2023’s Carrier by Enduring Revery impressed this Gator with its ace concoction of sludge, hardcore, and progressive songwriting. Despite sole composer and member Heath Gibson‘s lyrical focus on Christian themes (something I know a lot of metalheads are allergic to), I thought there was a contemplative quality to the music that was done with a good artistic touch and feeling. It only stumbled for me in that it got lost in the weeds a little too much at times, and the footprint of the music’s intensity didn’t make up enough for this. I likened the album to Swedish progressive hardcore band Burst at the time, and I still feel this comparison stands. Fast forward to 2025 (this is a late review for you time-aware readers) and Gibson has now released sophomore album Rhythmic Reciprocity. The mix of genres and general feel of Carrier is still here, but Gibson has opted for a slightly leaner experience and focused on making some of the songs tighter in progression and intent. This greatly helps tracks like the sludgy ‘Circling’ stand out with its humming chorus and heavy later half. Much of the material on Rhythmic Reciprocity can be deceptively heavy because of how much the music shifts between optimistic, almost “happy” sounding moods and the sludge metal, and I really enjoy these transitions. Good atmospheric moments also complement this strength, like in ‘Do I Even Have A Heart At All’, where a long guilt-themed Americana/folk section builds up to a great cathartic moment. This particular section evokes the work of Agalloch, which is another impressive addition to Gibson‘s skill set.
Often when putting on Rhythmic Reciprocity, I get a feeling that it’s one step forward and one step back from Carrier. But that’s not quite the whole story, as the more I listen to the album, the more it shows that Gibson is getting more skilled at the dynamic shifts in the music. There are still problems with the music losing its way in contemplation, however. It’s a fine line between contemplation and meandering, with the instrumental ‘Bath’ and ‘Bring Forth the Word of God’ ending up heavy on the indulgence in a way that heavily disrupts the flow of the album. ‘Bath’ especially robs the album of a lot of momentum it has in its beginning and doesn’t really add anything to the experience. The production, while fairly dynamic, also doesn’t help this problem as many of the sludgy parts don’t seem to hit properly. I’m torn on this choice since it does make Rhythmic Reciprocity dynamic, but also somewhat muddy, which causes some of its heavier moments to pass by with less impact than they call for. Ultimately, there is a clear improvement here that deserves mention. Even if Rhythmic Reciprocity isn’t the album that will rope me in for repeat spins, Enduring Revery is still an interesting project with good potential that more people should check out.
