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It’s ironic that mathcore started as a response to the generic nature of heavy music yet now is as formulaic as any other subgenre. Bear are a case in point. Noumenon ticks all the tech-metal boxes, adds a bit of brutish groove and nothing more. So rather than being astounded by their technical ability and taming of odd time signatures, as you may have been a decade ago, you simply nod along to their now familiar mix of djent(y) metallic hardcore.
It’s a shame that they can only really be appraised, and therefore dwarfed, next to such heady pioneers as The Dillinger Escape Plan or Drowningman. There are excellent moments here and Mirros and Aconite pack as much of a punch as impressive newbies like Heart Of A Coward, but it sounds tame compared to what you’ve heard before.
Bear are in the position of being too maddening for Hatebreed fans and not unique enough to overthrow Messhuggah. They’re not terrible but they lack their own personality and musical ideas.
