddles or studio effects. The only track that seems to run out of ideas is “Supernova” which feels sonically filled out by around the 4-minute mark.
The EP also features a theremin, a bold choice as a poor performance on the electronic instrument can sound like goofy score to a Scooby-Doo cartoon. On “Man or Goblinman,” the theremin provides an eerie quality amplified by guitar rhythms and pummeling drum fills. The song feels like the soundtrack to a dark ritual. As the musical spell takes hold, the theremin, guitars and drums duke it out for center stage before tumbling downward like a rubber ball dropped down a staircase.
End Transmission is a condensed version of the sound Metronome the City has been crafting for the last 20-plus years. It’s a densely layered and textured album that verges on mad science. Ambient rock isn’t a genre for everyone, but for those seeking an open-ended sonic experience, this record was custom-made for their headphones.
