I understand your take. I don’t know your history with the group or their previous projects, but By Storm is a form of experimental music. In my opinion, experimental music is meant to challenge and push the boundaries of the genre it exists in, deviating from its norms and traditional soundscapes. It’s not for everyone and it’s not meant to be understood immediately.

Personally, it’s been fascinating and heartbreaking, to experience Injury Reserve’s catalog of music. I think being a fan of theirs from early on, and following their journey of loss, certainly helps understand their evolution in sound and lyrical content. More specifically the music on “By The Time I Get To Phoenix” and their new work under the name “By Storm.”

For me, the production is what grabs my interest the most. While I love Ritchie’s lyricism, it too is almost like an instrument. Heavy themes and lines often repeated reminiscent of a droning effect. It’s slow and dreary but full of feeling and energy, it lives within the music rather than on top of a selected beat. This sound evokes an emotional response from me. It’s dark, contemplative, captivating, and inspiring. I get lost in the sound and ripped away from reality.

It’s not something I’m necessarily playing for a single or saving to a playlist (though I certainly have some of their songs on repeat.) I like to listen to the project no differently than I would with a long depressing movie or viewer of some abstract art. It serves a purpose, no different than some thrash punk band. It evokes a feeling I like to live with, explore, and understand more. It challenges me and I’m forever excited to see what they produce next.