The Contortionist – ‘Clairvoyant’ (Album Review)

In an age of constant content overload, it’s become increasingly difficult to create something that truly stands on its own. So much has been done before; so much has already been done to staggeringly high standards. Still, with 2014’s Language the Contortionist pulled off the near impossible.

Listen back further to 2012’s Intrinsic and 2010’s Exoplanet, and you’ll see how far the Contortionist leapt on Language. Over time, their fusion-flavoured influences crowded out the Contortionist’s heavy side until the results became mellower, more soulful, even ambient. Language was ultimately an uplifting prog album with strong shades of metal spliced in at just the right moments. Read more…

Posted on 16 August 2017

Leprous – ‘Malina’ (Album Review)

With so many progressive bands hastily jumping on the djent bandwagon, Leprous’ latest is a breath of fresh air. Already known for their special blend of modern prog influences (The Mars Volta, Tool, Karnivool, Devin Townsend, Symphony X, TesseracT and Dream Theater, to name a handful), Leprous have struck out for rockier pastures than those occupied on 2015’s The Congregation. Read more…

Posted on 06 August 2017

Marco Minnemann – ‘Borrego’ (Album Review)

Marco Minnemann is prolific. This is a fact well established over the past few years and albums such as Schattenspiel, Above The Roses, Celebration, and EEPS – to name only the releases which have received the review treatment here to date. Of course, on top of those projects you also have to add in Marco Minnemann’s work as a sideman to the likes of Joe Satriani and Steven Wilson, as well as his position as one third of The Aristocrats.

That’s a lot of work, enough to keep any musician occupied to the point of burnt-out, overstretched insanity Read more…

Posted on 30 July 2017

Oceans Ate Alaska – ‘Hikari’ (Album Review)

Oceans Ate Alaska have found a solid solution to Second Album Syndrome. Too many bands fall at that fateful hurdle and sink swiftly into creative oblivion. Oceans Ate Alaska, on the other hand, have pulled off what can only be described as a win.

These guys have already made themselves synonymous with stuttering tech-riffage Read more…

Posted on 20 July 2017

Sleep Token – ‘Two’ (EP Review)

Sleep Token split open not just one can of worms, but at least two.

The first concerns that most easily maligned approach to marketing music: The Gimmick. According to the press materials which landed in my download folder alongside Two, Sleep Token are “the mortal representatives of the ancient deity known only as ‘Sleep’, led by Read more…

Posted on 12 July 2017

Next To None – ‘Phases’ (Album Review)

When Next To None unleashed their debut album A Light In The Dark a couple of years ago, it was immediately obvious that they were a special band with a shit-ton of potential. Unfortunately, if anyone does anything that makes them stand out from the crowd, you can guarantee that they will attract plenty of envy and hate. People who aren’t satisfied with where they’re at have two options: Work on themselves and build themselves up, or tear others down by any means necessary Read more…

Posted on 28 June 2017

Maxi Curnow – ‘STEM 2.0’ (Review)

Since Maxi Curnow dropped the original version of STEM back in 2014, he’s been one of my all-time favourite progressive musicians.

STEM – a through-composed, twenty-five-minute behemoth of a song structured in five movements and home to some of the most original musicianship I’ve ever experienced – was, in a word, immense. In two words: Read more…

Posted on 25 June 2017

The Interbeing – ‘Among The Amorphous’ (Review)

With summer finally upon us, people across the world are flocking to gyms and aiming to achieve the ultimate beach body. The big problem with gyms is the music; calling it crap would be an understatement. You can always listen to your own music on portable players and phones – but after a few workouts have gone by, even our favourite playlists and albums tend to sound stale as they soundtrack yet another hour spent pounding a treadmill into submission Read more…

Posted on 21 June 2017

CHON – Homey (Album Review)

As the world struggles with an onslaught of serious issues, it’s nice to be able to take a break every now and again and just have some fun. CHON provide an ideal soundtrack for said festivities; their back catalogue is crammed with cutesy cleans, playful and mostly instrumental math-based tunes, and good vibes aplenty. Up to this point, these guys have emphasised the clean side of instrumental guitar – but on Homey, their focus has firmly shifted Read more…

Posted on 14 June 2017

Volumes – ‘Different Animals’ (Review)

In 2017, djent has become less a genre or scene and more a musical ingredient, something to be mixed with other (preferably more diverse) influences in the name of progression. With Different Animals, Volumes have nailed that shift perfectly. As evidenced by previous efforts Via and No Sleep, Volumes know where they’ve come from – and where they’re going is somewhere fresh, new, and intriguing.

The further you get into Different Animals, the better it gets Read more…

Posted on 07 June 2017