motionblur
motionblur balances thick guitars with a more open, drifting atmosphere. Split Chain’s debut draws heavily from shoegaze and turn-of-the-century alternative metal, but the Bristol band keep the writing focused enough to make those influences useful. Across eleven songs, the music shifts between blunt force, softer textures and clear melodic hooks without losing its overall shape.
“Under the Wire” starts with a strong, low guitar sound and a voice that moves from quieter delivery into a much harder attack. Bert Martinez-Cowles is central to that change in intensity. He can sit inside the arrangement as another texture, then move forward when a song needs a more direct emotional push. The band do not always choose the same balance.
That variety helps “bored. tired. torn.” and “Rookie” stand apart. The former lets layers of distorted guitar take more space while the vocals sit further back. The latter brings the voice forward over driving drums and stacked guitars. Both use a similar set of sounds, but their different priorities keep the album from becoming a single uninterrupted wall of distortion.
The more immediate songs are especially useful. “who am i?” adds an emo-influenced chorus that is easier to hold onto, while “Headway” builds around a memorable grunge-like guitar riff. “I’m Not Dying to Be Here” combines sharper riffs with softer vocal lines and airy production. “Subside” gives the surrounding heavier material more room to breathe without turning away from the album’s mood.
There are limits to that approach. Some influences remain very close to the surface, particularly the Deftones connection in the vocal style and guitar textures. The voice can also become too buried, as on “The Space in Between”, where it struggles to stand apart from the instruments. Atmosphere is valuable, but it can reduce the impact of an otherwise strong melody.
Even so, motionblur is a convincing first album. The songs have enough individual detail to reward a complete listen, and the clearer hooks stop the heavier textures from feeling aimless. It is a good fit for listeners who want noisy, emotional guitar music with both weight and space.
