PERMUTATIONS

The Mercury Tree is an American progressive rock band that finds its roots in Portland, Oregon. The band is a trio that first started out as a solo project of Ben Spees in 2004. The project turned into a full band in 2006 with the addition of two more members. After the release of four short works, "Five Seven" in 2007, "Eerie" and "Eerie B-Sides" in 2009 and "Descent" in 2010, The Mercury Tree released their debut album "Pterodactyls" in 2011, followed by a short live tour in the West Coast. The Mercury Tree's second album, "Freeze In Phantom Form" was released in 2012. It was followed by "Countenance", "Permutations" and "Spidermilk". These albums were released in 2014, 2016 and 2019, respectively.

So, "Permutations" is the fourth studio album of The Mercury Tree and was released in 2016. The line up on the album is Ben Spees (vocals, guitar and keyboards), Oliver Campbell (backing vocals and bass) and Connor Reilly (drums). The album had also the participation of Aaron Clark (space guitar) and Tony Mowe (alto and baritone saxophones).

Almost two years after "Countenance", The Mercury Tree was back with a new album called "Permutations". This album proves one thing. This act definitely represents one of the most innovative prog bands on the current scene. The Mercury Tree is another of those bands that creates great music but they do not get enough recognition for that. The unique mix of progressive rock, post-metal, math rock, experimental and spacey psychedelic is what this trio from Portland is known for since the release of their debut EP back in 2007, "Five Seven", and it's something that they continued doing with "Permutations". The band obviously doesn't give a damn about any stylistic limitations in their music, and although their tracks are rather lengthy, it gives them enough time and space to make different experiments.

"Permutations" has ten tracks. The first track "Symptoms" shows off the best of what the album has to offer. It's utterly frantic and intensely emotional. It shows post-progressive rock contrasted with avant-garde and psychedelic ambiance. It doesn't take much for the band to show the beauty of improvisation, as the lengthy song format possibly gives an insight into the band's song writing process. The second track "Exhume The Worst" comes the closest to the band's alt-rock roots. The thick atmosphere, quietly mixed singing with some screamed backing vocals, pedal effects and disorienting rhythms, all make of it a truly unique track on the genre. The third track, the title track, takes the album into a strange territory. It opens with some languid guitars that soon give way to King Crimson-esque interlocking guitar and keyboard lines, building an insane climax. The deranged feeling this track provides is taken even further with sudden tempo changes. The fourth track "Ether/Ore" enter to a land of dislocated strangeitude. Probably, "Ether/Ore" is even more original than "Permutations" is. It's strange and odd but it's great too. The fifth track "Placeholder" is a spacey ballad, finally providing a break from the aural chaos. The bitter lyrics are sung in a numb and detached manner, leaving the listener floating in space until he finally manages to muster the energy to address with the rest of the album. The sixth track "Unintelligible" features numerous sudden shifts in mood and dynamic, from soaring melodies with stuttering yelled vocals, all ending with a disorienting tempo decrease. The seventh track "Sympathesizer" keeps that tempo play going, as it changes tempos through its entire duration while still managing to be probably the album's most accessible track. The eighth track "Seek And Release" is another track that develops into another strange and new territory in contrast with the previous track. But it's enjoyable enough in its willingness experiment and whilst remaining accessible, logical, unpredictable, surprising and exciting. The ninth track "Prometheist" has a great guitar and bass works. However, despite its clear quality, I feel like that it's probably a bit underwhelming and could benefit the album from being cut just for brevity's sake. Somehow, it feels like it treads similar ground to the preceding tracks. The tenth track "Deep Five" closes the album in a good way. This is a track that reminds me the style of King Crimson with a great keyboard work. The bass and the drum sections are also excellent. The vocal harmonies are excellent too.

Conclusion: "Permutations" is absolutely a crushing album but at the same time is a constructive and creative release full of energy and power. On this album, the band owns the sound by making it obedient, what's shown through the unification of all the diverse parts. The great thing about The Mercury Tree ultimately marks their ability to let them drift playfully and thus express emotionally everything that can be imagined. That makes their music extremely human and just as diverse as each of us really is. "Permutations" represents something against the monotony and over-one-comb scissors that the world, and we ourselves, and everyday life try to present to us. The Mercury Tree definitely has a lot to offer with "Permutations". It serves as a way for The Mercury Tree explores their more experimental tendencies. There's no question that the band is at the top of their game, and "Permutations" is surely one of their greatest achievements.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

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