LIMINAL

From the recommendation of several contributors at progarchives, I decided to listen to this new album from the Exivious. This Netherlands-based outfit are definitely hard to peg in terms of genre. Their style is heavy, but not in the way of normal tech metal or progressive metal bands. There isn't much in the way of riffing or pretentious, cheesy cliches. Exivious are completely different, really.

Their new album, "Liminal", is an instrumental affair that is always interesting and spell- binding. Indeed, I think that is the most impressive aspect here: The music grabs holds and doesn't let go. Exivious builds a wonderful wall of sound using finger-splitting guitar work, offbeat drumming with amazing fills, and incredible bass work. One of the things you will notice right away is the fact that Exivious is VERY comfortable with VERY odd time signatures. The first track, "Entrust", is an easy example of this, as the song never quite feels "right" the first time through, but then your mind will grasp the beat in all of its intangible glory in subsequent listens. In the end, the composition is genius and absolutely mind-boggling to perform.

The album never really stops, though. "One's Glow" and "Alphaform" continue the incredible composition, though I feel that they are slightly more accessible. Track after track full of instrumental fireworks passes by, and the listener is blown away time and again by the fullness of the sound and the ease with which the band establishes an odd groove. This band has a penchant for creating groovy atmospheres that blow right over your head, but then come back and smack you in the spine with their genius.

All of that, however, is also the problem with this album. The band never STOPS. There is a total lack of soul and emotion to the music, and so it comes out feeling machine-like and frigid. There isn't any meaning to the music, and there isn't much (if any) melody, either. If that's okay with you, then listen, by all means. However, I end up feeling nothing from this album, except for maybe befuddlement. It's a great album through and through, but I look to get more from an album then just technical wonder. It all comes down to what you want, and this album doesn't fit the bill for me personally.