Hex Theory is an album much like its cover; despite the blurring, distorting, and obscuring of its elements, the picture remains clear. The opening track, "Analog," contains what sounds like real drums processed so heavily and harshly that their timbre is almost entirely unrecognizable. This mixing and sound design philosophy is what makes this album unique and really exciting; every instrument is noisy and harsh but in a satisfying manner that fans of industrial electronic music will be familiar with.
This album may be drums/percussion focused, as these elements often dominate the mixes of each song, but I liked the distorted guitars as well. Songs like "Wires" had me questioning what I was hearing entirely, as certain elements were so blown out that it sounds like my headphones were defective. I love the interplay between the digital and analog drums.
I love the atmosphere of the track "Memory Card." The drums and the bass line sound so distant that it almost feels like I'm listening to the soundtrack of a distant memory. The reverb effect that appears midway through the song feels powerful and all-encompassing; it feels like a dream world is on the verge of crumbling.
"Doppelganger" is my favorite track of the whole album. I love how crisp and driving the beat is. It made me want to move to the music despite the fact that I was lying in bed while listening to it.
Melody and harmony are hard to come by in these tracks, but they can be found if you really pay attention to the timbre of the drum samples used. Every sound feels hand-crafted with both the precision of a surgical knife and the force of a sledgehammer. There is a certain ear worm quality to much of the instrumentation that is hard to describe but easy to be overtaken by. I absolutely love the scratchy little beat at the beginning of the final track, "Spiderwebs."
Many of these songs refuse to overstay their welcome, perhaps to a fault. Many end suddenly without reaching much of a structural endpoint. While I assume this was a conscious choice, it made the album feel a little less cohesive at times. Also, while there is a lot that I like in "Spiderwebs," the guitars felt a bit small and lacked the oomph that much of the drums in this album have.
Overall, I really enjoyed Hex Theory. The combination of the analog drums and guitar and the digital elements creates an awesome blend of industrial and noise rock, and while its entirely unique in its sound, it happens to also be well-written and tightly performed. I'm really excited to hear more from Hex Theory.