Review Summary: A rising star that hopefully won't burnout.
Progression: development toward a destination or a more advanced state.
That definition is perfect to describe Stolas' career so far. The Las Vegas band has recieved a lot of attention, being one of the pioneers of "Swancore", a subgenre of post-hardcore defined by it's eclectic guitars and drums inspired by Dance Gavin Dance. The band's first album, Living Creatures, while decent, had a few problems, notably the vocals. With Allomaternal, Stolas have proven themselves to be a force to be reckoned with, turning everything up to 11.
Stolas consists of very talented musicians, notably Sergio Madina and Jason Weiche, who both provide guitars and vocals. The smooth guitar and bass lines lace the album to counteract the barrage of chaotic drums and guitars that pounce upon your eardrums.
While listening to this album, it's easy to see the band's influences. Many parts of this album could remind one of A Lot Like Birds, but I do feel that The Mars Volta are the biggest influence to this band. The best example would be the bridge on Solunar. Most songs have a similar pattern, slow, ambient opening, nice guitar riff, energized middle section, and a slowed down ending. Is it mind blowing? no. Is it enjoyable? Hell yes.
The vocals have improved dramatically since Living Creatures. The singing is still soft and high, but sounds more confident and commanding. The screams have absolutely improved since last time. On Living Creatures, the screams while not terrible, got grating after a while. Here they are more refined and sound like actual screams, not wild yelping.
The lyrics on this album are abstract most of the time, with a lot of nature imagery. The lines are thought provoking and beautifully delivered, like how Jason softly sings "The surface, the texture, the stern rigidity of stone" on Solunar or the powerfully delivered "We start to bloom just before we rot" on Fair Chase. These guys aren't just lyricists, they're poets, and I love what they bring to the table.
Overall, Stolas hit it out of the park on this album, taking everything that worked on Living Creatures and refining it. After listening to this album, it's no wonder that Will Swan has been promoting these guys, they have something to add to the genre, and I have no doubt that they will continue to progress and refine as they continue their journey.
