Imagine if In This Moment, Devin Townsend, and Stream of Passion were to attempt a collaboration. In many ways this is exactly the sound that Australian prog-metallers Reliqa land upon with Secrets Of The Future, thanks in no small part to the powerful and versatile delivery of Monique Pym. For a prog band, Reliqa are remarkably streamlined in their approach, the majority of their songs being short and snappy. Not that this is without precedent – Arjen Anthony Lucassen has dabbled in these pastures for years – but Reliqa have their own approach, drawing from everything from symphonic rock to electronica and hip hop to create an album that covers a great deal of sonic territory over the course of twelve songs.
It starts with Dying Light, which moves from semi-rapped vocals and stabbing, heavily processed industrial metal, to a melodic chorus that soars unexpectedly skywards. It’s a hyper-modern sound that sees the band use every production trick in the book to keep things moving – the approach at times echoing the ultra-slick delivery of Amo-era BMTH. However, hyper-modern in this context doesn’t mean over-produced and, for all of the elements the band incorporate into their sound, Monique’s delivery still feels refreshingly human. It’s followed by Cave, which sees the band pairing elements of In This Moment and Vola, the synths providing a multi-textured backdrop to the crunchy guitars. To this point, you may be tempted to think you’ve heard it all before. However, having eased the listener in, Reliqa suddenly batter the listener with the complex prog riffing of Killstar (The Cold World). While they keep things ruthlessly pared back in terms of arrangement, the dizzying technicality of the guitars underscore the ambition lurking behind the gleaming surfaces of Secrets Of The Future, providing the perfect canvas over which Monique can explore her exquisite vocal range. Next up, and nodding to Stream of Passion, The Flower is a bruising number, complete with spoken-word passage and explosive, djentish riffs. In contrast, the airy Sariah offers the first glimpse of the band’s lighter side, the dreamy guitar and understated percussion allowing us a more intimate study of Monique’s remarkable abilities. Bringing the first half to an end, Terminal may initially draw the attention with heavily arpeggiated synths, but it proves to be a more dynamic piece, the band neatly changing tempos on a knife edge, once more demonstrating their skill at keeping the listener hooked.
Opening the second half, the aptly titled Keep Yourself Awake positively explodes, the band deploying a series of hulking great riffs over which Monique delivers a stunningly multifaceted performance. Packing a good deal of the band’s myriad influences into four short minutes, if you check out just one Reliqa track, make it this absolute monster. The more melodic Crossfire has a darkly cinematic feel to it, which sees Monique’s voice soar over a lush musical backdrop. It keeps you captivated, to the extent that the massive funky bass groove of Physical lands like a punch, snapping you out of your reverie as the band deliver an incredibly visceral performance. Reliqa dial things back a notch with the airy Two Steps Apart, which finds them employing elements of post rock to add depth to an otherwise punchy anthem. The keys come to the fore for A Spark, a surprisingly hip hop influenced piece delivered with conviction and style, although there are still some cracking riffs waiting in the wings. Arguably the most diverse track on the record, it highlights just how open minded and diverse this band is. This densely packed album concludes with Upside Down, which takes Evanescence as its starting point, and infuses it with the elements of Vola and Devin Townsend, making for a suitably climactic finale.
Secrets Of The Future is an assured and impressive debut from a band who do a wonderful job of welding together their myriad influences into a comprehensive whole. Touch points abound, but over the course of these twelve tracks, Reliqa evince their own identity. After such a whirlwind offering, where they go next is anybody’s guess, but here the band demonstrate a strong grasp of how to bring technology into the fold without allowing it to overpower the core energy of their performance. It imakes for one hell of an introduction. 9/10
