After a number of splits and EP's, French act Sofy Major has finally prepared their full-length debut (released in cooperation with no less than five different labels: Atropine Records, Basement Apes Industries, Bigoût Records, Odio Sonoro, and Prototype Records), offering up 10 songs/50 minutes that continue to head in an increasingly dense and aggressive direction. Whereas much of their past efforts could at least partially be described as bearing "screamo" influences, I'd no longer throw that term into the mix. If nothing else, the vocals are burlier and more diverse now - harshly shouted or half-spoken under assorted effects - but they've also reigned in just enough of the frantic acerbity, so the remnants land in a darker, sludgier atmosphere. I suppose you could now compare this approach to the whole "Neur-Isis" style in some ways, but (thankfully) there's no "post-" bullshit present whatsoever, and despite the recognizable increase in heaviness the character of the riffs is still rather angular and unique. This is indeed the band's hardest hitting material to date, though, and it's very cool that they actually let the basslines carry the bulk of that weight. The guitar tone doesn't really go for that crushing, in your face attack - instead it's warmer and more well-rounded. And when present, the subtle electronic textures, samples, etc. are handled quite masterfully, so you can tell that a lot of careful attention to detail has been paid in the mix. Having been a fan of the band for about four years now, it's cool to suddenly realize how much they've been slowly shape-shifting with each subsequent release.