SEVEN HOURS AFTER VIOLET

Best known as bassist with SYSTEM OF A DOWN, Shavo Odadjian has been quite the polymath over the last 20 years. As the stuttering psychodrama of his main band's vexed progress continues to be a huge, wasted opportunity for everyone involved, the Armenian-American sideman has thrown himself into a number of weird and wonderful side-projects: from the experimental hip-hop of ACHOZEN, to the dark trap atmospherics of NORTH KINGSLEY, with live guest appearances alongside GEORGE CLINTON thrown in for some bonus funk credibility.

None of what Odadjian has manifested or released outside of SYSTEM has had any real connection to that band's music, and so SEVEN HOURS AFTER VIOLET will come as a refreshing surprise for long-time fans. Going back to his heavy roots and making the heaviest music of his career in the process, Odadjian has assembled a band that spends its debut album asserting an astute understanding of what modern metal can do in 2024. Largely accessible, without being overtly commercial, and disarmingly diverse within its own self-imposed boundaries, "Seven Hours After Violet" attempts to encompass a wide array of contemporary rock and metal tropes, while proposing a musical identity that could lead this box-fresh band in a number of interesting directions.

The media focus may be on their rock star bassist, but SEVEN HOURS AFTER VIOLET are a united front of many talents on their debut. Vocalist Taylor Barber (LEFT TO SUFFER) is a particularly great find, and one that Odadjian has effusively praised for his insane abilities and diverse approach to heavy vocals. Throughout the album, he is a constant, charismatic presence with so many voices at his disposal that it hardly seems fair. Musically, the efforts of Odadjian, guitarist Michael Montoya (WIND OF PLAGUES),  drummer Josh Johnson (also of WIND OF PLAGUES) and multi-instrumentalist Alejandro Aranda (runner-up on the 2019 season of "American Idol", no less!),  are bloated with smart ideas and songwriting sharpness.

SEVEN HOURS AFTER VIOLET are considerably heavier than SYSTEM OF A DOWN, and in an entirely different way. Elements of metalcore, deathcore, alternative rock, post-rock and industrial electronics are all clearly discernible throughout, but the newly minted hybrid that emerges from that multi-faceted sound-clash is curiously resistant to being easily pigeonholed. Sensibly keeping songs to a three-to-four-minute standard, "Seven Hours After Violet" zips by, making its point in a number of different ways and leaves the listener wanting more.

Songs like brutish opener "Paradise" and the gnarly, chug-powered "Alive" certainly brush past the familiar, but only on the way to somewhere more intriguing. The likes of "Sunrise", "Glink" and "Radiance" verge on cutting-edge prog metal at times, but with fierce pop sensibilities ensuring that no single idea is explored much beyond its initial impact. Superficially, SEVEN HOURS AFTER VIOLET are the consummate "alt-metal" band (although why anyone would want an alternative to metal is quite beyond me),  but while many other bands hedge their bets between overt commerciality and muted forms of heaviness, Shavo Odadjian's crew have found their own sweet spot between subgenres, and this album is the sound of them exploring all the possibilities that arise from being, essentially, genre nomads.

Strong enough that it is impossible to imagine it failing to connect with a big audience, but inventive and eccentric enough that should win over most SYSTEM fans, "Seven Hours After Violet" is what Shavo did next, and it is fit to burst with promise and potential.