The problem of running a review site is not a paucity of material, but a surfeit of it. More often than not, the work of great bands goes unreviewed, not for lack of interest, but simply because it arrived during a busy period and fell through the cracks. Every once in a while, however, something truly magnificent filters through, and this is certainly the case with Irata. Initially it was the artwork that hooked me – mystical, imaginative and unwilling to reveal its charms all at once – drawing me in and insisting that I find out more. Then, when I fired up the player, it was the gargantuan Sabbath-meets-high-on-fire riffing of the aptly-named tower that sealed the deal. To be honest, the rest of the album could have comprised Celine Dion covers played on the descant recorder, and tower would still have had my seal of approval, but the fact that the album only gets better makes this an essential platter indeed.
Kicking off with the aforementioned tower, you’d be forgiven for thinking you were in for a straightforward sludge fest, with swathes of guitar overlapping one another in a sonic tsunami. That, in itself, would make for a fine record, but then the band launch into waking eye, which transpires to be the sort of mesmerising prog-metal that made Mastadon’s crack the Skye such an awe-inspiring piece of work. A gloriously varied and deeply melodic piece of work, waking eye ebbs and flows beautifully, taking in lush progressive soundscapes worthy of early Genesis, explosive passages in the vein of Neurosis and much, much more, all tied together with exquisite musicianship. Surprisingly, Weightless recalls nothing so much as a seriously heavy take on early Pumpkins, the deftly harmonised guitars harking back to gish, although the twin vocals have more in common with the likes of Shrinebuilder and Jane’s Addiction. It’s another great song – one that should be mandatory listening for anyone unconvinced by the myriad avenues prog metal still has left to explore – and it shows a band unafraid to follow their muse wherever it should take them. The first half of the album concludes with innocent murmur, a lengthy, slightly whimsical piece that once again recalls the psychedelic wonder of early pumpkins, its wide-eyed naivety a wonderful change from the more world-weary fare that typically crosses our desks. A gorgeous, sun-blessed track with some potent riffing at its core, innocent murmur is an album highlight.
Opening the second side, leviathan takes a moment to catch the listener off guard with some glorious, folk-influenced guitar work, but the riffs aren’t far behind, and soon we’re into Gojira territory with harmonised vocals and shimmering guitars set to a taut rhythm and nailed by a sanguine bassline that even edges into Tool territory as the track progresses. The haunting sound of the trumpet opens another track with more than a int of Tool in its DNA, the slow-paced and subtle crawl to corners, which makes the most of the album’s astonishing production to paint a gorgeous picture in the stars. Short and to the point, golden tongue has a bruising, alt-rock vibe, the stunning prog drumming and clever vocal harmonies spinning the piece out in new directions before the band bring it all too a head in a firestorm of crisp riffing. Subtle electronic ambience and warm bass sees constellations bring the curtain down on this all-too-short album on a reflective note. It’s a perfect closer and exactly the sort of hypnotic finale the album deserved, the band allowing the music to slowly expand and fill the consciousness as it reaches its stunning conclusion.
There’s nothing quite as exciting as opening up an email from an unfamiliar band, falling in love with the artwork and finding that the music is not only every bit as good as you had hoped, but that it is, in fact, even better. Tower is, quite simply, an astounding album, drawing on a wide range of prog and metal influences to deliver an intelligent, exciting album that repays repeat listens thanks to the deftly textured arrangements. By turns crushingly heavy and ethereal, tower is a remarkable album and comes very highly recommended indeed. 9
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