THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Tag: tesseract

TESSERACT – Sonder

February 9, 2022 /

It’s been nearly four years since the release of this monster, and it’s about time we were treated to a new studio album from the UK’s finest Prog tech metallers. They have been around since 2003, and it was with the arrival of Djent into the musical landscape that they emerged on a somewhat stale metal scene.

Opening track, Luminary, has the band’s customary low end groove mixed with the beauty of Dan Tompkins’ vocals. The dynamics of the music are off the charts for me. Superbly written and played, and the production is killer – that low end is bowel vibrating. They seem to be the only band that still have the Djenty moments, as all the other bands of their ilk have almost dropped the sound completely. It first makes an appearance in the absolute epic track, King. It’s such a killer tune that has everything that a Prog metal fan would drool over. The ambient tones of Orbital follow, and this is the complete opposite of what has just been a beautiful interlude. The low end pound returns with Juno with a ripping djenty chop groove – it’s almost funk.

The clean tones of Dan’s voice compliment the sounds so beautifully. Beneath My Skin starts off slow with the ambient grooves before the most unreal rhythm and groove takes over. It’s an amazing track! Mirror Image is next and its all about Dan’s vocals – the atmospheric tones of the music allow the vocals to soar over the top. Smile is the perfect mix of the ambient and the heavy groove together. Just listen to the drum pattern – it’s awesome – and the song definitely brings the heavy to the party. An amazing album from a band I really love.

10/10 all day every day from The Grooveman.

TESSERACT – Polaris

October 29, 2021 /

This is the third studio album by British tech metallers, Tesseract. This album saw the return of their original vocalist, Daniel Tompkins, who left the band after the first album. Although they started with all the djent bands, they have refined their sound which has made them quite a unique band. The low end is still a big feature, but now there are a lot more ambient and melodic sounds to the music. They are masters of odd time signatures (often multiple times within songs), this makes them a fantastic band to listen as the groove changes constantly.

The opening track, Dystopia, has a deliciously evil choppy groove with some serious low end riffing. Those time changes and off beat grooves will have your brain scrambling. Hexes starts with a very ambient intro, until the song builds with an epic choppy bass groove and a great vocal from Tompkins. Survival carries on where the previous song finished with that choppy bass pattern carrying the tune along. I bet the band were glad to have Dan back in the band as the light tones to his vocal style really make the music pop.

Over to Side 2 with Tourniquet, and this is a beautiful light (almost) ambient piece with a very delicate vocal, until the end of the song where the heavy low end returns. If I had to describe Tesseract’s sound, I would point everyone in the direction of the next track, Utopia. Everything about the band is here in this one song, the choppy bass heavy groove, the odd time beat with D-tuned guitars. and sprinklings of ambient keys. Phoenix closes out Side 2 and its all about the melody and harmonies for me. Great track!

Side 3 leads off with the lead off single from the album, Messenger, and it’s the heaviest piece so far and a nod to the style of their previous albums. Cages is the next to last track and the ambient soundscapes return, before the odd time meter kicks in with a superb bass line. Seven Names closes out the album as Side 4 is a dreaded etched side. The change to a more lighter shade to the band’s music serves them well as this a really good album.

9/10 from The Grooveman.

TESSERACT – Altered State

January 21, 2021 /

This is the second album from British Prog metallers TESSERACT. Also the only album to feature Ash O’hara on vocals, after the departure of Dan Tompkins who would return to the band later. Weirdly all-round crazy person Chris Barretto (ex of Periphery and Monuments), appears on two tracks. This is the double grey vinyl edition, and conveniently each side is split into themes, Of Matter, Of Mind, Of Reality and Of Energy. Technically there is only four tracks on the album, but they are split into sections. All the themes deal with change.

Starting things off with Proxy, and a clean almost ethereal vocal from O’Hara that grows into a superb choppy low-end djent groove that TESSERACT are famous for. A superb opening piece that blends into Retrospect, great vocal melodies and some superb off time grooves. This theme ends with the epic Resist, such an atmospheric piece with great melody and layered vocal.

Side 2 Of Mind starts with the single Nocturne with that superb low end riff, and into a soaring vocal and then back to that riff – such a great song. This is metal but not as we know it Jim. Absolute awesome stuff. I dare you not to bounce around which ever room you are in when that groove kicks in. One of the best djent tracks written. Not finished with this side yet as the choppy groove of Exiled finishes this side out.

On to Of Reality and opening piece, Eclipse, with huge doomy chords and that almost angelic vocal and that trademark TESSERACT choppy groove. Hell we’re nearly in jazz territory here. If you are a die hard 4/4 fan there is not a lot for you here as the time signatures are all over the map – as next track Palingenesis demonstrates perfectly. The first appearance of the aforementioned Barretto appears next with Calbi- Yau, but on saxophone not vocals.

Flipping over onto the last side, Of Energy, with the other single release, Singularity, starting things off – it dawns on me that there is no one like TESSERACT that do this as good as they do. The album finishes beautifully with the killer, Embers.

They have evolved since the Periphery-esque doodlings of their first album, and they now have a groove and a sound of their own. There is some great playing on here from Acle Carney and James Monteith- Guitars , Amos Williams – Bass, and Jay Postones on Drums. If you like your music to last beyond that initial burst of the thrill of listening to something new for the first time, and you want to keep coming back to it and get that feeling of wonder then – Tesserract- Altered State could just be for you.

9.5/10 from The Grooveman.

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