When
you think of the term 'concept album' within the context of progressive rock
and progressive metal, albums that may immediately spring to mind could include
Pink Floyd- Dark Side of the Moon, King Krimson- In the Court of the Crimson
King and Dream Theater- Metropolis pt. 2: Scenes From A Memory. These are just a few great pieces that showcase the power and
captivation that a concept album can produce and they present their themes,
musical motifs and structures in unique ways. Having said that, we can deduce
some common characteristics typical of this form of album structuring.
It
is almost a given that concept albums are going to be long, complex musically
and structurally, dynamic and have a certain awareness of predecessors who have
used this style of writing. So, how does a concept album work within the
confines of deathcore and ‘djent’? In the case of The Contortionist and this, their
debut full length 'Exoplanet', they manage to execute an extremely enjoyable album that seems not to be stuck within the confines of its labels at
all.
While it is traditional for the songs to run seamlessly into each other, Exoplanet successfully manages to present nine strong songs which can be enjoyed equally as separate tracks as well as a single cohesive piece. Whichever perspective you decide to take when listening to these tracks, it can't be denied that this LP is able to progress the narrative powerfully with each song, climaxing with the the three part title track at the end of the album. It is a tale of the birth, expansion and eventual demise of the human race with the latter half of the album detailing a plan to colonise another planet in the hope of continuing our legacy. Along with the heavy, dissonant guitar work and slow heavy sections, melodic guitar passages and sci-fi sound effects are interwoven throughout in order to bring this story to life. The overall result of such a combination is an album full of mosh friendly but interesting breakdowns mixed with amazingly beautiful sections capable of satisfying a wide metal audience, all the way from deathcore to progressive metal.
This blend of musical approaches is strong in the opening two tracks, Primal Directive and Flourish. Colourful guitar leads are scattered across these songs to showcase the technical proficiency of guitarists Robby Baca and Cameron Maynard as well as creating breathtaking, soaring passages that prove that beauty and brutality are not mutually exclusive in extreme metal sub-genres. Nor should they be, considering how well they are integrated, especially on Primal Directive, Flourish, Vessel and Oscillator. The contrast of Jonathan Carpenter's vocal styles further emphasises the strengths of merging styles together. The repeated mantra of the opening song, Primal Directive, is a good example of this:
You. Have. Been. Defined.
At the midpoint of the song, this line is delivered delicately while at the end, it is presented through Carpenter's deep growls. When you look at the overall concept of the album, this could be seen as a stylistic way of presenting the turbulence experienced by the human race during its inception and evolution as shown in the opening two songs. It could also be to show the turbulence that is inevitable to the human race. We are damned by being 'defined', bound by mortality and unable to survive the oncoming collapse of our solar system, an idea presented in Expire and the songs that follow. Pretentious reading or not, I believe the music truly reflects the narrative in an engaging and appropriate way due to the attention to detail in the vocals and more melodic passages.
Having said that, the attention to detail does not stop at the guitar leads and melodies. The riffs and breakdowns throughout the album are often offset with interesting time signatures and syncopation, allowing for the comparison to 'djent' or modern progressive metal. However, these inventive rhythmic ideas are augmented with muting, dynamic sensitivity, natural and artificial harmonics, tapping, layering of distorted and clean guitar tones among other techniques which seem to appear in exactly the right places at exactly the right time. This vast sonic palate not only allows The Contortionist to escape from being pigeon-holed to a specific genre but also makes it obvious that this is a band capable of mature song writing and structuring; a band that is interested in exploring and creating broad soundscapes outside of the norms. Particularly good examples of this include the riffs that begin and conclude Flourish as well as the sporadic and intricate passages that open Advent and Oscillator in a devastating manner.
All of this colourful musical expertise culminates and reaches another level with the three part closing title track- Exoplanet I:Egress II.Void III.Light. Not only does this solidify the flow of the album, it also acts as the perfect closing suite, tying the concept together musically and thematically, reinforcing the tie between the crushing and melodic. Perhaps the most powerful moment of this three part song is the very ending, with the sound of the space station pulse slowly fading away into the swallowing black of space. To me, it sounds like the last lonely pulse of the human heartbeat as the hope of colonisation and survival dies.
Like so much of the extreme music that exists, this is an album that on paper will either immediately intrigue or repulse potential listeners but it can only be fully appreciated and understood if you give it a chance and listen to it in its entirety. Descriptions and flowery, obsessed personal ramblings can only go so far in promoting this piece of music haha but for those of you who do decide to give this album a shot, you are in for a real treat.
In short, if you are into any form of extreme or experimental metal, Exoplanet is worth your time. The stellar production and mixing, the song structuring, overall album flow, dynamic sensitivity, and musical ingenuity makes this, for me, a stand out album of the last decade. I'm convinced that this album will face and survive the test of time and emerge as a timeless concept album in the years to come. Can it be seen as being on a par with some of the classic concept albums from the pre-2000's? No, but that's ok because this is a whole new beast. This is The Contortionist- Exoplanet.
The Contortionist finished recording their third full length album on April 23rd, expect some more sci-fi, eargasmic transcendental metal later this year!
Rating- 10/10
Favourite songs- Primal Directive, Flourish, Vessel, Oscillator and Exoplanet.
Least favourite songs- Contact.
Check out their Facebook page and buy their album and merch here:
https://www.facebook.com/thecontortionist?fref=ts
http://www.goodfightmusic.com/artists/thecontortionist.php
