Conceptual records don’t have to extend aesthetical ambitions with the use of camp, and I think the new progressive outing from L.A.-based alternative rockers Illuminaut does a lot to solidify this statement as truth. While their self-titled EP is indeed sporting some of the more indulgent components you’re going to find in a melodic rock record this winter, it’s so carefully packaged with a minimalist influence over the structure of the tracklist that the very notion of campy excess never comes into focus.
From “Dead Messenger” to “Two Wolves,” “Native Alien,” and “The Grey,” Illuminaut seem to care a lot more about texture, tone, harmony, and bridging mountainous grooves with melodic faceting than they do making a theatrical plot within the lyrics and sampling external elements just to add to the mood of the music. This is a duo that has immense vitality whether they’re going slow or fast in this record, and despite facing a lot of new competition coming out of both Cali and the rest of the American underground in 2021 and now 2022, their poise at the helm of this EP suggests more self-control than a lot of their contemporaries currently possess.
As lead vocalist, Blaze Powers really puts down some thunder at the microphone in “Two Wolves” and “The Grey,” but she never stretches herself too thin with a lyric. She’s got an enigmatic bend to some of these verses – which she penned herself – but her surreal wit doesn’t verge on the postmodern predictability that has become unfortunately common on the mainstream level of heavy rock lately.
I HEART: www.iheart.com/artist/illuminaut-37069894/albums/illuminaut-ep-149744790/?autoplay=true
“Dead Messenger” and “Native Alien” are fabulously textured and offer us the kind of instrumental presence I normally expect out of live concerts exclusively, and I don’t credit the sharp mixing here alone for this feature/ “The Grey” and “Native Alien” both have a melodic intensity that bites much more than we’re expecting it to, and even with the crystal clear presentation of the music, I have a feeling that we would get just as precise a sound out of a live performance from this pair. It’s their energy, their attitude, and the delicate hand guiding their play that makes this an ace EP.
The SoCal rock scene is well-represented by Illuminaut in their debut eponymous record, combining elements that stretch from the desert to the coast and beyond whilst sticking with a complex formula for making simple melodies sound as powerful as those of a symphony orchestra. It will be very interesting to hear what this band sounds like in a full-length album, but until I have the opportunity to experience that myself, I think there’s enough evidence to gather within these four songs suggesting big things still ahead for Illuminaut and their ever-expanding fan base in the United States and beyond. It’s been a rough few years for rock n’ roll, but considering the unconventionality of this duo, I think they might be the right band to make a big impact on this legendary substyle of the genre.
Clay Burton