Ska and screamo fuel Contraptions’ latest shape-shifter, ‘The Eye of the Unobserved’ –

Contraptions gazed through The Eye of the Unobserved in their latest release; here, the watcher doesn’t become the watched, there’s freedom to cast judgement without fear of scrutiny, and funnily enough, Contraptions contorted enough genres through their maniacally adrenalised sonic signature to become indefinable themselves.

It begins with sludgy, doomy stoner groove metal hammer blows, then in comes the ska staccato guitars and blaring horns to knock any sense of predictability sideways. But it’s only a matter of time before you’re blindsided by the theatrical symphonic metal surge crashing around screamo salvos and glitchy post-hardcore distortions. From that point on, anything goes: woozy pop harmonies, jazzy sax lines, and frenetic aural annihilation that could have crawled straight out of Mike Patton’s home studio. The real feat isn’t just drawing from a stylistic smorgasbord so wild it borders on unhinged; it’s the way Contraptions threads it all together without a stitch coming loose.

By the time the outro rolls around, the bigger picture clicks into view: one that frames Contraptions as one of the most unreckonable wrecking balls of alt-rock innovation. There’s no singular mould holding this Sheffield-formed experimental outfit down; they’ll skank their way across ska-punk lineups or thunder through progressive metal sets, their sound always landing somewhere between mathy chaos and tongue-in-cheek punk absurdity. With echoes of Mr Bungle, Thank You Scientist, Fishbone, and Dream Theater ricocheting through their work, and saxes screaming over breakdowns with no warning, The Eye of the Unobserved proves Contraptions are already beyond genre, and they’re only getting started.

The Eye of the Unobserved is now available on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify. 

– Review by Amelia Vandergast