Review Summary: Prog rock that rocks?! In this economy?!!
If there’s one word that tends to come to mind when I consider progressive music (
especially progressive metal), it’s invariably
why? The trappings and styles of the genre are so old-hat at this point that much of the genre’s nomenclature seems to either to point either to recreating what passed for progressive years ago, or towards prodding today’s kids ever deeper into their music theory books in order to keep up with the technicality-driven development of the world’s most self-contained arms race. The growth of the genre has become increasingly led by groups partial to aggression and heaviness as vehicles for both intensity and technicality, which has often been undermined by its correlation with countless bedroom guitarists who, to be frank, do not seem as though they’d feel comfortable in their own mosh pits (in the event that they played live in the first place). Often it seems as though this manner of distortion happy, hard rocking prog is aimed more at the
idea of intensity and excitement than it is at delivering anything that could actually be experienced as such in person. I don’t mean to imply that the end goal of any genre should be its realisation in concert, but the way heavier prog lacks of this impression is symptomatic of its lack of visceral impact or general liveliness.
This is worthwhile to bear in mind, because it goes to show how welcome a band bright and confident enough to clear the air and put breathe a little life into things will seem in the face of these notions prog as a cluttered-headspace genre. On their first EP, the hard rocking prog trio Telescopium’s answer to all the above considerations and caveats is, much after my own heart, a best-foot-forward policy of
who cares. Self-described with reasonable accuracy as ‘Prog ’n’ Roll’, the group have come up with a series of succinct tracks performed with energy and precision in a language (both musical and lyrical) tightly bound up with traditional prog. Crucially, they come across as both competent and enlivened to the degree that these tracks carry all the hallmarks of live bangers and avoid the pitfalls of overdub-ridden mould that lives and dies on the walls of the recording studio; this is outgoing prog with the energy and liveliness to reach out to the wider world.
The focal point of Telescopium’s sound is far and away Parthan Shiv’s dual performance as vocalist and sole guitarist. Throughout the EP, Shiv displays a tangible eagerness to fill both roles as though each were his primary focus. In
Superman Returns, for instance, he takes up the mantle of stadium-ready rock vocalist as he reaches for epic heights on the song’s hyperbolic chorus, whereas on the generally fantastic
Ashes and Embers he pushes his songwriting to another level as far as the guitar is concerned, showing off a chameleonic range of melodic leads that develops compelling and cohesively throughout the track in a fashion that brings to mind in the fashion of similarly outgoing prog tracks such as Dream Theater’s
About to Crash or Frost*’s
Black Light Machine. On the other hand, opening miniepic
Andromeda explores both dimensions as though mapping out the whole spectrum of the band’s sonic palette as a reference point for the other tracks, each of which focuses more on one or two particular facet(s). It’s a smart opening tactic and orientates the rest of the EP very coherently. Shiv also shows a certain restraint when it comes to realising
everything himself, and his decision to step back and invite other players into the fold for guest solos is well-gauged and introduces a welcome variety of character and technique. Nick Lee (Moon Tooth) and Leo John both stand out in their their respective songs (
FIGHT!! and
Sea and Sky) with flashy performances that add flair and colour without stealing the spotlight for
too long.
Sea and Sky in particular is a standout track, balancing the tone of a melancholic ballad with uplifting leads and a gently momentous progression, all culminating in a beautiful closing section with one of the album’s finest solos. This song, following on from
Ashes and Embers, makes for a highly satisfying conclusion, and it is generally encouraging to see a young band stepping into the confidence required to back-load their first release this way.
Needless to say, Signs of Life is not without its flaws. While its downbeat moments are fully formed and enjoyable, the EP feels a little less convincing when it holds its foot on the gas with full zealousness; it has a comfort zone of mid-to-full throttle rock jams but it falters somewhat when it pushes to raise the stakes on this. While
Goodbye enters snappy, high octane musical territory with a meaner tone that the lyrics can’t quite match up to to the same degree,
Andromeda briefly introduces harsh vocals that lack the confidence and tightness of performance of the cleans and instrumentals across the board. These are fairly minor moments in the scheme of the EP, but they stick out all the same. There are also occasional songwriting hiccups, as though abrupt stylistic departures have been shoehorned in for the sake of variety. A good example of this is the volte-face pulled by
FIGHT! as it serves into a solo section that sees its previous swagger and gusto drop off the map only to launch back into the next bridgeas though nothing had happened since the last. In fairness, this section is so individually enjoyable that its insertion is more bemusing than actively offsetting, but unlike other sections, it does not seem to be in dialogue with the rest of its track. Finally, the ongoing guitar/vocal assault that dominates the band’s writing leaves little room for the rhythm section to shine. Bassist Lenny Trinceri and drummer Michael Liberatore don’t put a foot wrong, but their involvement feels a little close to that of a support act. That’s not to say that they’re without their moments - the bass licks in the opening of
Superman Returns, for instance, or the groovy understatement of the drums during the [i]FIGHT![/b] solo section - but the guitar does so much of the legwork that I can’t help but wonder how much potential there might be for a more balanced attitude to writing and arrangement here; Telescopium certainly seem to have what it takes to pull it off.
In any case, Signs of Life has both the character and proficiency it takes to make its mark as a strong debut outing. The foundations of Telescopium’s sound are impressively developed to the extent that any room for improvement can be viewed in constructive terms and good faith, and as such I look forward to seeing how the band grows in future. I’m sure they have a circuit of killer live shows to follow this up with in the meantime, but I have the sense that the freshness and energy that this EP carries in spades will lead them onto interesting developments.
