...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI


..::OPIS::..

A progressive death masterpiece!!!


Na tym albumie dzieje się wiele, w najbardziej zdumiewający sposób, jaki można sobie wyobrazić.
Zdecydowanie nie przegapcie tych gości, nadchodzą...



2020 provided plenty of quality metal releases, but only a scant few of those which tickled my fancy fall into the “progressive metal” category. Of those, we missed two that deserve mention. The first is Cellar Vessel’s immense slab of Xanthrochroided symphonic prog-death, entitled Vein Beneath the Soil. The second—and, obviously, more preferred, since I’m writing about it—is UK quartet Luna’s Call’s sophomore epic Void.

Luna’s Call haven’t been around very long, but they certainly sound as well-traveled as anyone. Mature, complex songwriting abounds on Void, but not at the expense of fun or excitement. Unlike their debut, which felt like Opeth channeling tech death and Danny Elfman, their sophomore effort blossoms in theatrical Native Constructs with the same flair for the dramatic that Queen often evokes. Individual elements mutate according to the needs of the song, which is exactly how any progressive metal band should incorporate them. Correspondingly, songs mutate according to the needs of the album, again exactly as any progressive metal band should compose them. As a result, Void feels like an expansive concept record and is, therefore, best experienced as a whole.

If there was any one song to convince you further, dear readers, that this record demands your time, attention, and money, it’s “Solar Immolation.” A scathing, scalding opus totaling over 13 minutes in length, this blazing number traverses the gamut of Luna’s Call’s arsenal of tools. Lush strings and space-age synths collaborate with a beautiful piano melody, carried to your ears on the back of a super slick prog-death introduction. From that point, the song juggles different sounds and landscapes without so much as a hiccup. By the time “Solar Immolation” ends, it takes some willpower not to pause and just let the silence punctuate the moment for a minute...

No! We must continue, for there is much left to explore, like “Enceladus and the Life Inside.” Breathtaking vocal melodies melt amidst noodly bass lines and sweet piano arpeggios. It might not be a heavy track, but the burden of its emotional weight too easily ensconces my senses, causing shivers to race up my spine. “Locus” plays with false starts and silence, which troubled me at first, but I quickly came to regard it as one of the standouts of the album because it keeps me on my toes. Immediately following “Locus,” “In Bile They Bathe” executes a swift kick to the balls before booking it—a fine, upstanding power move which proves that the band knows how to self-edit, only putting material where it belongs in measures that make sense.

It makes sense, then, that Luna’s Call close out the record with another long-form banger, “Fly Further Cosmonaut.” Prog-death, delivered with barebones instrumentation, suddenly explodes in a lush crescendo before immediately retreating to pensive plucking and excellent clean singing only to then bring forth a veritable smorgasbord of dynamic twists and satisfying textures. And just like that, Void is over. No frivolous outros or pretentious monologues. It just ends. Magnificent.

Kenstrosity


Hailing from the U.K., Luna's Call released their second full-length album "Void" earlier this year. They have a really unique brand of progressive death metal that will both throw off and intrigue even the most avid of prog enthusiasts. It must be one of the most challenging albums I checked out this year but it's definitely worth taking your time with because the musicianship in here is pure brain-melting gold.

The compositional style is very complex, shifting and always taking you by surprise. The music changes tone, pace and dynamic all the time and you can never really anticipate what will hit you next. It's somewhat amorphous and chaotic but it maintains a good continuity and displays tremendous ingenuity and creativity. The drums and guitar riffs are very swift, agile and restless but can also land in some seriously nasty and clearly paced head-bang patterns. They always like to tease you with syncopated stuff and musical ideas going slightly off from where you'd naturally expect them to. I find that both annoying and stimulating but in the end its definitely a positive aspect for me. And the solos are particularly nutty but also melodic and fluid enough to make sense musically rather than just show off technique. The bass is very hectic, flashy, fast and fluid. It often resembles fretless fluid bass akin to tech-death bands like Beyond Creation. In fact there's clearly a strong technical death component to their style with all the blast beats, fast tempos and challenging parts. But overall I would probably describe it as a hectic version of Opeth with ADHD, weird atmospheres and incredible diversity.

And that gets us to the atmospheric side and various influences. I would hold the keyboard mostly responsible for diversifying the expressive textures, though the vocals and guitar leads often play into that. The vibe is a weird mix of spacey, cosmic vibes and a dash of ethnic/oriental touch, sometimes going towards a cinematic, even slightly cartoonish sound (see the orchestral build-up in the middle of "Fly Further Cosmonaut"). The orchestral arrangements are actually quite diverse and rich, though not always present, which is something that balances out harsh and clear textures beautifully.

Thankfully, the album isn't only eccentric and over the top. There are also moments that allow the listener to take a breath. The soft vocal part in "Signs" and the clean guitar tracks "Enceladus and The Life Inside" and "Silverfish" are all superb moments that display their capacity to express emotion in many forms and to bring about beautiful and creative melodies.

Vocals are seriously satisfying. The death growls are somewhat similar to Michael Akerfeldt, though probably with a more brutal, filthy edge, more akin to brutal or technical death vocals. Cleans are quite diverse and surprising though. For the most part they keep a dash of dissonance and weirdness in decent extent, not overdoing it and also allowing melody to come through. And there's this one moment in "Locus" in a really high register that kinda reminded me of Matt Bellamy form Muse. That's definitely a highlight.

If at the end of it you're not at least a little confused, you probably weren't listening closely. There are so many contrasts and unexpected ideas that really create a unique sound to this band, worthy of praise and admiration. As musicians, they are all inhumanly skilled and yet they also put a lot of emphasis on expression, melody, coherence and a good dose of filth. They managed to dodge the trap of making it all about technical skill and complexity, although that is often the main focus. "Void" is a monster with feelings and intellect and if you're not mentally prepared, it will take you out!

andreipianoman



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Merced's Footsteps 02:13
2. Signs 08:27
3. Solar Immolation 13:24
4. Enceladus & the Life Inside 05:22
5. Locus 06:04
6. In Bile They Bathe 03:43
7. Silverfish 02:06
8. Fly Further Cosmonaut 09:19



..::OBSADA::..

Brad Laver - bass, vocals
Neil Purdy - vocals, guitars
Jamie Batt - drums, vocals
Liam Underdown - guitars



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWO023qN6OU



SEED 15:00-22:00.
POLECAM!!!