While many bands are
struggling trying to find their own sound and make it in a flooded genre of
bands, The Contortionist lead the way for innovation and progression
with their latest album 'Intrinsic.'
In 2010, The
Contortionist released a masterpiece called 'Exoplanet' which was
incredibly well received throughout the underground Metal community. It was a
defining moment for Death Metal and ended up becoming not just my favourite
album of 2010, but one of my all-time favourites as well. Never before had I
heard a band that blended punishing riffs, breakdowns and brutal low growls
with beautiful scopes, spacey sounds and hypnotizing clean vocals. It
definitely put The Contortionist on the map and made a lot of people put
them on their 'to watch' list. Now its mid-2012 and they've brought us their
second full length album 'Intrinsic.' If you were one of those people that fell
in love with 'Exoplanet' then you're in for a treat here, but don't expect the
same thing. The Contortionist have focused more on their progressiveness
and cut back on the Death Metal side of things, and they have nailed it. I
didn't know what to expect upon first listen and as I sat there and listened to
the album from start to finish, I couldn't wait to listen again. No way can you
take in this heavy and progressive journey in just one listen, it will take a
few listens before you get it. There's so much going on here, the complex song
structure mixed with the technical guitar and the atmospheric keys make 'Intrinsic'
an experimental delight. While they have cut back on the breakdowns and
heaviness compared to 'Exoplanet' it does make you appreciate those parts a bit
more and makes them standout when they do appear. This album definitely
showcases the incredible talent they hold and is a giant leap forward in the
right direction to get more exposure. Some fans may turn it off and go back to
their previous catalogue, but many fans will also appreciate what they've
created here. They will also win over some new listeners that enjoy music of
the more progressive nature which is a bonus. I shouldn't compare both albums
so much because when it comes down to it, they're not similar, but that's a
good thing here. It's an album that you will want to listen to with a nice pair
of headphones and lose yourself in its aura. Jon Carpenter, vocalist and
keyboardist of the band really does shine on here. Featuring a lot more keys
and his well improved clean vocals, he takes The Contortionist to a new
level of greatness. His mellow tone is a perfect match for the spacey effects
and the slower parts of the album, but he can also reach the harsh vocals with
confidence making for a massive improvement. Having such a flawless and
talented band behind him really does compliment his craft I must add.
I am rather glad that
The Contortionist decided not to go ahead and make 'Exoplanet Vol.2' and
have instead given us something truly special and unique. While different,
they've still managed to keep many of the things that made myself and many
others come to love this band, all whilst progressing and becoming even
stronger. If they have managed to create two amazing albums in the last two
years (which they have), I can only imagine what this band can achieve in the
future. I for one am glad that there's a band like these guys doing something
different and for a band still early in their career, things are looking
bright.
Intrinsic is available for
purchase July 17th at all good music retailers and on iTunes.
Standout tracks -
Dreaming Schematics, Sequential Vision, Holomovement, Cortical.
10/10
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