The Jonbenét

Item: The Plot Thickens
Author: Mark Fisher

The Plot Thickens

(2005)

Reviewed by Mark Fisher

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Label Pluto RecordsDecapolisSeptember 2005

metalcore post-hardcore

Pluto Records has had some great bands go through their roster over the last few years but they never manage to put out great sounding albums. I guess I'm saying they know how to pick them but lack a bit in putting out quality sounding records. The Jonbenet is a welcome exception to that statement.

The Plot Thickens is a 2 chapter album, with Chapter 2 coming first. Chapter 2 is taken from the bands split with The Kidnap Soundtrack and Chapter 1 is from their self-released EP Five Stories Retold.

The Jonbenet continue in the tradition of bands like Between the Buried and Me, Radiation 4, Anatomy of a Ghost, and, to a lesser degree, Cryptopsy and Dillinger Escape Plan. While most bands (including some of the ones I just mentioned) fail miserably at executing the genre bending movement, these guys do pretty well. "Behold, The White Whore" reminds me of Blaster the Rocketman(boy) in a twisted sort of way. The vocalist has quite a few Jello Biafra sounding vocal moments on the album and I dig it. "Eleventh Century Folklore" reminds me a great deal of what Sweet Nectar/Four Living Creatures tried hard to do a few years back. The last track "Bartleby" is my favorite, the band goes from a nice sound to a "I Will Destroy You With a Spoon" style sound numerous times throughout it and it really captures my attention.

All in all, if you are not a fan of any of the bands mentioned above you will absolutely hate this. Will it's a bit more accessible than the others I mentioned, these guys won't be crossing over into the mainstream anytime soon (probably ever). If you are looking for something off the beaten path that offers good points from multiple worlds of music then you may want to check this out. It's not gonna change the world but it may wreck your car stereo.

2/4