Review: Prophasis - Boundaries

We are told from a young age that we can “move mountains” because “the sky’s the limit”, but rarely do we ever achieve such heights. Instead, such motivational idioms become short-lived dreams as we shroud ourselves in limitations. We draw lines in the sand, borders around countries, and erect figurative and literal walls around ourselves. Over time, we dismiss the driving urge to fit outside the box as childish, and we become eager to fit into the imprisoning walls of some form of normality. Some of us will toe the line; some will gaze wistfully at it; some will settle for less. However bleak this may sound, there still exists a small few who never cease in striving to step over the line, and Prophasis has joined their ranks. Their debut release, Boundaries, takes leaps and bounds, pushing through previously set limits and setting a new standard that others will be hard-pressed to match.

Kicking off this album is “Presage”, a blistering track packed with relentless breakdowns that will shake the earth beneath your feet. An eerie, distorted, industrial intro will have you shaking with anticipation through a steady escalation of tumultuous layered effects, suspenseful sliding strings, and pulsating percussive elements. This fast-encroaching intro finally caves in to an immediate assault of heavy riffs, a haunting melodic overlay, driving percussion, and low growls. A brilliant display of footwork from drummer Brad Wickham perfectly matches fast-paced riffs, spastic melodic solos, and discordant overlays from guitarist Cody Landers. A bone-crunching breakdown wreaks havoc on your ears with a combination of percussive bells and an undertone of heavy, assertive riffs. Following this path of destruction is an extremely brief, ethereal interlude led by gentle reverbed strumming and a vocal harmony of cleans and mid screams from vocalist Alan Ervin that gradually delves back into a slamming “thrash-and-burn” delivery of melodic, lightning-fast solos and crushing riffs and breakdowns.

The torrent of heavy instrumentation displayed in “Presage” flows seamlessly into the next pulverizing track, “Allegiance,” in which an unwavering display of ferocious breakdowns will hit you with enough force to shatter your ribcage. Landers’ grooving, pitch bent heavy riffs are intermittently met with bursts of short melodic and discordant arias before delving into fierce melodic solos that are matched  by relentless riffage and reciprocated by percussive bells. Drummer Brad Wickham displays an enormous amount of instrumental prowess with brilliant cymbal play and precisely crafted hits and kicks. Ervin delivers a brilliant display of brutal low, mid and high screams and utilizes split-scream harmonies for an overall crushing vocal delivery. A rage-inducing, sliding breakdown will savagely tear at your eardrums with a disgusting amount of force that can easily rival a volcanic eruption. You are guaranteed to see red in this unabating display of absolutely ruthless instrumentation.

While every single track on this album stands out in terms of instrumentation, individuality, and continuity, an honorable mention is at least fair for the explosive track that is “Exodus Of Rationality.” Slightly-gentler melodic riffs suddenly turn to violent bursts of chugging and ear-shattering breakdowns. Wickham displays the most intense footwork in this track, delivering a seemingly unending crushing intensity with every hit, kick and crash. Landers has this immaculate talent of weaving together fast-paced, insanely fierce riffs with gentle, slower, haunting melodic arias – and the meshing of instrumental styles is well-matched and successfully layered by the rest of the band members. The effect of this meshing lulls you into false senses of security and then quickly reintroduces your face to the concrete-like instrumentation of relentless, murderous breakdowns. Bassist Ryan Katka introduces groovy, crushing bass riffs in this track and audibly leads an impressive wave of assaulting, border-line sadistic breakdowns.

Another honorable mention is “Propaganda”, a track that is seething with forthright anger in every verse and riff. Persistently vicious riffage backed by intense percussive elements will bear down on you with the collective force and weight of an avalanche. Surprising bursts of melodic arias flourish and explode in the midst of tirades of pulverizing breakdowns from Landers. Ervin spares no technical expense, displaying his vocal prowess in absolutely stunning clean vocals and a ferocious onslaught of growls, mids, highs, and split scream harmonies.

This explosive album ends with “Obsidian”, a brooding track that is laden with writhing riffs and roaring breakdowns. Rushes of thundering, sliding riffs collide with ever-present undertones of rolling ambiance and simple, haunting notes overtop the deafening riffage and percussion. Intermittent, fast melodic arias and licks break the surface before churning back into waves of lacerating riffs. Harsh screams from Ervin and guest vocalist Jake Wolf of Reflections build layers of ravaging intensity within the already pulverizing instrumentation. Steadily growing undertones of layered ambiance and effects gradually overtake the heavy riffage for a brief moment and slowly fade out into a false-ending. Note the false-ending, which actually leads into one final rage-inducing, tibia-shattering, curb-stomping, merciless assault of breakdowns, which Prophasis cruelly allows to quickly fade-out to ensure and instill a Stockholm Syndrome-esque burning desire for more. You will beg. You will plead. You will cry and for one more, just one more minute of brutal instrumentation and slaying vocal delivery. Alas, your cries will not be heard, as the music swiftly fades away. You will be left dazed, aching, and shaking in the resulting silence at the end of this album.

Overall, Prophasis has crafted a spectacular, everlasting album that redefines what it means to be boundless. Where most bands merely toe the line, Prophasis has leapt far over it, pushing through every barrier and tearing through every limit to raise the standards to a new high. The fluidity at which this album progresses is astounding – each track masterfully flows into one another, yet still maintains their own aggressive individuality. Not a single note, kick, hit, crash, or scream is wasted throughout the duration of Prophasis’ onslaught of persistently heavy delivery. The absolutely stellar instrumentation and pristine continuity of relentless, thunderous breakdowns bears enough energy and force to shake down the highest mountains. Prophasis’ Boundaries is a truly limitless, flawless masterpiece. 

10/10

For Fans Of: Thy Art is Murder, After the Burial, Chelsea Grin

Katt Hass

Review: Skeyes- Empty Mirrors EP

National Geographic once estimated that over 100,000 wildfires ravage the U.S. annually, burning approximately 4 to 5 million acres of land. Moving at an average speed of 14 mph, these fires quickly overtake and consume everything in their wake. In an effort to combat this destructive phenomenon, official forces are trained to manage, control, and extinguish these large blazes while reaching environmental precautions and safety procedures to common folk. However, no amount of safety precautions and specialized training can prepare you for the fiery inferno that is Skeyes. Their debut release, Empty Mirrors EP, harnesses the raging power of nature’s most beautifully rugged force in a torrent of sustained melodies and ferocious breakdowns. 

Kicking off this fiery album is “Ethereal”, a track that is marked by an exquisite display of melodic ambiance and emotionally heavy riffs.  A quick drum fill gives way to explosive riffs and a flare of melodic overlays that, in turn, ignite a relentless delivery of heavy breakdowns from guitarists Cease and Macaluso.  Vocalists Dale Brosious and Jesse Cease masterfully intertwine raw clean vocals with vicious low growls to add a layer of intensity that burns more violently than a brush fire. The seemingly endless hail of scorching riffage suddenly halts for an ambient interlude in which gentle rising effects churn and billow behind lightly sustained piano notes, clean chords, and gritty clean vocals from guest vocalist Garret Rapp. The mixture of grit and melodic ambiance creates layered waves of raging intensity that billows and folds like smoke over trees, suspending your ears between the beauty and violent rage of a spiraling forest fire before delving into a final crushing assault of roaring breakdowns. 

Next is “Myriad”, an explosive track that is laden with spastic solos and incessantly heavy riffage.  Skeyes wastes no time, immediately slamming your ears with fiery walls of lightning-fast melodic arias over choppy, heavy riffs backed by driving percussion.  Spastic energetic solos explode and crackle like pine trees ablaze overtop searing breakdowns and heavy chugging. Raw cleans are met with a clashing force of split scream harmonies and ferocious growls from Brosious and Cease. Guitarists Cease and Macaluso juxtapose waves of pulverizing breakdowns and rugged, chaotic riffs against complementary haunting melodic overlays to create a chilling effect that will have your skin breaking into goose bumps as your aural forest is burned to the ground. 

This brief but vibrant album ends with “Ars Amatoria”, a track that is packed with bursts of melodic riffs in one last reflective rage against the dying light.  Gently strummed notes from Macaluso and Cease meet sweeping layers of light melodic arias before delving into pounding percussive elements and smoldering riffs that burn with a final bright emotional intensity of a dying flame. Clean, soothing vocals follow parallel to the instrumentals, soon becoming gritty and then gradually descending into one final display of emotionally charged low screams.  The resulting musical finale will leave you breathless, emotionally drained, and begging for more. 

Though each track carries its own in terms of intensity and consistent delivery, “Ethereal” and “Myriad” stand-out the most in this album. Both tracks are so deeply drenched in emotion and energy in each verse, chug, and sustained note that they burn with the fueled intensity and drive of a kerosene-induced fire. 

Overall, Skeyes has crafted one of the most explosive and emotionally charged albums of this year. The vast amount of musicianship and energy that is poured into each meticulously crafted riff and verse burns so vibrantly and audibly that the resulting flames almost take on a tangible form. You will lose yourself in the charring beauty that lies within Skeyes' burning rage. Empty Mirrors is an unstoppable force that will consume you in its raging blaze of fiery licks and energetic breakdowns. Evacuation is futile; there is nowhere to run. Nothing can save you from being consumed by the inferno that is Skeyes’ Empty Mirrors.

9.2/10

For Fans Of: Erra, Northlane, Mureau

Katt Hass

Review: Synodik - A Matter Of Perception EP

Perception in relation to reality is a topic that has long sparked many debates and theories, one of which being the theory of “Phenomenalism”. For those unfamiliar with the topic, phenomenalism dictates that physical objects only exist as a result of perceptual phenomena. In layman’s terms, if there is no perception, there is no existence; your reality is built around your perception. Meaning that, in theory, there are as many perceptions of reality as there are humans (roughly 7 billion). Italian quartet Synodik graciously invites us into their perception of the reality in which we exist. Their sophomore release, A Matter Of Perception EP, provides us with a short commentary on an age-old topic through a combined medium of deep ambience and brooding riffs that burn with the wisdom of an aging star.

The album opens with “Projections From the Edge”, an eerie track featuring tumultuous, rising synth medleys that most closely mimic the sensation of zooming through a Carl Sagan video. Layers of cascading echoed synth melodies progressively build, flourishing with bright intensity before descending into darker, ambient depths, churning with a force parallel to the cosmos.

Following is “When Parallels Fall”, an explosive track marked by an amalgamation of heavy death metal elements and serene dark ambience. Bursts of energetic melodic riffs from guitarist Leandro Scotto and deep growls from vocalist Matteo Campanini immediately blast your ears with the profound force of a supernova. Harsh, violent riffs backed by driving and emphatic percussion by drummer Edoardo Delucchi suddenly halt for waves of emotive, airy licks and overlays before delving into crushing riffs and solos. Campanini waivers between gritty mid screams and deep growls, often utilizing split scream harmonies for lyrical emphasis and an overall raw and sincere vocal style of delivery. However, what really makes this track stand out is Scotto’s split between fiercely violent riffs and simplistic, gentle synth undertones. The result is a playful mixing and parallel placing of the perceived simplistic beauty of the universe with the raging complexities of a galaxy.

This short but vast EP ends with “The Perceived Wisdom”, a track laden with false endings and spastic transitions in instrumental style.  Fast-paced heavy riffs collide and wrestle with melodic, atmospheric overlays, creating an emotional turbulence between the raw forces of the atmosphere and the peaceful serenity of the night sky. Within the mixture of mashing forces is the lightly playful groove of Gastaldi’s bass, which often shines through the competing layers of Scotto’s ambient licks and crushing chugging. Campanini alternates between clean vocals and deep growls, displaying the vast dynamic between perceived peacefulness and the true raw force that exists within each burning star.

Overall, Synodik provides a surprisingly in-depth, albeit short take on a topic that is as old as the universe itself.The dynamic, orchestrated collapse and expansion of the instrumentals can be as vibrant and daunting as a White Dwarf star. A Matter Of Perception is drenched with the introductory teachings of a vast, ancient knowledge that you can only begin to gain from watching the world turn for centuries- and it appears that Synodik is ready and eager to watch and learn more. A Matter Of Perception is a vastly reflective musical endeavor that gifts us aural windows from which to begin to explore the depths of our reality in relation to our existence. Ultimately, your view on this album- and the message that you take from it- depends on your perception of it.

8.5/10

For Fans Of: Fallujah, Opeth, Nile

Katt Hass

Review: Amber Sea - Infantile Vision

French sailors have an old saying, “Rouge le soir, bel espoir. Rouge le matin, de la pluie, en chemin.” For those who can’t read French, it’s folklore for determining seafaring weather, which roughly translates to “Red at night, great hope. Red in the morning, rain on the way.” Such lore and tales are relics of tradition, created through prior years of observation to serve as warnings or guidelines for future generations. While tradition and folklore has kept certain dangers at bay, no warning device can prepare or shield you from the oncoming violent storm that is Amber Sea. Their debut EP, Infantile Vision, embarks on heavy waters, encompassing the gentlest of tides and the crushing force of a tsunami. 

The album opens with “White Materia: Sideral”, a track marked by sudden crushing waves of heavy-hitting breakdowns and bursts of melodic riffs. At first listen, you will be suspended in a soothing sense of weightlessness by a layered, ethereal intro built on a sweeping piano medley and light guitar overlays. But do not be so deceived; behind these gentle waves of melodic instrumentation lies a raging storm. Calm melodies quickly turn violent as driving percussion from drummer Guy Tormel leads to storming riffs by guitarist Kevin Chasnais. Vocalist Matt Rouland’s low growls, hefty mid screams, and well-executed cleans join the fray of heavy instrumentation, flooding your ears with the rage and might of an ancient sea.

Next is “Deci(mate)”, a blistering track packed with the perfect blend of spastic riffs and controlled breakdowns. Amber Sea wastes no time, immediately hitting your ears with a lightning-fast solo from bassist Axel Richet before delving into spastic heavy riffs and Rouland’s ferocious growls backed by Tormel’s relentless percussion. The addition of vocalist Chris Baretto of Monuments adds a perfect layer of split scream harmonies with Rouland and an excellent pairing of clean vocals with heavy mid screams. Richet’s unwavering display of instrumental prowess shines once again in a brilliantly executed slap-bass solo before diving into waves of heavy breakdowns. What’s most impressive in this track is the band’s ability to lose themselves in spastic riffs and then regain control in a drastically slower-paced, yet crushing breakdown. It’s a dichotomy that shows an excellent amount of technical prowess and is a muscle that the band frequently flexes. What’s more, Amber Sea allows your ears a brief, gentle interlude to let you hear and see the beauty in the storm of heavy riffs before delving back into the crunchy, gritty, chaotic guitars that make up this track.

“Shinigami” is an explosive track laden with savage riffs and controlled pacing that creates an aural assault unlike the rest. It’s heavier. It’s grittier. And it’s more chaotic than you could imagine. Choppy, fast-paced riffs and melodic solos are backed by forceful percussion and heavy growls. What makes this track interesting is their mashing of pacing: fast-paced chugging crashes suddenly into slow, controlled sliding breakdowns led by Chasnais’ heavy guitar riffs and Richet’s sliding, groovy bass. Best yet, their delivery of furious and relentless instrumentals is seamless. The breakdowns in this track are met at a considerably slower pace that will leave you shaking in anticipation for the next wave of assault, the next chug, and the next sexy bass slide. The amount of energy and discipline necessary to deliver such controlled chaos is remarkable and extraordinary.

“Black Materia: Meteor” ends this brief but fierce album, packing a final wave of assault with ear-shattering breakdowns and spastic melodic interludes. A chaotic aria quickly breaks into heavy, grooving riffs and pulverizing breakdowns. Intermittent melodic solos –both unbelievably fast paced and groovy- break the seemingly relentless aural onslaught of bone-crunching breakdowns. Just for safe measure, Amber Sea hits you with one last rage-filled, insanity-inducing breakdown before calmly returning to softer medleys and then descending into the gentle melody that we were first introduced to in “White Materia: SIderal”. This gradual descent into simplistic, layered, melodic beauty results in a near-ghostly effect that is guaranteed to leave you with chills running down your spine and the hairs on your neck standing on end.

It’s impossible to pick out any stand-out tracks on this album, as each track can stand on its own. What’s most notable is the mirroring that can be heard between “White Materia” and “Black Materia”. The instrumentation on both tracks is reciprocal and complimentary to each other, creating a harmonious “yin-and-yang” effect.

Overall, Amber Sea’s Infantile Vision is one of the most timeless and dynamic releases of this year. It’s hard to believe that this is a debut release, given that Infantile Vision bears the collective weight and experience of a thousand waves. Each member gives their all for an extraordinarily consistent, brutal delivery both vocally and instrumentally. Every verse, solo, breakdown, hit, and kick is perfectly crafted to induce an addictive, rib cage-rattling quality that will leave you breathless and bruised. You can’t help but lose yourself physically and mentally in the gorgeous instrumentation in every ear-shattering melodic solo and every bone-shattering breakdown. Amber Sea carries the technical prowess and youthful recklessness that only the most seasoned waters can hold. Today, the sky is red and Amber Sea’s Infantile Vision is the storm that is lurking on the horizon.

9.8/10

For Fans Of:  Architects, Monuments, Periphery

Katt Hass

Review: Holly With A Gun - Shadow Parallel

Actor Alan Rickman once beautifully said, “It is an ancient need to be told stories. But the story needs a storyteller.” Within us exists a primal hunger that can only be satisfied by lucratively spun tales, layered with intrigue and emotion from an animated, imaginative storyteller.  Who better to craft such imaginative tales than Holly With A Gun? The 6-piece alternative rock band’s debut EP, Shadow Parallel, is bound to captivate and nourish you with its emotive, well-layered lyrical and instrumental content. 

Kicking off the album is “Shoulder Demons”: a catchy, powerful track that is filled with emotion and layered, energetic instrumentals. A tasteful, layered fade-in intro quickly turns to driven chords and riffs backed by beautiful, gentle piano medleys from Keyboardist Dan Carr and relentless, fitting percussive elements from drummer Jacob Grappin. Vocalist Scott Wiley pours out his heart with his lyrical content, stressing dynamic emphasis in his raw, almost Midwestern-emo style of vocal performance. It’s an intriguing, melodic track that will leave your ears begging for more.

Following is “Call Me (When You Need Something)": a vibrant track that gleams with the grittier side of alternative rock. Vocal and instrumental elements from “Shoulder Demons” bleeds through in the intro before taking a drastic turn towards a harsher vocal delivery and rougher riffs from guitarists Maldonado and Lugowski. Drummer Jacob Grappin showcases a driving delivery of jazz & hardcore-blended percussion that is artfully created to emphasize each emotive element in this track with each hit, crash, kick and roll. This is clearly the album’s stand-out track with a stellar display of well-blended musicality.

The album’s title track, “Shadow Parallel”, is a bouncy, explosive track packed with layered vocals, and angry riffs from guitars and keys. Bassist Ian Marcus shines in this track, with a clearly audible walking bass line that has the perfect balance of force and groove. Wiley’s shifts his vocal delivery from clean-cut to a progressively grittier, harsher, rawer delivery, incorporating mid-screams for the sake of vocal emphasis. Interestingly enough, the instrumentals also grow progressively grittier parallel to Wiley, before the whole track spirals downward into an “organized”, chaotic fade-out. 

Vocalist Scott Wiley shows a remarkable amount of talent with his ability to alternate between smooth and grittier styles of vocal delivery, often times blending both for a crisp but raw effect. Moreover, Wiley’s ability to add dynamic emphasis is a refreshing talent that is rarely found within this genre. He even incorporates light mid screams for the tasteful purpose of dramatic emphasis, and it works to the band’s advantage.

Instrumentally, Shadow Parallel has a lot going for it. Not only are Wiley’s vocals on a sliding scale from clean to grit, but the instrumental delivery follows parallel to the vocals.  No instrument overtakes another, despite the multiple layers within each track. But what really stands out is the band’s overall disregard for the popular “verse-chorus” structure, creating in its place a stream-of-conscious-esque form of delivery both lyrically and instrumentally in tracks such as “Shadow Parallel”, “Call Me”, and “Walks Of Life”. Furthermore, they craft an intricate, structured tale with a clear set-up, climax, and conclusion in each track.

Overall, Holly With A Gun has created one of the most entertaining Alternative Rock albums that I have heard in a very long time. You can hear the amount of raw energy and emotion that each of the band members put in to create the collection of stories that makes Shadow Parallel. The stellar blending of instruments and vocals- and their respective styles- paints each scene so vibrant and lively that it nearly takes form on a page. Holly With A Gun's Shadow Parallel is as much a musical endeavor as it is a timeless story. Listen to it and you'll know its meaning.

9/10

For Fans Of: Saosin, Circa Survive, Acceptance

Katt Hass