One problem.
These dudes don't fall as readily into comparisons with Periphery or any other artist I can think of. They're obviously talented, but don't spend all their time shredding their way into carpal tunnel syndrome. The songs reach these points of immense, Acacia Strain-esque dissonance and bottom heavy chording, but they don't write songs that consist entirely of breakdowns. They're melodic, but not completely poppy; they're rhythmically proficient to be sure, but don't let the songs dissolve into 5 minutes of indecipherable djent. Honestly, this album is an eclectic, frenzied, ethereal, melodic, brutal experience.
Every member of this band is completely mastered at their respective instruments. The drums are the embodiment of progressive music; layered, fast, matching the guitars note for note at some points, and backing off to bring in polyrhythms and syncopation at others. The bass doesn't just stick solely to root notes, even during the break(beat?)downs; he stands apart during every second of the album, thundering and distinct. The guitarists don't rely solely on distortion; clean, reverberated parts as well as acoustic breaks shine through. Tapping, shedding, chording, structured dissonance (if there is such a thing, it exists here) and intense palm muted riffs are all incorporated and used to their fullest potential on this album. The vocalist reminds me of Tommy Rogers of BTBAM fame; Johnathan Carpenter has a raw, unique quality to his growls and screams but his clean vocals are always polished and note-perfect.
This is a band at the top of their game, and anyone who appreciates melody, prog metal, death metal, or just musicianship in general needs to get into these dudes.
Tracklisting:
- Primal Directive
- Flourish
- Expire
- Contact
- Advent
- Vessel
- Oscillator
- Axiom
- Exoplanet I: Egress
- Exoplanet II: Void
- Exoplanet III: Light
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