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Pulsar

SKU: MIG70052
Label:
MIG Records
Category:
Technical Metal
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Counter-World Experience are a great instrumental tech/prog/jazz metal trio from Germany.  Imagine Morglbl minus any humor.  This is serious, heavy intricate stuff that you can bang your head to.  For the band's fifth album they've brought some accomplished guests on board: Steve Di Giorgio (ex-Death) on bass, Hannes Grossmann (ex-Obscura) on drums, Fountainhead (ex-Obscura) on guitar, and Christian Meyers on trumpet.  Highly recommended.

"After the success of their last release, “Music for Kings”, which more than ever presented Counter-World Experience as one of the most technically accomplished bands dedicated to Progressive Metal, comes what may be termed the logical next step. On their fifth studio album “Pulsar”, the band demonstrates better than ever their talent at combining powerful Staccato-Riffs and extravagant solo musings with electronic sound textures and listener-friendly melodies.

2016 sees Counter-World Experience creating more material utilizing the band members’ shared interest in science fiction. Pulsar consists of 11 futuristic sounding compositions, which were named after stars. The modern metal sound of the band was mixed with electronic elements such as sequencers.

The guarantor for the band won´t lose its ties to the jazz world is bassist Sebastian Hoffmann, who surely has a playing rank as one of the finest musicians in the German Jazz scene. His improvisatory solos, combined with his fluid bass lines, act much as a counterweight to the bands harder metal parts.

Counter-World Experience is proud of featuring some highly acclaimed guest musicians on “Pulsar”. Beside fretless bass legend Steve Di Giorgio (Testament, Sadus, Ex-Death) on the song "Alpha Serpentis" there is an appearance of drum magician Hannes Grossmann (Blotted Science, Ex-Obscura, Ex-Necrophagist) on "Cygnus". Trumpet player Chrisitian Meyers and fretless guitar virtuoso Fountainhead (Ex-Obscura) add even more colors to the record.

As per the band´s previous studio album, “Music for Kings”, the production values on the new CD cannot be underestimated or underappreciated: recorded at Light Mountain Berlin and mastered at the renowned Studio Pauler Acoustics, the production gives the songs the necessary balance between power, transparency and depth. In addition, “Puslar” benefits from clever graphic design and thorough booklet notes."

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  • "The kings of djent are back with a brand new album all the way from sunny England. However, is Tesseract's Polaris a worthy successor to Altered State? I remember watching Kubrick's 2001 for the first time quite a few years back, and it had me floored. The colours, the story, the everything about that movie made the hairs stand up on the back of my neck. And there has been very few bands which have given me the same reaction on singlular songs, let along entire albums. However, there are a couple which populate this list - Dream Theater's Octavarium is one that I can put on repeat and get the same feeling time and time again.Of course the downside of this is that most other movies, films, albums, and what have you, seem to pale in comparison. It's the downside of experiencing something truely phenomenal - an often once in a decade event which you'll be comparing everything to for years after. For me, TesseracT's 2013 album Altered State was nearly but not quite there. And post the British prog-rock outfit's last offering, many had been wondering - including myself - what the new album would bring.In the interest of full disclosure, I was a huge fan of Altered State. Just the use of saxophone is a super deep and melodic metal album was enough to blow me away - and of course with tracks like "Nocturne" and the entirety of the "Of Matter" movement it just sealed the deal. However, I always found myself skipping around the album or skipping to certain parts of certain songs - and they never gave me that "hair-standing-up" effect. However, I was still curious to see what the band would come up with next.But, with the departure of vocalist Ashe O'Hara I was concerned they'd head back to their screamy previous style - a style which in all honesty left me a little cold. As it was announced previous vocalist Daniel Tompkins was to rejoin the band, my heart sank - i knew the band would return to a bellowing metal state which had not impressed - and it would probably leave my favourite Tesseract album as a one off. And boy was I wrong.I'll say it now. TesseracT's Polaris is, hands down, the best album so far of 2015. The previous holder was of course the other badass British band, MUSE. But I have to say that unlike the trio from Devon, the quintet from Milton Keynes had my attention for the entire album.Beginning with "Dystopia" - a super funky hard back to One (without the sandpaper vocals) I knew I was in for a treat. The vocals are super strong, awesomely written and produced, and right on point. The guitar work is, as to be expected, phenomenal along with the drumming and bass playing. Other tracks which were phenomenal were pretty much all of them - though "Messenger" and its attached "Cages" were the ones which sent shivers up my spine - just for the connection in the middle.The only true issue I had with the album was a lack of connecting tracks, which was merely a minor quip. Sure I'd have loved to have seen more of it, but overall I was so taken with the album from the beginning I barely noticed until the end.In fact what I loved so much about the album was the amount of ups and downs, peaks and valleys if you will, throughout all of the songs across the entire album. I could hear influence from everywhere - Story of the Year, Periphery, Muse, and a stack of others I couldn't put my finger on. I realised after the sixth track "Phoenix" just why - it sounded like TesseracT. Sure all the influences were there and poking their head up at times, but overall it just sounded like one of the freshest bands around at the moment. And I don't say this lightly - there are very few bands who truely have their own sound in today's day and age.Polaris is, in my opinion, a Kubrick-level moment for this band. This is their 2001, their Octavarium, 1984, or piano-key neck-tie. In short, if you are a fan of djent music, buy this album. If you like metal, do the same. If you like music, do it. You know what, just get it. If you want to be sat in awe with one of the most amazing albums you'll hear this year. Just prepare yourself, there may not be anything this good again.Not for some time." - The Aureview
    $8.00
  • “There's limitless potential in a band this talented, if you ask me. They sound to my ears like a Jon Anderson-less Yes, covering Cynic's unreleased material (if any) while secretly worshipping the likes of Dream Theater.“ – musicemissions.comOne of the key members of the “djent metal” community are back!. “Irradiance” is the fifth release from this instrumental band. Djent metal is a relatively new sub-genre of progressive metal characterized by a certain type of palm muted guitar tone. Often attributed to Meshuggah, djent bands like Animals As Leaders, Scale The Summit, and Behold The Arctopus have a hardcore following of musicians and fans of progressive metal. Canvas Solaris is firmly ensconced in this field.The band has evolved dramatically from their beginnings as a death metal/mathcore band. Over time the band has assimilated progressive rock into their sound, balancing hyper-technical passages with dreamy, textured soundscapes.The band is always interested in presenting their work with interesting graphics. They are honored to have noted low brow artist Mars-1 provide the cover art. Once again the album was produced by Jamie King (Between The Buried and Me) and mastered by Alan Douches.
    $5.00
  • Second full length studio album from this British band finds them with new vocalist Ashe O'Hara replacing the great Dan Tompkins.  This shouldn't be inferred that O'Hara is any less a vocalist than Tompkins - he's excellent as well.While the core djent sound is there the band has moved a bit more into a prog rock direction.  In general its less metal and more rock.  O'Hara's vocals don't go in the screamo direction that a lot of djent bands prefer.  The instrumental parts are still stupifyingly crazy but crazy in a King Crimson meets Tool way.  I'm not sure what the djent metal community will think of this shift in course but I like this new direction.  The old was good - to my ears this is better.  Highly recommended.
    $9.00
  • "Taking Metal into the highest forms of progression and obscurity, the US Metal frenzy WATCHTOWER elevated Metal music into boundaries that were barely met at the time. It began in 1985 when the band released its debut album “Energetic Disassembly” that forged a new Metal front driven by the spirit of 70s RUSH and came forward prior to the emergence of other progressive bands such as DREAM THEATER, SADUS and ATHEIST. Five years later the band released another stage of development, along with a new high pitched vocalist, Alan Tecchio of the once slamming HADES, which also replaced Jason McMaster, and the highly technical Ron Jarzombek that made his debut with WATCHTOWER but later on played with Marty Friedman and SPASTIC INK, WATCHTOWER released their second and most influential album, “Control And Resistance”. Since this album marked a major step in Progressive / Technical Metal and also particularly in Thrash, Divebomb Records chose it to be reissued. I think it was a wise decision to be made as with all of the high methodological playing that has been going around in the modern scene, WATCHTOWER are still relevant.The first thing that is easy to notice on this release is the “expect the unexpected” factor. It may sound musically odd, energetic, challenging and on various instances it was rather hard to digest the all around change of riffing, tempos, beats and vocal manners. On the other hand, it was hard to except the genuinely driven minds of the creators that produced amazing results. Moreover, the lyrics, which most concentrated on the structural form of the decaying society and events that made an impact back in the late 80s till 1990, and practically some of it is also still relevant to nowadays and the corruption continues, especially with the economic depression taking hold once again. “Control And Resistance”, the title and one of the best representations of this release, is both musically and lyrically displayed a different level of development. Some would see it as too extreme and not as appealing as the music is constantly shifting into new horizons but it in the end it would be undoubtedly viewed as an act of a complex philosophy. There is a certain flow on several of the songs like “The Eldritch”, “Dangerous Toy”, “Hidden Instincts”and “Life Cycles”, also two inspiring tracks with a sense of aggression and arrows of anger towards substandard institutions or people that should have done the contrary of what they could have done earlier on. Back then, and even before that with HADESI presume, Alan Tecchio showed that his one of the best high pitched crazed in the worlds of Speed / Thrash and Progressive Metal and it clearly shows on these five mentioned tracks.Even though not being around as in the past, WATCHTOWER is still considered, at least by yours truly, as one of the greatest impacts in the world of Heavy Metal. These guys wanted to go far off the charts and they did it. Their music isn’t easy to digest, but their will, talent and creative minds paved the road to something bigger and practically amazing. This reissued released is highly recommendable for everyone who wishes to see the origins of what is being played today. " - Metal Temple
    $15.00
  • "Washington, D.C. progressive instrumental duo Haunted Shores returns after a seven-year absence with second full-length, Void. This is the follow-up to 2015 EP, Viscera, and 2011’s self-titled debut album. Haunted Shores members Mark Holcomb and Misha Mansoor are better known as members of Periphery, where both handle guitars and Mansoor is also responsible for programming, synthesizers, orchestration and drums. And once you know that, you can’t unhear Periphery in what the duo turn out. That said, reading about the differences between the two projects, I wondered whether I had found the reason why I have never really got on with Periphery, a band that, on paper, I should like: “In Haunted Shores, when Misha and I push for something, it’s instantly there. We don’t need to discuss two seconds of music between five people like we would have to do in Periphery.” This description of their day job’s writing habits hints very strongly at compromise. So, can the more free-form stylings of Haunted Shores win me over?Featuring several tracks resurrected and reimagined from earlier output, Void is, for the most part, a whirlwind of technical, progressive extreme metal, mixing elements of death, black and djent. I say ‘for the most part,’ because the band does introduce two synth-driven ambient pieces in “Null” (which is also entirely percussion free) and “Void,” which breaks up the otherwise relentless aggression. Influences are worn openly on Haunted Shores‘ sleeves. Apart from the obvious hits of Periphery, the clearest influences are Meshuggah (“Hellfire” and “OnlyFangs”) and, perhaps more surprisingly, Still Life / Blackwater Park-era Opeth (“Nocturnal Hours”). Across its run, Void is propelled along by lightspeed, clinically metronomic drumming (programmed by the two members via Mansoor’s own GetGood Drums software). Overlaid onto that, the guitars go in at least three directions, sometimes simultaneously, serving up technical noodling, thudding djenty rhythms and airier Opeth-like riffage.“OnlyFangs” brings together all these elements of Haunted Shores‘ sound in quick-fire succession, as cascading grandiose riffs crash down onto a slightly dissonant valley floor where thunderous Meshuggah guitar lines maraud freely. Technical nerdery rears up only occasionally on “OnlyFangs” but the progressive tones are much more prevalent on the reimagined older material like “When in Oslo,” originally from a 2010 split with Cyclamen, and “Nocturnal Hours.” The latter also features a demented freeform saxophone solo from Shining‘s Jørgen Munkeby, which lends the closer a chaotic savagery that works better than the more scripted and calculating über brutality of “Perpetual Windburn.” I would not like to try and guess at the bpm of the drum machine on “Perpetual Windburn” but even Tomas Haake would struggle to keep pace.The ambient textures of “Null” and “Void” provide much needed breathing room on Void. Perhaps due in part to the lack of vocals, Haunted Shores pack a huge amount into Void‘s modest 38-minute run, which looks even more compact when you realize that almost ten of those minutes are gentle atmospheric synth compositions. At times the record feels claustrophobically dense, particularly on “Perpetual Windburn” and “Immaterial.” This is perhaps compounded by the production. It’s not, to be clear, that the sound on show is bad by any stretch, but it feels cold and sterile. On the one hand, this cedes the floor to the technicality of Haunted Shores‘ creators, allowing their undoubted musicianship to shine through, but it also makes for a tiring listen.It’s hard not to be impressed by a lot of what Haunted Shores do. The weight and bludgeoning force of what these two guys turn out is as impressive as the way they handle their instruments. What’s mostly lacking, however, is the emotion. The two tracks that most successfully build in some feeling are the closing duo of the title track and “Nocturnal Hours,” which lean heavily into Opeth. As such Void goes out on a big high and is good throughout but could have been great if Haunted Shores had allowed the songwriting to flow more organically. Rather than separating out the moodier, smoothing textures on “Null” and the title track, these aspects of Haunted Shores‘ sound should have been interwoven into the rest of the record.  Holcomb and Mansoor manage this light and dark show on “Nocturnal Hours” and had they done so across the rest of the album, Void would likely have made a more indelible mark." - Angry Metal Guy
    $12.00
  • "Abnormal Thoughts Patterns is a new technical metal trio that comes onto the scene equipped with twenty-plus years of experience. Featuring Mike Guy on drums and twins Jasun and Troy Tipton on guitar and bass respectively, ATP is perhaps better known as the musical backbone of underrated prog metal purveyors Zero Hour. Apt comparisons between the Californian three-piece and acts such as Death and Animals as Leaders have been made, but when Abnormal Thought Patterns are at their most frenetic, they also share Blotted Science's aptitude for conjuring up aural insect swarms. Some of this stuff is guaranteed to make listeners' heads spin.Manipulation Through Anesthesia is ATP's debut full-length release, and it gets off to an excellent start, extending on the saga of the very first tracks they wrote, "Velocity and Acceleration" parts 1-4. These songs, numbered from 5 to 8, flow together as one connected work, clearly taking place in the same universe and containing shared motifs. It's 13 minutes of some of the finest instrumental metal out there. The album then takes a left turn in the form of "Calculating Patterns", a pleasant, jazzy cooldown. It is the first of several mellow tunes that demonstrate Abnormal Thought Patterns' diversity."Harmonic Oscillators", the album's most challenging cut in more ways than one, is also worth a mention. Here, the guys in Abnormal Thought Patterns lose themselves in mathemathics for the first and only time on the album. It's the type of song to make aspiring musicians seethe with envy and set their instrument of choice on fire, being a technical tour de force full of mindboggling time signatures and incredibly dexterous playing. It's also, again with the maths, the only 7+-minute song on an album where the average one clocks in at 4 minutes, and without changing the formular around much. For many, this all-out assault will no doubt be considered the highlight of the album. For others, it'll be a bit too much of a good thing.Speaking of the formular, ATP seems to have carved out a more than solid niche for itself already. Though the notes-per-minute count is oftentimes off the charts on Manipulation Under Anesthesia, the majority of its content manages to stay quite musical. The main event of their faster songs tend to be a heavy, hypnotic, repeated guitar riff, assisted by the always-very-audible bass humming surprisingly melodic tunes while the drums keep everything in place, usually prioritizing cymbal and snare patterns over flashy tom fills. On that note, the album is in no way lacking in heaviness or rhythmic depth despite foregoing the use of double kick drums. Quite an unusual feat in the shred-based instrumental metal environment.For anyone familiar with Zero Hour, it should come as no surprise that ATP succeeds in shredding with style. But there's a lot more to them than that. Abnormal Thought Patterns keep an excellent balance between all three instruments (which are occasionally joined by some light synth accompaniment), making sure there's always something worthwhile happening on several fronts, and they're able to impress even when venturing out of their comfort zone. Manipulation Through Anesthesia does lose a bit of steam towards the end, but is nonetheless an impressive album and a very promising debut." - Metal Revolution
    $15.00
  • "“Djent” band Periphery had the seemingly herculean task of creating a follow-up to 2019’s Hail Stan, a record acclaimed by most listeners. Seriously, how do you top that album? After spending some with the self-aware group’s seventh record Periphery V: Djent Is Not a Genre, it’s obvious that Periphery is at the top of their game, pulling even harder on its strengths while subverting expectations in ways never thought possible. It’s a record that feels brutally heavy while dipping its toes in a variety of genres (definitely not djent, though), highlighting the skills of each band member along the way.Kicking off with the unbelievably catchy “Wildfire,” the band delivers chunky riff after riff with tiny references to past Periphery tracks like “Blood Eagle” before pulling the rug out from under you with an absurd jazz section in the middle of it all. This is easily one of the best tracks on the record due to its variety and off-the-wall implementation of different sounds.The mix of synth and low-tuned guitars on “Atropos” is a match made in heaven (hell?), fitting nicely alongside a sweeping guitar solo by Misha Mansoor. Frontman Spencer Sotelo is a master vocalist on all tracks, but this specific song truly shows his breadth, not just in terms of pure vocal skill, but as a lyricist as well: “Isn’t it funny how much better we seem to get off when dwe’re locked in with a superficial hole?”Other songs like “Silhouette” would feel almost odd and out of place if they weren’t executed so well – throwing heaviness out the door in favor of a more pop synth-driven listening experience. It’s as if the band wanted to flex its chops as musicians while offering a reprieve from the nearly wall-to-wall heaviness found in other tracks.Periphery treats us to not one – but two – 11+ minute-long songs on this record. The first of which is “Dracul Gras,” a spooky face-melter with easily the best breakdown on the entire record. Seriously, if this one doesn’t give you the stank face, nothing will.Then, “Thanks Nobuo” is an incredibly beautiful arrangement, featuring impressive drumming by Matt Halpern that feels simultaneously approachable and impossible. This 11-minute-long epic closes the record with an atmospheric, electronic section that sounds like an explosion of happiness.As expected, the mixing and production values on Djent Is Not a Genre are top-notch, as each and every heart-pounding bass drum hits like a truck, while every other instrument sounds just right in conjunction with the others. Mixing is oftentimes an overlooked quality when done right, but when it’s done poorly, you absolutely notice.Djent Is Not A Genre excels in many ways, but it’s hard to ignore its underlying sense of theatrics. Massive choirs, whimsical vocal delivery, moody electronic sections, and even a part that sounds like a cinema score at the end of “Zagreus” all work together to give this record a theatrical touch – even more so than other Periphery works.Djent might not be a genre, but this record is wholly representative of the colloquial subcategory, punching you in the face with low-tuned guitars and odd time signatures, while mixing in countless surprises along the way. Djent Is Not a Genre is a phenomenal representation of what Periphery can do, offering fun and undeniable heaviness throughout." - Metal Sucks
    $15.00
  • Early incarnation of the band featured incredible technical metal on par with Watchtower.  Be warned the vocalist sucks."Very promising but somewhat obscure debut by Sieges Even but it really shows this band's talents well with technically top-notch performances and solid song writing. The similarities with Watchtower are obvious yet they manage to mark their own sound well and avoid many of the clichés often used in the 80's progressive metal scene but not all. Technically speaking the band surely knows how to handle their instruments well and the music get's very complex at times though it rarely goes truly overboard and the band knows when to calm down in time. As mentioned this album sounds a lot like something Watchtower could have recorded only that "Life Cycles" has a more epic feeling to it plus being a tad more progressive and varied. The instrumentation is wonderful and the Holzwarth brothers are one of the finest rhythm sections in prog-metal and Markus Steffen's guitar playing is splendid throughout the album with a very raw and Watchtower-ish guitar tone without forgetting to add some acoustic parts at some places too. However, there are flaws here too. Franz Herde's vocals might be an acquired taste for many. While is voice is fine sometimes but he can go a bit overboard during some parts making his voice sound a bit weird and not that great. Another flaw is the production, while it's pretty good it's lacks balance and the overall result sound a bit sandwiched together at times, but in general it doesn't bother me that much. In sum this is a great though sadly overlooked early tech-metal album with a few dominating flaws but excellent stuff overall. Unfortunately, Sieges Even's earlier albums are very hard to find but the best Internet record stores might have them so look out for them. Very recommended for Watchtower and tech-metal fans especially, and Sieges Even fans who haven't heard this one should definitely pick it up too. It might not be the best starting point for newcomers to this band, I'd recommend you to get "A Sense of Change" before this one but otherwise check this one out." - ProgArchives
    $17.00
  • With 2019's Rhizomes Of Insanity, France's Fractal Universe created one of the most musically, lyrically, and emotionally complex and compelling progressive metal works of the twenty-first century. The band toured the record hard, joining heavyweights Obscura in February/March of 2020, making for one of the last tours in the world pre-pandemic, and in doing so sated their faithful while winning legions of new followers. With its successor, The Impassable Horizon, they have gone even deeper, effortlessly following the trajectory they set themselves on to create an album that is riveting from start to finish. "We wanted to keep developing our musical personality and the natural sound we managed to get on 'Rhizomes'," says drummer Clément Denys. "It's a very versatile and complex album. Musically speaking, you will find catchy songs which are really direct, progressive and mysterious ballads with epic saxophone solos, and technical songs with intricate riffing." Elaborates vocalist/guitarist/saxophonist Vince Wilquin, "despite the record being even more diverse, dynamic and including more clean vocals than its predecessor, the overall atmosphere is also slightly darker and more melancholic." And with the introduction of Wilquin's newly honed saxophone skills to their live set, alongside working with Gojira's Christian Andreu on their stage scenery and production, once the band return to the road they are sure to be an unmissable act.With the first riffs and ideas for The Impassable Horizon emerging in November 2018, before Rhizomes was even released, composition for the whole record took about a year, with the last six months before entering the studio in May of 2020 dedicated to vocal preproduction/arrangements and finalizing the guitar and saxophone solos. With a broad variety of sounds and styles sewn seamlessly together and some immensely complicated musicianship involved, it would be an understandable assumption that the band have to push themselves very hard to realize each song, but this is not necessarily the case. "I wouldn't say the writing process was particularly 'hard'. There's no urge to make things particularly 'complex' or whatever, it's just the natural way I write," says Wilquin. "Once I have a solid starting point - like a rhythmic or melodic idea, which is usually the most challenging part of the process - things usually build really naturally into a full song. Playability is not always a criteria when I compose, as I really try to avoid falling into my usual guitar 'noodlings' and rather try to write the music I hear in my head. In a way, you could say our music is written by a 'composer', rather than by a 'guitar player', so sometimes, the most challenging part is for us all to figure out how to actually play the music on the instruments." Denys also praises Wilquin's approach to writing parts for the drummer. "Vince knows how to write challenging and interesting drum parts, while remaining playable and really musical for me. I have to find the right way to do it, or sometimes rearrange it a little while keeping the main idea. In terms of skill, this new record requires more endurance, versatility and a new approach to my dynamics." The record is also a showcase for the staggering vocal range of Wilquin, who provides "ninety-eight percent" of all the vocals on there, singing and screaming in a breathtaking variety of styles, bringing out the emotion of each requisite part. "To me, it's really important that the vocal style fits the music as well as possible, and since the music has a huge dynamic and color range, so must the vocals. Thus, I've put a lot of hard work into it in these past years, even more so than on my guitar skills." With the throat singing audible on the background of "A Clockwork Expectation" and "Falls Of The Earth" supplied by guitarist Hugo Florimond and Wilquin's girlfriend Léopoldine Marcoux doubling some of his vocals, the band kept things in house pretty much right down the line, not looking to outside musicians. This is also true for the numerous saxophone solos that invigorate the record; having recruited Florimond's father to supply a solo on that instrument on Rhizomes, this time, the front-man was determined to do all of these himself. "I first picked up the instrument in late 2019, as learning it was something I had at the back of my mind for quite some time. Initially, it was something I wanted to do mostly for fun, but the more I fell in love with the instrument - and the more the others encouraged me to - the more I wanted to include it in the band. On top of that, all the saxophone parts I will now perform live as well, which will make a solid addition, and give a unique character to the band's performances."Like its predecessor, The Impassable Horizon is a concept album with a dense and involved lyrical theme that though complex, has deeply relatable aspects to it, exploring the concept of death, and the relationship that we humans have with it. Working closely with good friend - and doctor in psychology - Arthur Massot, the band take a very philosophical approach to their subject area. "It partly draws inspiration from Heidegger's concept of 'being-towards-death'. In the philosopher's mind, the question is not 'What is there after death?' but rather 'What does it mean for us to be aware of our own finiteness, and how do we deal with it consciously and subconsciously?' 'The Impassable Horizon' is just that, it sums it all up in a few words." Stemming from this comes the like of opening track "Autopoiesis", the title referring to "the ability of a system to produce itself, in interaction with its environment, thus being able to keep a stable and organized structure. This track discusses the emergence of life - the 'organic' - that came out of the 'non-organic', and states that in many ways, there's no fundamental difference between the two." Then there is "A Clockwork Expectation", the track stating that it is "our 'consciousness' that makes us aware of our own finiteness, and that turns it into a 'gift' that we may rather have never wanted. The use of the word 'Pharmakon' in the chorus - a Greek word designating both a remedy and a poison - illustrates this paradox inherent to life itself." The video for this track, directed by Vincent Tournaud, was shot at Gouffre de Poudrey, France's largest equipped cave - "It was a unique and unreal experience to spend two days all alone in the extreme conditions - seventy meters underground, 7°C - of this otherworldly beautiful location." While the lyrical theme of "Symmetrical Masquerade" is "the hope humans have of a something, whatever its nature, after death. In that constant denial of the fact that death could equal the 'non-being', humans turn this anxiety into an expectation, even a deliverance. But there's always a doubt remaining. And the most distressing thing isn't the knowledge of the inevitable, but rather the fact that nothing's for sure." And this track is accompanied by an animated version by Costin Chioreanu of Twilight 13 Media, who has worked with the likes of Opeth and Leprous.Drums were recorded at the band's own professional recording studio - Boundless Production Studio - in Florange, France, while the other instruments were tracked in their personal home studios. It was overseen by producer Flavien Morel, who has been working with Fractal Universe since the beginning and really understands the band's vision. "The sessions were good," says Denys. "We were not in a rush. This was the first record we entirely tracked in our own studios, so we were for example able to spend two complete days on sound-checking the drums, which was really comfortable." The most demanding aspect of tracking was - understandably - the vocals, which took as long to record as all of the other instrumentation combined. "Flavien really encouraged me to bring the vocal production to the next level: there are chorus sections where there are about thirty tracks of backing vocals, with every line quad-tracked, to make it sound really massive and 'chorus-y'." With mixing being Wilquin's favorite part of the realization process, the point at which the record really starts to come alive, he was happy to work closely with Morel, and the finished product is everything they wanted it to be. "It feels like the natural evolution of our band sound, keeping our distinctive trademarks and incorporating new sounds and ideas," says Wilquin, and adds Denys, "we hope the new album will reach new fans and please our current ones, which have been amazingly supportive even during the pandemic, and that it will bring the band to the next level." 
    $13.00
  • "It may have taken four years for vocal contortionist Adam Glynn to return to metal after resigning from Melbourne, Australia, outfit Frankenbok, but what a return it was. Teaming with Extra Virgin guitarist Mark Holain and bassist Cameron Macdonald, along with Tension drummer Marc Whitworth, Glynn found the perfect medium to cater to his newfound creative output and the foursome released Five Star Prison Cell's debut, "The Complete First Season," in 2005.Described as having the technical precision of The Dillinger Escape Plan and Fantomas with a frontman possessing the incredible range of Mike Patton, Five Star Prison Cell’s brand of technical metal was a complete success, and many heralded the band as being completely different from their expectations. Now, after a couple of unintentional setbacks (release dates for October 2006, then February 2007 were announced), the quartet has delivered sophomore effort "Slaves Of Virgo."After some initial sound manipulation courtesy of famed producer/engineer/mixer D.W. Norton, "Do The World A Favour" gets things under way, and it soon becomes clear that Five Star Prison Cell has no intention of taking the soft route. Intense, heavy and chaotic in every sense, "Do The World A Favour" takes every facet of the band’s style to an entirely new extreme and sets the overall tone of the album."Deloris" and "Pinholes" are full of relentlessly building tempos and riffs where Glynn’s off-kilter melodies and mix of Patton-influenced vocals and death growls provide the only catchy elements among the ongoing barrage of noise. The musical backdrops in "Obtuse: The Essence Of Indifference," "Decree NISI" and "Army Of The Vigilant" adequately show the progression the musicians have made in the last two years—especially in "Army Of The Vigilant," where the moody atmospherics at times lean heavily on a strong Meshuggah influence.After a short breather around the halfway mark with the instrumental "Asleep In The House Of Fables," the band hit back stronger and faster with the mind-bogglingly complex and impenetrable "M" and title track before vocalist Rebekah Chapman (who partners with Glynn in the experimental Coitus Bund) helps color the stunning "The Rise And Fall Of Red Sparrows." Like the previous track, "The Harridan Marathon," it takes a completely different path than the rest of the album with its slower, doom-like feel.On "Slaves Of Virgo," Five Star Prison Cell doesn't merely knock the listener over the head—it bludgeons endlessly until there’s nothing left of its intended victim’s human form. The only thing this album is missing is a health warning to those unaware of just what to expect." - Blistering.com
    $2.00
  • Legendary first album by Florida’s Progressive Death Metal pioneers CYNIC, remixed and remastered, ReFocus.
    $15.00
  • In 2000 we released Spiral Architect's "A Sceptic's Universe" on our Sensory Records label.  It set the prog metal world on its head and is considered one of the cornerstones of the tech metal genre.  Dial back the clock five years to 1995 and you have the release by Norwegian band Manitou.  Manitou featured Øyvind Hægeland as vocalist and Bollie Fredriksen on guitar.  After the break up of Manitou Hægeland hooked up with drummer Asgeir Mickelson and they were key members of Spiral Architect.The world has been waiting for a second Spiral Architect album that may well never come to fruition.  In its place we have this new tech metal amalgam of Spiral Architect and Manitou members.  Hægeland reconnected with Mickelson and brought Fredriksen on board.  Rounding out the line up is Testament bassist Steve DiGiorgio who is no stranger to the scene.  Jon Phipps provides symphonic orchestrations and Kjetil Nordhus of Tristania guests on vocals.You can clearly hear the Manitou and Spiral Architect DNA and while it fits squarely in the tech metal realm it is not quite as extreme as either of those bands.  In other words its perhaps a bit more melodic due to the orchestrations.  Nevertheless it will still keep your brain cells on high alert and to some degree it will scratch that itch we've had for the past 21 years.  BUY OR DIE!
    $14.00
  • Counter-World Experience are a great instrumental tech/prog/jazz metal trio from Germany.  Imagine Morglbl minus any humor.  This is serious, heavy intricate stuff that you can bang your head to.  For the band's fifth album they've brought some accomplished guests on board: Steve Di Giorgio (ex-Death) on bass, Hannes Grossmann (ex-Obscura) on drums, Fountainhead (ex-Obscura) on guitar, and Christian Meyers on trumpet.  Highly recommended."After the success of their last release, “Music for Kings”, which more than ever presented Counter-World Experience as one of the most technically accomplished bands dedicated to Progressive Metal, comes what may be termed the logical next step. On their fifth studio album “Pulsar”, the band demonstrates better than ever their talent at combining powerful Staccato-Riffs and extravagant solo musings with electronic sound textures and listener-friendly melodies.2016 sees Counter-World Experience creating more material utilizing the band members’ shared interest in science fiction. Pulsar consists of 11 futuristic sounding compositions, which were named after stars. The modern metal sound of the band was mixed with electronic elements such as sequencers.The guarantor for the band won´t lose its ties to the jazz world is bassist Sebastian Hoffmann, who surely has a playing rank as one of the finest musicians in the German Jazz scene. His improvisatory solos, combined with his fluid bass lines, act much as a counterweight to the bands harder metal parts.Counter-World Experience is proud of featuring some highly acclaimed guest musicians on “Pulsar”. Beside fretless bass legend Steve Di Giorgio (Testament, Sadus, Ex-Death) on the song "Alpha Serpentis" there is an appearance of drum magician Hannes Grossmann (Blotted Science, Ex-Obscura, Ex-Necrophagist) on "Cygnus". Trumpet player Chrisitian Meyers and fretless guitar virtuoso Fountainhead (Ex-Obscura) add even more colors to the record.As per the band´s previous studio album, “Music for Kings”, the production values on the new CD cannot be underestimated or underappreciated: recorded at Light Mountain Berlin and mastered at the renowned Studio Pauler Acoustics, the production gives the songs the necessary balance between power, transparency and depth. In addition, “Puslar” benefits from clever graphic design and thorough booklet notes."
    $16.00
  • "After CYNTHESIS and its amazing second recording, the pertinently titled album, “ReEvolution”, the ultra talented Californian geminis Brothers, Troy & Jasun Tipton (ex ZERO HOUR), are back with another chapter in their instrumental project discography…ABNORMAL THOUGHT PATTERNS and once again the expansion of their genuine style and the maturated development is terrific, the release date is set for late June…The band broad universe is so extended that the term "limitless" seems underrated and non-representative of their extraordinary and unstoppable musical dominion!The young Guitar God Jasun Tipton, owner of a great fat tone, perform in his finest way as you would have expected, fluid, majestic and without effort (“Blindsight”), quite easy to understand why this man is worshiped by Guitar enthusiasts everywhere, but more than ever, it seems that his brother the Bass maestro Troy Tipton takes a even bigger role, while playing his typical two hand tapping licks, also some more ambitious melodic lines and sharing some hallucinating unison amazing arpeggios between Bass & Guitar (“Distortions Of Perception”)!This instrumental trio is apparently becoming a quartet with the recruit guitarist Richard Shardman, still featuring the former ex ZERO HOUR's drums expert Mike Guy (ex DEATH MACHINE), is providing everything, from stripped down ambiance to a flurry Shredding parts (“Delusions”), in a complementary unreal association, a syncronization similar to something that is identical to the special and unique twin brothers spirit/relationship (“Subliminal Perception”).The Bass guitar realm of low frequencies is honored with the superb track “Synesthesia” (An awareness of synesthetic perceptions that varies from person to another with confusion of colors/numbers and shapes, born from a neurological phenomenon that leads involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway to a disinhibited feedback triggered by specific sounds) where Troy is duelling with two other Bass monsters, namely the legendary Fretless player Michael Manring and the criminally undervalued John Onder (remember the great Shrapnel’s releases like “Infra Blue” by Joey Tafffola (???)/”Extreme Measures” by Vitalij Kuprij or 2000’s “Machine” by ARTENSION and even MSG’s “Adventures Of The Imagination”) another patented mix of elusive etheral soft moments that develops before entering again in a frenzy of note under a Neo-Classical style, built in total opposition with the hypnotic middle break in a new age approach!To prove their absolute artistic freedom ABNORMAL THOUGHT PATTERNS dare to break the all instrumental rules by adding some harsh lead vocals performed by the BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME singer Mike Rodgers, in the detuned “Nocturnal Haven”…But at the slot N°6 they offer us another superb rendition of the same theme, but this time in a fully instrumental version with some additional solo spots by Canadian citizen Tim Roth from INTO ETERNITY, however both tracks contains some lava sweeping avalanche by seven strings rising star Jeff Loomis (ARCH ENEMY/ex SANCTURAY/ex NEVERMORE)!While their latest CD “Manipulation Under Anesthesia” was more extreme and ferocious than hell, pushing the intricacy at the maximum with some almost bio-mechanism rhythmic method and improving in the ultra-hi-tech reaches onto stellar and virgin territories: “Altered States Of Consciousness” is a concept album centered around neurobiologic sensations, in coherence it's a more enriched atmospheric disc, more spacey, groovy, layered with organic textures and full of emotional sequence, with still plenty of sudden bursting of agressive triplets-staccatto-trick, but clearly more accessible and not restricted to please a bunch of Guitar-Fretboard geeks, obviously the talent and the technical ability of the virtuoso musicians involved here, is still head and shoulders up above the level of the average new generation of Prog Metallers…The abnormal musical thoughts are welcome!" - Metal Temple
    $15.00