ALBEDO ADAPTATION

Miosis is a solid band with a solid debut album. Despite the longer-than-average tracks, I wouldn't exactly consider this progressive music (certainly not experimental / post metal), even though it is occasionally more complex and interesting than a typical rock album. That said, the interplay between the electric guitars and the bass is highly imaginative. The distorted guitars are crisp and never muddy, and the drumming is beyond competent. The vocals are decent, but don't exactly thrill me, as they sound like a weak Ozzy Osbourne. In conclusion, this is a somewhat above-average album that is good while it lasts, but doesn't leave a lasting impression.

"State of Lacuna" Straight from there beginning, there is a quiet intensity. With such subtle urgency, it is easy to expect an impending blast of distortion, but it only becomes moderately heavy, and the vocals are at once powerful and rather pleasant. The instrumentation relies on dynamics rather than aggression, and this makes for a remarkable first tune.

"Once Divine" The band saves the harder metal for the second track- probably a wise move, since it allows the listener to hear another dimension. It isn't nearly as great as the previous track, but it's good.

"Our Floods" This somewhat heavy track sounds like a cross between modern King Crimson and Ozzy Osbourne- not a bad combination, really. The Tool influence is quite clear.

"Benandanti" A creative riff begins this beastly track. It stays generally heavy throughout, and although I think it a wee too long for its own good, it's one I really enjoy.

"Flow" The opening guitar is fantastic, with exotic-sounding bends and crackling distortion. Again, it's the relationship between the guitars and the bass that makes this what it is- a magnificent and inspired piece of music.

"The Lucid" Hard-hitting right from the beginning, this song has a great sound but a somewhat trite chord progression. Continuing in this way makes for a solid but ultimately unexciting track. Even the main riff gets repetitive (and then, as a bonus, gets paired with that chord progression).

"Red" The lengthiest track has a brief atmospheric opening, which gets interrupted by a mid-tempo series of sludgy guitars and light synthesizer. There is a subtle counterpoint vocal in one section that's quite cool, and I enjoy how the piece employs both quiet and heavy sections. Still, like most of this album, this song doesn't leave much of a lasting impression at all. Fans of recent Porcupine Tree will likely find a great deal to relish.