ANIMUS

Ocean Architecture is a progressive metal band from Nashville, Tennessee. I will start by saying that "Animus" has been the soundrack of my summer. This album has been one of the best progressive albums I have heard released this year.

Metatheory: This song starts with a soft start beggining with clean vocals and piano. It then heads straight into driving guitars and heavy drums. This is a great instrumental start to an excellent album.

The Last Stand: The track begins with a slow atmospheric beggining and drives into a more "hardcore" portion with a good mix between clean vocals and growls and even some gang vocals. This is not my favorite but still a good addition.

Plato's Cave: This song is one of my favorites of the album. It starts with complex guitars and drums and flows into a beautiful chorus lead by clean vocals. This heads into a break in the song where the piano starts with a slow melody. The guitars and vocals add in and create a spiraling sound. The song heads back into the chorus to reunite itself with the beggining. The keys and guitars really show off there mastery of their instruments without fighting with each other for the lead.

Velvet: Wow. Velvet is by far the heavist of the album. Throughout, you can here many influences from bands like BTBAM, Dream Theater, etc. This song plays an idea and repeats it. This goes into a break down where the music stops and the words "Your eyes will never see the sun" are spoken and heads into the climax of the song and finally goes into what you think is the end. Just when you think its over, the keys start up with an "evil circus" like sound and repeats the melody. While each instrument starts to add in, it slowly gains speed and ends with a bang.

Columns of Time: This song is the softest song and is a good break in the album. The percussion and instrumental section is very intricate if you listen closely. It is lead by a beautiful piano riff and distorted guitar. You can here influences from bands like "The Reign of Kindo", "The Dear Hunter", etc. The instruments subtley get heavier and eventually heads straight into the next song, Steel Ecstacy.

Steel Ecstacy: Columns Collapse: The song speeds things up a bit starting with driving guitars and fast synth riffs. This flows into a almost symphonic sound with open guitar and piano chords and ends with a genius guitar solo. This song may have the best mix between simple melodies and complex riffs. Animus Pt. 1: I must begin by saying that these last two tracks are by far my favorites. Animus Pt 1 starts things out slow with a simple melody which is repeated throughout the last two songs. The song slowly builds and flows into a guitar solo. It then goes into a faster part of the album with a guitar riff and intense growls. As the song builds it climaxes with a powerful piano solo and a southern Jerry Lee Lewis sound.

Animus Pt. 2 It begins fairly quickly with the same recurring melody heard in the previous song. A dark intensity is built throughout the first half of the song with growls, heavy guitars, and fast synth solos and riffs.The intensity that was built thoughout the first half of the song and even throughout the album is finally released in the second half of the song. The song slows down and becomes very atmospheric with organ and clean vocals. This part slowly builds and other instruments are added on. With overlapping clean vocals and gang vocals this is a good finale to the album. Animus Pt. 2 ends with a beautiful piano part proceding gang vocals repeating the same verse: Your blinded eyes can see Your deaf ears can here Your closed mouth can speak Your mind no longer fears

If not heard, I highly suggest "Animus" to progressive metal fans. It is the one of the best debut album I have heard in years. 4.5/5