

vote
6.5
- Bands:
BOTANIST - Duration: 00:42:02
- Available from: 05/17/2024
- Label:
-
Prophecy Productions
Streaming not yet available
And with “Paleobotany” there are twelve records created by Botanist in fifteen years, and with this new effort we return to the collective version. In fact, the Californian project alternates albums recorded as a soloist (and they are the ones with the Roman numeral) with others, as in this case, released as a real collective.
Another peculiarity of the group – the main one, in reality – is the absence of distorted instruments within its avant-garde post-metal, with the guitars replaced by a dulcimer, and a total abnegation to the naturalistic theme, which brings the complex to define themselves as 'green metal'.
Having said this, by way of summary for those who have never followed Otrebor's project (aka Roberto Martinelli), let's come to this new work, “Paleobotany”, starting by praising the fact that once again, despite producing an average of very high quality discs, the quality is decidedly high. The songs are always constructed with evident skills, and easily manage to overcome the 'beautiful because strange' effect caused by the absence of guitars. In short, form yes but also substance.
The metal base is here well supported by an avant-garde framework that marries without too much hesitation post-rock inspirations that have always been part of the characteristics of Botanist, although the black metal aspect has increasingly disappeared, to the point of focusing on the own energies in a system that is more post rock and post metal than extreme, not without dreamy clean voices and a certain sad softness.
It must be said that the album is certainly enjoyable on its own, but not everything runs perfectly. In fact, a proposal that is based on a versatile instrument but which has limits in its 'expansion', will always end up sounding somewhat similar to the previous one, and this is the case of “Paleobotany” but also of all the latest Botanist albums, which tend to resemble each other, with the enthusiasm for each new album also starting to weaken a bit.
We actually struggle to come up with a specific song even while listening to this new effort, and although the songs are compelling, the dynamic effect is also affected by a sort of standardization of the proposal, maintaining an average (high, we have already said) which can be a bit tiring. These are the intrinsic defects, however we cannot say that the album is not pleasant, as always. It dares, there are some very fresh and biting moments (“Magnolia”), and one can still perceive an approach that is bizarre in a certain sense but certainly very aware of its own abilities.
What is certain is that it is difficult for us not to also brand “Paleobotany” as, banally, 'another good album by Botanist', who once again confirm their status as a prolific and good quality band, but who, despite always having something to say , he is unable to distance himself from a very specific image created by his own work. In short, it doesn't add much to Botanist's discography, but it does it quite well.
Daniel D`Amico for SANREMO.FM