II II II – Frequency Illusion
What is there to say, honestly? The works presented on this full-length album takes what the band’s debut was all about, but with slightly better production and composition overall. You still get the mathy riffs, the jazzy grooves, and the hardcore-style vocals, but you get more of them, and you get only the best of them.
Rivener – Rivener
The band definitely borrows a lot from free jazz, but they apply their knowledge of it successfully to experimental and noise rock. Well, maybe it’s just not jazz by omission. Lay down some saxophone doots on a new layer, and this could be convincingly labeled as such. Nevertheless, Rivener has crafted a beautifully haunting series of experimentations that put the drumkit at the forefront while the guitar and keyboard play the role of support while also acting as the glue that holds the loosely agglomerated pieces together.
Art the Band – Snacks
I wasn’t aware that it was coming, so I was surprised, and, upon listening to it, was once again surprised. I have to say that I didn’t exactly recall what Art the Band was about, but Snacks quickly corrected this. The first and “Big Track” is a pretty standard jazz fusion tune – energetic, rhythmically engaging, and harmonically, well… jazzy. The saxophone and guitar each get their solo section, and both are very rewarding.
Sutrah – Dunes
One of the things I appreciate the most about Sutrah’s sound is how varied it can be. While I do enjoy some unforgiving tech-death from time to time – speaking of which, […] its pace, at often abusively high tempi, is rather straightforward, and it can weigh on me as an active listener. With Sutrah, tech-death is not afraid to, when the song calls for it, play at a slower tempo and convey a wider array of different emotions.
Honourable Mentions
Instar – The Ex nihilo Cycle
Biesy – Noc lekkich obyczajów
Big|Brave – Ardor
Botanist – Collective: The Shape of He to Come
Rosetta – Utopioid
Squalus – The Great Fish
Five the Hierophant – Over Phlegethon
Archspire – Relentless Mutation
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