Progressive. A term to embody art with the sole purpose of being different. With such a broad definition, the possibilities are endless, right? In the past five years, the musical output is slowly suggesting the opposite. Now don't get me wrong, there's been plenty of quality releases and heaps of talented artists emerging. But in contrast, the genre has encountered an equal amount of pigeonholing behavior. The djent subgenre has turned into a down-tuned Meshuggah thall orgy and progressive death metal has struggled to break any musical barriers as well.
When I stumbled upon a single by The Surrealist, there was a moment of relief. The music wasn't blatantly showy or generic. And while there certainly was an Animals as Leaders influence within the composition, as a whole it wasn't anywhere near rip-off territory. This Boston-based duo comprised of guitarist Roopam Garg and drummer John-Marc Degaard have just released their debut EP, Naked Awareness, and it's pretty worthy of a listen.
I've come to expect the first track of a release to be the most heavy or mainstream-appealing, however "Become Whales" is neither. The less than two minutes piece is a tease of what to expect for the following few songs on the EP with soothing soundscapes setting the mood for rapid guitar sweeps. On "Canvas Sky" the tempo picks up in a more fluid state. There are a few metallic chords strummed by the end of the song, but for the most part the composition embodies a progressive-jazz rock vibe. Both "Flowering of Consciousness" and "Waves of Naked Awareness" also possess the fusion of jazz, metal, and ambient, yet suffer from repetition. I don't think these songs are at their full potential, but I still find them interesting and attention-catching.
Personally, I perceive this style of music to be received positively by exclusively either musician aficionados or progressive rock/metal fans. And while the first mentioned demographic is likely content with this material, I can assume the latter group of listeners are hungry for more hooks and memorable licks. I believe for that very reason, Animals as Leaders have gained such a large following with simultaneously virtuosic and catchy compositions such as "CAFO" and "Physical Education."
As much as I view this release as enjoyable, it didn't leave me completely satisfied. The technical guitar skill was impressive for obvious reasons, however there felt a need for it to go somewhere more. Heavier, jazzier, weirder, more hooky, anything to set their sound apart from Animals as Leaders, Chon, etc. And please don't infer from that statement that The Surrealist lacks talent or creativity. The immense layering and atmosphere in these four songs are undeniably spectacular. I just feel that sometimes a musical act that is still getting its foot in the door needs a little push to develop and reveal its both true and original identity.
Honestly, I do appreciate the direction that Intervals, Plini, The Surrealist, and other groups have taken the genre, although I also fear that they will find a similar pigeonhole that djent and progressive/technical death are currently attempting to worm their way out of. Where this material isn't extremely diverse, I hope to see the duo expand on the ground they set on this release. I respect the fact that they have focused on a new aspect of technical and progressive metal instead of the low-hanging fruit of the djent sound. I see this EP as a hint of what we can expect from this group. Overall, Naked Awareness is 15 minutes of sweet, immersive greatness and beckons any progressive fan to keep their eye out for more.
Score: 7.5/10
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6niBGkMf7Ag[/youtube]
