A SCEPTIC'S UNIVERSE

Yeah Baaaaaby. This-is-it!! A masterpiece for sure. Unlike Meshuggah, Martyr, Theory in Practice and many other bands in this category, Spiral Architect can be separated from the pact by the fact that they have keyboards and use them to great effect in their very challenging and aggressive style of music. Also the fact that singer (Oyvind Hageland) never uses the now cliché and certainly over-used "Death Vox" that dominates/permeates this type of music. That's not to say his voice is silky smooth, oh no, not by a long shot. Oyvind's voice is as intense as it is powerful. Staying mostly in the mid-range level and occasionally reaching stellar peaks and low valleys. He has a way of conjuring up a menacing inflection to songs that are almost evil in a cold, computer, Si-Fi kind of way. Now, onto the drumming. Oh my f*$$ing god!! Asgeir Mickelson is over the top (which is exactly what these songs need). As a drummer myself of 25 years and having this CD for the last 4, I still have trouble understanding exactly what Asgeir is doing at times. This is progressive metal drumming of unbelievable precision, accuracy, mathematics and finesse. Bassist Lars Norberg is all over the neck of his instrument punctuating staccato drum fills and ascents with an almost jazz fusion style but laying down the bottom end when it's called for (which aint much at that). He is also a main songwriter. Co-writing 6 of the 9 songs and sole writer to their best song (at least in this reviewer opinion) "Insect" There are too guitarist, Steinar Gundersen and Kaj Gornitzka and they create a guitar orchestra of sorts. Never getting in the way of one another, instead they intertwine through and around each other in a very unusual and dementedly musical way. Spiral Architect do a lot of what the Cynic did in 93. That is.. To sometimes put jazz elements into the instrumental sections of their songs. High tech-jazz/metal anyone!!!?? With tempo changes galore, more time signature changes then the average musician can comprehend and some truly great song writing. Spiral Architect are a band taking Tech. Metal to uncharted territories. Unfortunately it has been 5 years and there's not even a hint of a new album anytime soon, if at all, again like Cynic, one CD seems to be all we'll get. Oh, by the way, Sean Malone. The great bass player for Cynic guest's on one song "Occam's Razor" playing the Chapman Stick. Steve S.