Landon Tewers - Ai640 Part III - Review
Landon Tewers - Ai640 Part III - Independent
Excrete
Blasphemy
Debt
Final Form
I once started a review for Landon Tewers’ album ‘Withdrawals’, where I said, “This is Landon Tewers, not The Plot In You”. Well, what do I say now? Technically, it’s all Landon of course, but let me introduce you to another one of his side projects, Ai640, which, might actually be the “heaviest” of everything he’s done. Hopefully, that got your attention.
First, some background. Ai640 is a concept of more than five years in the making. Part I came out in 2015, Part II in 2017, and now, Part III in 2020. In case you didn’t already know, by Landon’s own words, “This is a story about a robot with artificial intelligence that escapes the lab he was made in, sees how disgusting mankind is, and decides the only way to save the planet is to exterminate all humans”. Delightful, right? The concept isn’t exactly new, any sci-fi fan will tell you that, but the story is very unique in how it’s told in the medium of music.
Let me do a quick recap for you. In Part I, Ai640 escapes the lab and through a series of events, decides to destroy the human race, killing thousands and creating chaos. In Part II, Ai640 meets a human named Jane who makes Ai640 rethink its’ purpose. Part III picks up farther in the future, but you’ll have to listen to find out Ai640’s fate.
It’s cliche to say, but Landon really does pull out all the stops in Part III. He uses almost every version of screaming possible in the first track ‘Excrete’ alone. From guttural bellows to shrieking wails and distortion that brings you even closer to the character. It’s an extra level of detail that, if not done correctly, would come off hoaky, but Landon nails the balance needed perfectly. You can hear the passion, the hatred at times, that emanates from his mouth as he describes Ai640’s thoughts on humanity as he moves through a desolate and unforgiving world he created. If you ever needed proof that Landon is one of the most talented and dynamic vocalists in the scene, Part III is the exclamation point to that debate.
As for the music itself, if you miss old-school Plot, now you’ve at least got your heavy back. Part III is metalcore through and through. Throughout the entire concept, that’s been the case and there was certainly no reason to detour. The production is crisp and it needed to be with how dynamic the shifts in tone and vocals are, not to mention there are effects and dialogue aplenty to move the story along. It’s a very hard-hitting release with only brief moments to really catch your breath. A lot is covered in only four songs, but multiple listens are warranted to pick up on little nuances you may have missed the first time through.
You can listen to Part III without hearing the first two parts for the music alone, but following the story and Ai640 brings an extra layer to the experience. Even though it would probably be tough to pull off, seeing all three parts performed live, front to back, would be pretty epic. I know that’s a very overused term, but after finishing Part III, I think it applies here.
Ai640 Part III is a definite must-listen for anyone who’s enjoyed the Ai640 story so far, but also metalcore fans in general. Sometimes it feels like it’s difficult to bring something new to the genre, but Ai640 makes it look pretty effortless. Each part has improved on its’ predecessor and Landon has given his story a very satisfying conclusion, but, is it truly the end of the saga? What awaits Ai640 and the last of the human race? You’ll have to listen to find out.