One of the bands that I fell in love with a few years ago was TesseracT. Sitting on the more metal end of the genre, along with brand leaders Messhuggah, Periphery, Chimp Spanner and FellSilent, TesseracT carved a niche of more melodic 'djent' (as the sub genre became known.) The heaviness of the riffs, the technicality of the arrangements and the simply jaw-dropping musicianship were enough to draw me in. Their debut, 'One' was essential listening for many many months.
Then their versatile vocalist Daniel Tompkins left to sing for SkyHarbour, amongst others, and to cut a longer story short, eventually in came a new vocalist, Ashe O' Hara, a toning down of the heaviness and an album called 'Altered State.' This album won them plaudits and awards and notoriety as well as many new fans, particular of the wider prog family, but it left me cold. Gone was the vocal textures and the heaviness in favour of a much lighter sound and expansive, almost ambient, compositions.
I hear today that the band have amicably parted with Ashe due a disagreement in musical direction and Daniel Tompkins is back. Hip hip hooray says I!
Tonight I have rediscovered 'One', and it still stands up for inventiveness, swagger, technicality, emotion and HEAVINESS. It's not for every one but I am excited at Dan's return, and in anticipation, here's the whole of 'Concealing Fate' from 'One.'
I
No comments:
Post a Comment