EARTHONE 9 Off Kilter Enhancement (1999) CD

One year on from Lo-Def(inition) Discord and Earthtone 9 came back with Off Kilter Enhancement, a record that proved the debut was no fluke and that they were getting more interesting, not less.

The Sheffield band pushed further into their own sound here, the nu metal comparisons receding a little as something more angular and pressurised took over. There's a post-hardcore intelligence threading through the record, the kind of tension and release that separates bands who understand dynamics from bands who just play loud. Off Kilter Enhancement rewards the kind of listening where you sit with headphones and pay attention, which is maybe why it's the cult favourite among the people who know this band and will not stop telling you about them. Those people are usually right.

CD. Full length album. UK origin, 1999 release.

Fans of: Helmet, Deftones, Far, Amen, Pitchshifter.