EARTHBORN EVOLUTION

Progressive/ Technical Death Metal a la Canada. *French* Canadians, in fact lol. These crazy motherf*ckers will thankfully crop up just about anywhere on the planet. We shouldn't ever take it for granted. At times throughout, absolutely fantastic. Some great balance and some notable compositional excellence (diverse and dynamic); see my must-hear tracks below.

I have to mention the vocals. Backing provided by guitarist Kevin Chartré are a sharp, piercing, and fittingly ugly post-Thrash, Schuldiner-esque growl, wonderfully complimenting the guttural dirges of lead vocalist (and guitarist) Simon Girard. All of the performers are talented, no doubt, but good God! I would say immediately personally noted, the bass (then Dominic "Forest" Lapointe) is incredible! Hard for me not to make comparison to the late great Sean Malone (Cynic, Gordian Knot). Nothing is made in a vacuum and, also still, this is a great compliment, of course.

No track on this album, I feel, slips into the hokey or overly (obnoxious) aggressive tendencies of many in modern Prog Metal. Even today, it's really very refreshing to my ears. I always want to know to whom guys of their ilk look (those most technical and even jazz-inclined within Metal). Who are their references for fusiony passages like track 6, "Abstrait Dialog"? I hate to assume (as much as I adore him and his work) that it's all Holdsworth; I'm sure I'm just being cynical and weird about it. But I am simply curious. Unexpectedly, these moments feel they could be interludinal material you might find on a Contortionist album.

To reiterate, not a bad song on this album, but I'm more than happy to give out the necessities.

Absolute must-hears: (2) "Sous La Lueur De L'empereur", (3) "Earthborn Evolution", (9) "Theatrical Delirium"

 Other highlights: (1) "Elusive Reverence," (6) "Abstrait Dialog," (7) "The Axiom"