Before listening to Pelican’s Forever Becoming, I braced myself. Identifying themselves as post-metal, a genre I have never particularly enjoyed, I expected predictable riffs, harsh bass, and noise percussion. Holy shit, was I wrong. Four years since the release of their last album, Pelican has evolved into a pure, more focused, instrumental rock band. Forever Becoming contains only eight tracks, but they are enough to convey an onslaught of emotions. It’s best to view the album as a whole, rather than track by track, because what Pelican has done is compose a story of life and death.
Track one, “The Cliff,” creates a soft melodic, then tumultuous buildup as the unnamed individual reaches a breaking point and takes the plunge. The beginning to middle of the song is something similar to a more bassy Explosions in the Sky, with the bass giving the piece an edge. Next, “Deny the Absolute” picks up the pace, as a struggle between what’s real and what’s imaginary is envisioned. Warring with fate, the melody becomes more hectic and unpredictable—the bass more throaty. With “Immutable Dusk,” catchy riffs are rampant as destiny is reflected upon and ultimately accepted.
Like any story, however, the ending is best left untold. Overall, Forever Becoming is partly a meditative masterpiece and partly a frantic cry for help. Cycling between life and death, the album is a continuum that unearths despair, reprieve and peace. The greatest thing about the album other than its riveting instrumentals and narrative is its simple uniqueness. While most fans dub Pelican in the subgenre of post-metal, I venture that they lean more toward atmospheric rock or post-rock. At times tumultuous, but otherwise calming. The album itself is cloudy with a chance of thunderstorms.
Rating: A-
