TESSERACT - Altered State

Kategorie: CD-Reviews | Genre: Progmetal | Heft: Jahrgang 2013, eclipsed Nr. 151 / 6-2013 | VÖ-Jahr: 2013 | Wertung: 8/10 | Label: Century Media | Autor: MB


With "Altered State" Tesseract underline their exceptional position in thejent-genre. They lacked consistency in terms of personnel: several singers had tried out the band from Milton Keynes. Whether it would thus be able to build on the strengths of its rightly highly praised predecessor "One" (2011) was questionable. The English first compensated the departure of "One" singer Daniel Tompkins with the American Eliot Coleman, who disappeared again after the pleasing acoustic EP "Perspective" (2012). But then the band made an absolute stroke of luck with Ashe OʼHara, which changed the face of the band forever. Because there will be no more harsh growls and aggression outbreaks with OʼHara. "Altered State" is a 51-minute highly melodic stream of energy that was divided (at least formally) into four main sections ("Of Matter", "Of Mind", "Of Reality", "Of Energy") or ten songs. But skipping is forbidden here anyway, because Tesseract rarely act in the conservative verse-chorus-scheme. Instead, they produce an incessantly flowing dream of sound. The quintet uses the sick force of Meshuggah, the fine polyrhythmics of Tool, the rousing vocal melodies of Karnivool or Coheed & Cambria and the dreamlike postrock soundscapes of Sigur Rós for their very own definition of progmetal. And those who like it a little more intellectual can enjoy the thematic concept of "Altered State" (keyword: conservation law). At the "Progressive Music Awards" last year, Tesseract were awarded the "Best New Band" prize. "Altered State" proves that they absolutely deserve this title, even though the four-dimensional square hypercube has now become a sphere.

Top track: Exile

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