CIRCADIAN

How can music be this technically sophisticated yet so melodic, colorful, and imaginative at the same time? This is the question Aaron Marshall, the virtuoso guitar mastermind behind Intervals, has been moving listeners to ask themselves since exploding onto the instrumental modern progressive metal scene in the early 2010's. On Interval's latest record, Circadian, Aaron takes his signature blend of Steve Vai-inspired lead guitar, djenty rhythm sections, and pop-punk-inspired melodies to their greatest heights, rivaling and, in many respects, even surpassing the greatest output of his peers in the instrumental modern progressive metal scene including Plini, early Polyphia, Chimp Spanner, and David Maxim Micic.

While every single track on this record showcases brilliant skill and songwriting, three songs deserve special mention: 5-HTP, Lock & Key, and Earthing. 5-HTP kicks off the record in the same fun and explosive way we've been accustomed to on previous Intervals records. Lock & Key showcases arguably one of the best riffs ever written by Aaron. And Earthing, the record's closer, showcases an emphatically out-of-this-Earth chorus that, despite leaving you breathless, will have you begging to start the record all over again. I am simply overjoyed to make Circadian my first 5-star review of 2020.