Album Reviews : Intronaut – Fluid Existential Inversions
In progressive heavy music circles, the name ‘Intronaut’ no longer needs any intro, they have been around for a decade and a half and Fluid Existential Inversions is their sixth full-length studio album. In the niche that is prog, they are reaching near-legendary status.
And that journey of mythical proportions is set to continue with this record. This band tends to cover a very broad range of musical territory across the course of an album’s length, although always within the cohesive framework of their rather unique sound, and this album is no different. The overriding tone of FEI is that of complex but catchy prog rock to metal, with crunchy guitars, syncopated and odd-time grooves and idiosyncratic vocals, but they also explore jazz, atmospherics, stoner/desert rock, soaring vocal harmonies and more. And they damn well make every note, every groove, every beat, every moment a winner.
Check out what this humble writer feels is the album’s best cut, Tripolar, for proof. It encapsulates much of what this album, and indeed this band, is all about.
At the same time, it’s a little unfair to single out one song when this album is such wall to wall quality. The great moments come at you thick and fast, from the minute-long instrumental intro Procurement of the Victuals through to the stunning one-two punch finale of Pangloss (whose groove and momentum are truly infectious) and Sour Everythings, which rounds out a highly satisfying musical ride just beautifully.
The musicianship on display here is of the truly stellar calibre you would expect of a band such as this, and the production walks that often hard to find line between glossy and real.
Intronaut have become a true landmark band on the international progressive heavy scene, and Fluid Existential Inversions is a highly auspicious entry into an illustrious canon of work.
Band: Intronaut
Album: Fluid Existential Inversion
Year: 2020
Genre: Prog Metal
Label: Metal Blade
Origin: USA
About Rod Whitfield
Rod Whitfield is a Melbourne-based writer and retired musician who has been writing about music since 1995. He has worked for Team Rock, Beat Magazine, themusic.com.au, Heavy Mag, Mixdown, The Metal Forge, Metal Obsession and many others. He has written and published his memoirs of his life and times in the music biz, and also writes books, screenplays, short stories, blogs and more.Latest News
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