Metal is such a strange genre right now. With a myriad of off shoots that quite frankly don’t interest me a whole bunch, it’s hard to wade through the drops to find bands worthy of my dollars. Mandroid Echostar are one that I actually care about spending those dollars on.
I found the band just by chance in one of my down the rabbit hole searches I get lost in occasionally. Surprisingly enough, they are from Guelph Ontario which isn’t that far away from me. They actually won a Juno award for their 2017 album Coral Throne.
This album/EP was original released in 2013. They operate in the technical/progressive/metal territory with huge slabs of melody thrown into the mix. In fact, when this album kicks off you’d swear you were listening to an early Jethro Tull album because of the folky grooves. Yet, that is not what this record or this band are all about. Heavy low end grooves with some killer three part guitars and superb clean vocal and harmonies are what these guys are all about.
The Sleeper is the one track that floats above the other tunes on offer here, and it is my favourite. Heavy djentyness greets your ears immediately with some fat heavy riffage and grooves to match. The guitar solo is so cool! Stonkingly awesome tune! Ethereal was a close second with a that great funky bass line.
Time to get more musical treats from the band I think, and so should you.
9/10 from The Grooveman.