S.U.S.A.R.

A very interesting debut by a promising polish band. Music of Indukti lies somewhere between Larks' era King Crimson's visionary and Tool's complexity. And while not sounding either as adventurous as the former or spiritual as the latter, they develop a very intriguing sound.

There are seven songs on S.U.S.A.R. and most of them are instrumental. Freder starts off with harp intro and futures a marvelous vocalization in the middle of the composition by Riverside front man Mariusz Duda. His guest appearance is also notable on two other songs: Cold Inside...I and Shade. Both no. 11812 and no. 11811 are very Crimson sounding (with an excellent violin work by Ewa Jablonska), while Uluru and ...and Weak II reminds more Tool with its aggressive and crunchy dual guitar assault.

S.U.S.A.R. has some flaws, though. Some o the compositions are undeveloped. The musicians sometimes overspill tunes into extra minutes that were never needed. The most notable examples are the two last tracks. Despite this, Indukti's debut is very powerful (to retain the energy of a live performance, S.U.S.A.R. was recorded live in the studio) and I hope to hear more of them soon. Definitely good, but not quite essential.

Excellent! Indukti gives me what i'm really hungry for, music food with spices of Crimson (Red and Thrak) and Tool. Power food that fills me and still makes me hungry for more! Hoping for any live release (CD and DVD) and a 2nd release soon. THANK YOU from the U.S.!

Man, I'm amazed... I'm not very familiar with Polish music, but after the big hit Riverside albums were, I'm trying to know some more about the music that comes from that country (Poland).

As a 70's Symphonic-Prog die-hard fan, I never thought I would enjoy Riverside, maybe they sounded too cliché at the first time I listened to them, but then, some days after my first listen, I catched myself singing some of their songs, and that's when I noticed they're kinda good, then I gave it another chance, and WOW, all those cliché together actually works, and now I can really enjoy then if I don't expect too much original stuff.

Anyway, when I started looking out for more Polish bands I crossed on some works like Quidam, Collage, Lizard, and I really enjoyed it, but they all sounded too British too me... Not that British bands sound bad, not at all, they're my favorite after all, but I was looking for different music.

Then I found this one-album band, 2 reviews, weird name, but with a beautiful mordern cover, that's what catched my attention, but then I started to read the descriptions, and when I checked the line-up I had a delicious surprise, the name "Mariusz Duda" on the guest musicians part, that made me want to listen to them immediately, since I thought that as sucessful on Riverside as Mariusz was he wouldn't participate in any little project.

After buying the CD I was anxious to listen to it, waiting for something like Riverside, that would be nice to listen untill they release their next album, but no, it wasn't much like it. When I pushed play a beautiful harp mellody started to flow through my room, very clean and relaxing, then after a few second comes the guitar, very Tool like, not too heavy, kinda like it's just preparing the listener's ear to what's yet to come, then an amazing violin starts to fly, everything very unpredictable, it was just that kind of music I was looking for! Then, after a few seconds, Chaos explodes! But a beautiful and organized kind of chaos, with violins and harps together as if they were one, contrasting to the heavy guitar riffs and the drum work (very good by the way), it all goes on in almost a hypnotizing way, that keeps the listener's butt glued to the chair and the heart dancing, some time later comes what I was expecting for in the first time, Duda's voice, and man... It's even more beautiful than in Riverside, very beautiful, almost as if he was just playing with his voice. Then again it explodes! Everything becomes chaos, even the vocals start to get dirty, at this time my eyes were already shining, I don't know how to perfect express it with words, you just have to listen for yourself.

On some parts it reminds me very much of Anathema's Judgement, and even some Devin Townsend works, but never too likely, it's a very different and original kind of music, and that's why I think it's an excellexnt addition to any prog music collection, It's not a 5 star album, but Damn! It's a debut... From a Poland band! Anyway, to me it's still better and much more interesting than any Riverside album.

If you're tired of bands that copy each others style, just give this abum some time and you'll realize how good they are, and how delicious their music can be.

Wow...this has become the lost Tool release for me. Incredible power that just floors you in the Tool, Meshuggah and King Crimson 'Red' musical tradition. The dynamics are all here but in a unique, original way with the violin and harp adding a gentle ebbing of the tide but then a buildup comes and then slaps your head against the wall mixed with dual edged guitar work, dynamic drumming and low end bass work in a 'wall of sound' mix. Dark, beautiful melodies, a lot of contrasts within the dynamics and changing time signatures. The singing, from the Riverside vocalist, has a calming tone and can be the life preserver around your waist as you ride a mind blowing wave...one after the other. It's been a week and i can't bring myself to eject this from the car player...a new experience with every listen. So indescribable, so unique that each of us can have a personal transcending experience within this. Let's get behind this Polish band and look forward and encourage a 2nd release. What a hard to follow debut!

This effort is impressive, to say the least. When I first heard this record I cursed all those who should have recommended it to me earlier! Indukti is a Polish prog metal band with a twist: excellent compositions that are simultaneously technical and ethereal. As an added bonus, they have a violin, which adds a surprising amount of fine texture to the already thick compositions.

The album starts with the instrumental rocker 'Freder', a track that establishes the band's technical prowess as well as their ear for structure. 'Cold Inside' introduces the guest vocalist from Riverside. His vocals are good overall, but they aren't what they could be. Honestly I would favor them more if they were less plentiful and less present in the mix. The melody is a nice addition, but I think the violin already provides plenty of it. 'No. 11812' is another brilliant instrumental that flows through several complex changes. The next track is another one I feel I would like better without vocals. The singer's voice reminds me too much of a Creed-era alt rock band on this one. 'Uluru' is yet another fine instrumental piece featuring some really incredible work from all the instrumentalists, particularly the violin and bass. Some of the most interesting and complicated violin work I have ever heard is contained in the track 'No. 11811' (though I don't pretend to be any sort of expert on violin music). The final track is also excellent.

This is a fantastic debut from this band, who should appeal to all fans of prog metal, particularly Tool fans, as well as fans of psychedelic/space rock. The one major flaw with this album in my opinion is the inclusion of any vocalist. Brilliant instrumental bands should realize what they've got and not ruin it with a mediocre singer or uninspired lyrics. This album is not absolutely essential, but is quite excellent, and I look forward to hearing more from this band!

INDUKTI isa Prog-Metal band?Then I'm a Prog-Metal die-hard fan!!! :-))) OK,don't know about Metal,but there's as much Prog as you can imagine!!!A bombastic mixture of early ANEKDOTEN with TOOL gave a bit predictable but fine result - one of the best releases from the year 2005!!!God,I love Poland!!!I'm so jealous - we're neighbours,but there's something wrong with Ukrainian Prog scene,because there's no one AT ALL :-( !!! OK,back to INDUKTI - superb musicianship,"live-at-the-studio" record,huge potential and unquestionable talent(the only flaw is lame cover artwork).I want some more from them!!!Highly recommended!!!

This is one of the best records I have heard in some time. I just am having trouble expressing in words what my ears have heard. Often when a new band comes upon the scene and everybody is raving about them, it's all hype. You finally get the record and you wonder what the fuss was all about, the expectations were too high. Well I can asure you this Polish band surpassed my expectations and then some.

The first song "Freder" starts softly with some gentle harp (is there any other kind ?) then around the two minute mark they start to kick in.THEY'VE KICKED IN ! Big time ! Then the violin comes in, then they back off, then they kick in again ! The violin plays over the heavy drums and guitar. Absolutely loving it ! "Cold Inside" is a beautiful dreamy song with acoustic guitars and the amazing warm voice of RIVERSIDE's Duda. Great song !

"No-11812" is an instrumental. Scorching guitar with drums out front and heavy, and lots of great violin play. "Shade" features Duda again, and you can't help but be reminded of RIVERSIDE. "Uluru" is bone crushingly heavy, I love the combination of bass guitar and drums with some great guitar lines thrown in the mix topped off with a hefty dose of violin. "No-11811" is another fantastic instrumental. We're not worthy ! Next up is "Weak", the longest track and part 2 of the second song "Cold Inside". I like the bass playing on this one and it ends as the record opened with some harp melodies.

This is a masterpiece, i'm so impressed. Bravo !

3,5 stars really!

Indukti's debut album has been promoted by Laser's Edge with the description that the music lies somewhere between Crimson, Tool and Neurosis. Somehow good (for this young talented band) that I haven't read this before buying it since only the first name would have triggered my interest. On the other hand there might be no better comparison and for sure all these bands have in common that they're making dark music. I would say what Indukti is offering us here does not sound quite as versatile and adventurous as Crimson, but like them they're using violin as an addition what does as well Neurosis whose music's a bit too much doom metal-oriented and humdrum though. Certainly Tool will come to one's mind when listening to this album, but especially due to the addition of violin and harp Indukti's music sounds much warmer than theirs and therefore could fascinate me right from the beginning whereas Tool still fails to hit my attraction after numerous trials.

"Freder" opens the album in a very untypical way (at least for Progmetal) with harp (!). Actually I hardly recall any band in this sub-genre using that instrument, I think German band Haggard did sometimes. After this very soft introduction bass and violin play are setting in slowly and the track moves into more heavy territory with bone-crushing dual guitar attacks. The violin and wordless vocals (probably provided by guest-singer Mariusz Duda) are contributing a nice oriental touch in a way. But taking away the violin and harp this track leaves some kind of deja-vu. Overall not a bad one but not extraordinary either since it's becoming a bit too uniform after a few spins. (7/10)

"Cold Inside." reminds very strongly to Riverside not only due to the fact that the singer is the same. A nice atmospheric song but after a few spins not that much convincing anymore. And though I like Duda's vocals very much I've to say there are much better songs than this one on Riverside's second album. (6/10)

"No. 11812" is so far the strongest track starting again with harp play by guest Anna Faber followed by very nice and soaring bass/violin interplay. Then there are a few heavy guitar attacks thrown in and the awesome and ecstatic violin provided by Ewa Jablonska is omnipresent throughout the rest of the track. Just a pity that overall this one becomes once again too uniform which keeps me off from giving it the full score (8/10)

"Shade" is another track with vocals by Mariusz Duda and like "Cold Inside" one of the shorter ones and another one that's only quite nice but anything special either. I must say that these two vocal songs are a bit redundant on here and if I like to listen to his voice I'd prefer "Second Life Syndrome" instead. Probably this (already quite good) debut album would have become even stronger if the band would have kept it fully instrumental and made the compositions a bit more versatile and elaborate instead. (6/10)

"Uluru" starts with some didgeridoo and continues with powerful (but not that much inspired) drumming, furious violin play and heavy guitar riffing. This is a quite heavy track compared to most of the rest of the album, at least in its first two thirds. In its last third a few pads of harp tunes are thrown in again and this instrument is closing as well the track after a short silence. Once again a bit more of variation would have raised the score. (7/10)

"No. 11811" starts with some staccato rhythms by guitar before violin is setting in with a nice soaring atmosphere accompanied. Around the middle of the track the tempo is raised up and it becomes quite heavy but unfortunately as well a bit uniform. Still next to its "twin brother" in title one of the highlights on this album. (8/10)

".and weak II" is actually the second part of "Cold Inside." and therefore repeating the same theme just without vocals here but played very well on violin and dual guitars. Once again this track's going more up-tempo after a while before some amplifier effects followed by harp tunes are closing it. I prefer this one a lot to its first part I've to say and somehow it represents a perfect closure for this album. (7/10)

The bonus video is a nice animation about a cute little robot but actually not that great to change anything about the overall rating. So finally I come to a rating of 70 % for this fine debut of this young and talented Polish band. It's not an excellent album nor would I consider it an essential one but I'd like to say that Indukti is certainly a very promising band with highly skilled musicians and I'm still expecting great things to come from them.

4.5 stars. I saw this band being compared with Riverside, since both are Polish bands. So, I decided to give their debut S.U.S.A.R. a try. After listening to it, I realized that this is one of the more unique bands I had ever heard.

S.U.S.A.R. is a very special album, as it does not sound very similar to anything else. At times, I find the bass to be a little reminiscent of Tool, but that's about it. This is without a doubt a metal band, unlike Riverside who have moments of metal. One of the most prevalent instruments in this is the violin, and it is very good. It's definitely one of the unique qualities of this band. The best song here is the opener, "Freder", a song that starts out softly with a harp playing and then intensifies quickly into heavy playing. I don't feel like reviewing all of the songs, but this is a very strong debut for Indukti.

Inspired septet that carves chunks of molten rock while carefully balancing under a delicate chamber duo.. and they do something else, they make it work. Finally someone has made a heavy metal record that is both truly metal and truly progressive (though many would argue it is neither). Not to mention pristinely recorded, intricately arranged, and laced throughout with lovely passages of harp (Anna Faber), violin (Ewa Jablonska) and the rivet-tight rhythms of Maciek Adamczyk (bass) and Wawrzyniec Dramowicz (drums). But lest we forget this is a metal band, the guitars of Piotr Kocimski and Maciej Jaskiewicz bring us back into the fight as this Polish dreadnaught smashes its way to the front of the Progmetal stage and pushes a much-maligned genre forward. Some Tool, some Crimson, a dash of Riverside and a drop or two of NeBeLNeST - though not as vocal-oriented as most of those groups - and you've got yourself a scrumptious meal that will fill you up and warm your tummy.

I've been Indukted, and I think you should be an Induktee, too...

Now, I am not generally what you would call a metal fan. When I do listen to metal, it's usually a classic like Black Sabbath, or Iron Maiden. So, when someone told me I had to check out INDUKTI, I was skeptical. However, since I was going to be seeing them live, I felt obligated. Oh what a pleasant surprise. Of course there was a chance I was going to like it, but I never expected to absolutely love it.

This band is heavy, and can blow your eardrums out, but they are also capable of the most delicate beauty. The most obvious reason for this is the fact that they have a violinist. But, that is not the only explanation. This group is made up of excellent musicians, and the compositions are extremely well crafted. The music can take you from a speed metal jam-out to a bit of quiet melancholia, and you won't even flinch. It is all on the dark side, but there is a beautiful poignancy in much of it. Complexity is also a key factor. They could hold their own with many of my Symphonic faves. Just to mix things up, there are also a few Middle-Eastern sounds thrown in here and there. But, I guess you would have to say that it is indicative of the current Eastern European prog scene. I don't know what's going on over there, but it's inspiring some great music (especially in Poland).

The only downside is that it does get a bit repetitive at times. I say, so what? This is one album that could be put on continuous repeat, and I wouldn't mind. It's a fantastic debut, and has me very exited to see what they will do on the follow up. Honestly, this is a 4.5 star album. My policy is to round up, so it gets five.

H.T. Riekels

I've only recently heard this band on a ROIO from a certain Progressive Rock Festival and the performance and composition I thought were very high indeed. Blew me away actually. Frankly this band rocks very powerfully and beautifully. A metal band that do not sacrifice subtlety for power. Not many of those are there? When they fire the guns the blast is there and some but there are moments of beauty not just in the quieter delicate moments but during the powerful and strong rhythms courtesy of some exquisite violin playing providing melodies that are unique and strong. Clearly integral to the sound.

Logically compared to the 72- 74 Crimson they succeed where Fripp thought KC might have failed in that he said a "violin is not an instrument of heavy metal." Well opinions differ there of course, but after the pioneering classical metal of Crimson there is now Indukti who have moved this genre on and really ensured the violin is not just an adjunct to the rest of the band. It's integral to the music and sound.

I am not familiar with Riverside, whose singer guests on this album. In fact after learning there was a singer I was a bit concerned. Here is a band that functions best without a singer. Or at least, so far. Still the guest singer does fine enough, no complaints at all. The tracks are somewhat uniform in that it really is an instrumental concept album, a cohesive effort. So therefore it has certain characteristics that provide that identity. The album does have a powerful climax and is really well paced. It's also well produced and a great listen.

My only gripe with S.U.S.A.R. is the album is a mere 47 minutes long and frankly if there is music as interesting and compelling as this I would hope for a longer second album. It's too short!

Well no chance of this becoming a mainstream household name but Indukti should thrive on their own terms anyway. This album I thought was phenomenal and I can hardly wait for the second. I do think it's important to note that it's not easy for rock bands to be totally original. They have influences as do everyone but Indukti build a unique platform based on those influences to be an entity in their own right.

And I know they can also play in concert, really superb. . Well done. Now that's what I call progressive.

So, onto the rating. If there was some more instrumental variety, classical guitar for example I would give it five. But it's damn near essential. Probably 4 1/2 stars but I can't be mean, not on something that really hit home so decisively. Besides on its own terms its spot on so any wishful thinking on my part is irrelevant to my rating it anything lower than what I have.

"I'm running with my shade, crying out, howling out to find the place"

SUSAR is all about textures and the shades can be subtle. The grey-purple colors of the front and back cover are indicative, the music being wave after wave of heavy sound and imagery, blighted industrial buildings, leaden-smoke.like riding on a bullet train into a black hole. There are contrasts in the "color" of the sound and there is motion, both of which are depicted in the cover and exhaustively pursued over the spread of the album. Crimson and Tool are oft-mentioned in reviews of this album but don't let those associations form a notion for you. There are metal, space rock, industrial, and experimental elements at play here and SUSAR defies easy explanation.

Strap on your seat belts. Tracks average around 7 minutes in length and are primarily instrumental. I can really only describe the music in an abstract and general manner, as a whole. Tracks will have mellower passages that build, bit by bit, layer by layer, until reaching often crushing sledge-hammer riffage. The double guitar assault is primarily chunk rhythm and riff based leaving the violin to act as the soloing vehicle, which is one aspect that gives SUSAR a unique sound. The bass and drums are both superb and inventive adding much to the construction of these architectural sound pieces. Vocals are used sparsely and provide yet another shade when they do come in, the lyrics being dreamy and dark. Anna Faber contributes sections on the harp which succeed in bringing an exotic feel to the table. The most prevalent "shade" is tension, frenetic, gnawing, without much relief. The violins really impart this nervewracking experience, almost like the soundtrack of a dream where you're being chased. It is not always pleasant and I have to be in the mood or the tension can just drive me batty. But it is a unique and interesting slab of prog metal that deserves a chance to woo you. I appreciate the album being under 50 minutes in length, the band realizing that always throwing 75 minutes at a listener because the technology avails it is not necessary doing anyone any favors.

Recommended to any fan of heavy, crushing, chilling, (mostly) instrumental, sometimes dissonant mood metal.

"S.U.S.A.R" is the debut full-length studio album by Polish progressive rock act Indukti. The album was released through the independent label Off the Records in September 2004, but saw an international release through The Laser's Edge in September 2005. Indukti was originally founded under the Vein monicker, but changed their name to Indukti in 1999. They´ve released a demo and a couple of independent EPs before the release of this album.

The music on the album is predominantly instrumental prog rock with slight metal leanings. The metal elements are reduced to the occasional power chord metal riff section, so it´s not a dominant part of the band´s music. In that respect Indukti reminds me of another contemporary Polish act in Riverside who also plays progressive rock with occassional use of more metal oriented riffing. Riverside frontman Mariusz Duda guests on "S.U.S.A.R" which further enhances the validity of that comparison. To my ears the tracks where Mariusz Duda guests, which are "Cold Inside...I" and "Shade", could more or less have been Riverside tracks, while the predominantly longer instrumental tracks, which make out the rest of the 7 track, 47:43 minutes long album, all feature moments that sound similar to Riverside´s sound but it´s on those tracks where Indukti begins to show some of their own identity. The album features a dark mood throughout and it´s generally a very atmospheric release.

Indukti´s lineup includes a violinist in Ewa Jablonska (in addition to "regular" rock instrumentation of guitars, bass, and drums) who has a big part in creating the band´s sound. The rest of the band are very well playing too though and the interplay between the band members is generally on a very high level. "S.U.S.A.R" features a well sounding production too, and upon conclusion it´s through and through a high quality album. The music could maybe have prospered from a slightly more personal sound, and with that in mind the choice to include Duda as a guest vocalist probably wasn´t the wisest choice if the band didn´t want Riverside comparisons thrown at them, but everything else on this album screams quality, and therefore a 3.5 - 4 star (75%) rating isn´t all wrong.

One of the best heavy albums I have ever heard.

S.U.S.A.R. is at this time Indukti's only album, but boy does it deliver! The style found here is very different from other bands in the same genre, mainly because they have managed to marry classical and metal. Here's the real kicker: It's actually good!

From the moment I heard the opening of the first track all the way until the final note on the album died away, I was never bored, preoccupied or unimpressed. Few bands can entrance me so, but Indukti has done it with this release. If it ends up being their only work, well then they can be proud of what they have accomplished, and will most likely go down in history much like Anglagard for accomplishing so much with so little content.

This record single-handedly turns heavy rock onto its head and never shies away from the fact that it is different. In fact, Indukti seem to wave this oddball flag proudly, unafraid to compose nearly ten- minute-long epics already on their first studio effort. That takes guts, but what is more, it takes talent to pull it off as well as they have.

The vocals heard here (when they are present) are much more like tribal chanting than actual song melodies, but don't let that discourage you. In fact, this aspect strengthens the record significantly. The guitar playing here is simple but exact, with some truly hypnotizing rhythm patterns a la Meshuggah's Marten Hagstrom, and some truly random, out-of-this-world soloing that is reminiscnent of Adam Jones. The drums are very good as well, helping keep that mystic, celtic feel to the music with truly terrific tribal pounding. The bass is fair, and really pops when the rest of the instruments take breathers, but is possibly the weakest aspect of the traditional line-up.

Now, for the aspect that truly makes Indukti unique: In addition to the traditional rock instruments, there is also a violin and a harp that accompanies the electric playing. My oh my, how wonderfull this makes the music. It is THE most crucial element, because frankly without these classical instruments present, the music would not be nearly as impressive to me. However, when paired up against the heavy sounds, these lighter string instruments truly enhance the experience by a factor of ten. While the rhythm guitar may be pounding away without mercy, the violin may be playing something much more soothing overtop of it, giving the music a weird sort of balance that actually magaes to compliment the other. Any time you match up two so distinctivly different instruments like that, you rjun the risk of possibly cancelling each other out, but that does not happen anywhere on this record, and it is fortunate, since this is what really makes everything work out the best way it possibly could.

Revolutionary, inspiring, memorable and magical, among other things, S.U.S.A.R. by Indukti will stay with me forever.

Happy Listening.

Quite evil... quite evil indeed...

With contemporaries Riverside emerging into the prog scene not long before it seemed pretty clear now the Polish prog scene was going to look. Their dark and malevolent albums no doubt set some kind of bar and Indukti would have no trouble matching the standards that had been set. With their debut album, SUSAR, Indukti seems pretty bent to make sure that Polish prog-metal remains as dark and scary as possible. While this is quite removed from the Riverside style they're still but a stone's throw away when it all boils down. Granted, this album is primarily instrumental and it has a very different feel to it, but in general we're still dealing with heavy progressions, dark riffs and a generally evil ambiance.

It's quite hard to describe the music on this album, but that's one of the things that makes it so fun to listen to. The songs range from brooding instrumentals characterized by fast and heavy guitar sections backed by violin parts such as the eastern flavored opener Freder to slow and brooding song-songs which feature (appropriately enough) Riverside vocalist, Mariusz Duda, who manages to give the songs even more depth. Mariusz appears on the two part song (the longest of the bunch) Cold Inside...I, and ...And Weak II which features slower parts in the first section and mad violins and destructive riffs in the second part. Also of note is the other two parter on the album, No. 11812 starts off slowly and has a mean bass riff shrouded in chimes, the song later explodes as it comes to a blistering guitar finished, which is later followed up on with No. 11811. This one feels a bit more 'out in space' but still features some mean bass playing and even more heavy guitar riffs.

Uluru is one of the few stand-alone tracks on the album, and man does it rock. This one features that wonderful and crazy violin with that ever pressing guitar underneath and the grumbling bass gets pulled along for the ride. Heavy riffs pull into the end to top it all off. One of the biggest standouts on the album!

When it comes right down to it, if you're looking for incredibly heavy and dark music you're in the right subgenre, that's for sure. Indukti have really made a slash with their debut album and if you're wanting a sea of heavy instrumental music to wade around in, don't look any further. This one is going to have to get 4 stars, and excellent album for those in need of dark and evil music.

Very nice album. I downloaded after reading reviews here and listening to the sample mp3. I was not disappointed. The first listen was a musical feast, delightful to the senses, so many different colors to behold, woven together nicely. I would have given it 5 stars that night without reservation.

To summarize the sound, it's an almost-instrumental (Riverside's Mariusz Duda provides vocals on some of the songs, more textural for than lyric for the most part) post-metal sound that includes harp and violin to quite good effect. Heavier than Riverside (and I actually like the guitar tone and mix better here than on Riverside's albums) but sharing the sense of texture and mood.

For those who enjoy metal, this is perhaps the best metal instrumental album I know of. It's great to put on some good headphones and just immerse yourself in the soundscapes. However, the songs themselves don't distinguish from each other very much, and after repeated listenings, the album loses a little bit. There are some new things to discover, but this is not a classic prog album that takes multiple listens to even comprehend and continues to surprise for many more.

As a result, I still enjoy this album alot. I have specific tracks (Freder and Uluru) on several playlists, and recommend it without reservation. The 4 star definition (Excellent addition to any prog collection) fits it well.

Good job to Indukti, I look forward to the next one, hoping for a few surprises.

A very interesting album that puts some new ideas (and instruments like the violin and harp) into the world of prog metal/post metal. The band consists of a drummer, two guitarists, a violinist, a bass player and a harp player. The guitar and bass create a heavy, tempo changing rhythm undernieth of the violin playing a chilling lead. The drummer is very freestyle meaning that he almost never plays the same thing and is constantly changing the time signature. Mariusz Duda from RIVERSIDE is a guest vocalist on tracks 1, 2, 4 and 7. Personally, I think his voice is richer and cleaner than when he sings with riverside, but that's just personal opinion. The lyrics are sort of cheesy, but you dont really care when you are being graced with beautiful music.

The standout tracks are No.11811 and Uluru by far. I cant really explain to you why they are particularly good tracks, so you will will have to listen for yourself. I can say that the best violin work on the album is on No. 11811. There is not a single weak song though. The artistic talant is persistant throughout the entirety of the album.

The production is very smooth and clean simalar to the sound of RIVERSIDE and perhaps Watershed from OPETH. There are no harsh metalesk vocals anywhere to be found, all clean vocals here. The mood is pretty dark hence the violin in combination with the heavy gutars and dreamy vocals. There is a great ballance between creating the atmosphere and finding a melody which some post metal/rock bands have a hard time figuring out. They also show off how well they can play their instruments perfectly with out it becoming annoying. (*cough* Dream Theater *cough*)

Fans of the bands RIVERSIDE, OPETH, PORCUPINE TREE, MOGWAI, KAYO DOT, and KING CRIMSON will all be pretty satisfied if not fully satisfied with this album. Every fan of prog should check this out, because it isnt your normal metal album. Its something on another level. An excelent addition to your collection!

4/5 stars

Entertaining dark, moody, and subtly threatening instrumental music from this Polish group which, although an enjoyable debut, is very much of the genre, and suffers somewhat from its redundancy.

Fans of Tool, and especially Riverside will eat SUSAR up. The instrumental compositions are a good combination of slow, creepy builds with inevitable explosions of crunchy riffs. Adamczyk's bass lays down a big, fat, tuned-down foundation (which couldn't possibly imitate Tool's Justin Chancellor any more) while the two guitar players spend their time playing with distortion and effects. Their playing is undeniably good, but gets repetitive early on in the album. We're sometimes given some acoustic or purely atmospheric playing, but for the most part the listener should expect a non-stop chug of crunch/feedback. Drumming is quite good. The standout sound, however, is Jablonska's violin, which carries the rare melody and provides much of the album's tension and desperate feeling.

In an album which is mostly redundant-- and derivative-- post-metal crunch, this violin sound is a unique voice, and is liable to be the one thing listeners find themselves enjoying most, since the other players are content to play what is essentially the same pattern for 50 minutes. The inclusion of the harp is a nice touch as well, but isn't prevalent often enough to for it to feel truly integrated. Duda's vocals are passable, but mostly useless, and only show how much more a clone of Riverside Indukti is.

For fans of this sound, SUSAR holds up nicely; its mood and energy are first-rate. Yet, its repetitiveness and formulaic approach doesn't keep pace with the leaders in the genre. Worth investigating.

Songwriting: 3 Instrumental Performances: 4 Lyrics/Vocals: 2 Style/Emotion/Replay: 3

Harp and violin's rockowy metal.

INDUKTI, a sharp-edged progressive star from Poland, their sound style is not only heavy but, I think, also has an atmosphere from far east (for me in Japan, a native one). Especially please listen to the second track Cold Inside...I. Double guitars by Piotr and Maciej can hear like petals of cherry fallen here and there. Of course Ewa's whispering voice is like the sidewind against the tree. Freder is so fantastic with Anna's brilliant harp in the beginning, and the latter heavy part is absolutely exotic and Oriental... The voice's from faraway place I always feel. Another point of this band is, whatever should be said, psychedelic and squeaky violin sounds I wanna say. With a beautiful harp on the other side, INDUKTI's sound storm should be constructed perfectly on East Europe and be shot toward all over the world.

They can let us proggers know another theory of Polish progressive rock. Great work.

This album is pretty freaking amazing. Riverside's singer helps out on a couple of tracks, but most of this album is instrumental. If you like Tool, Riverside, King Crimson or Anekdoten you should like this album a lot. It strongly features the violin and mixes that with LOUD guitars and the harp. If this sounds like a crazy mix...somehow Indukti makes it all flow into a very tasty crazy mix. Also, I don't find this album to be derivative at all. They have managed to come up with a very original sound in my opinion. I am very much looking forward to their next album.

Here is an album that completely took me by surprise after I ordered it a couple of years ago from The Laser's Edge. It was a "gamble" album, purchased on the basis of the sample track I heard (I think it was "Shade") and I have to say, that gamble has paid off enormously.

This album is one of my all time favourite records and I cannot praise it highly enough. This is the most balanced, consistent and overall nearest thing to musical perfection that I've ever heard. I thoroughly enjoy every track and never feel the need to skip any full or partial tracks to get to something better. There are no throwaway or filler tracks, just a solid offering of individual parts that all seem equally as important as one another in the process of forming this magical whole.

There are a couple of intriguing aspects regarding my love for this record. Firstly, I don't normally like the violin so to be so enamoured by an album that features this instrument so prominently is rather odd. Secondly, I don't normally trust debut records to be particularly strong, as I think a band takes time to find their groove. Finally, I'm very hard to please at the best of times when it comes to music and I find it extremely hard to give an album a perfect score. Even some albums that I consider masterpieces have moments that I could skip over, but tend to endure them because the overall journey of the album is the most important thing.

Indukti have managed to completely bugger my theories or beliefs up with this record, proving to me that the violin can be enjoyable, band's can create brilliance at their first attempt, and an album can contain nothing but greatness in every track.

The overall mood of S.U.S.A.R is a serious one and the way it so innocently begins is just a facade for the dark and moody energy that is to explode shortly thereafter (recurring again throughout the album at different times). A track like "Uluru" maintains a cracking pace only slowing down at the end, while others such as the opener "Freder", or "No.11812" ebb and flow with tranquillity and rage in equal measure.

One of the interesting aspects of "Uluru" is that it features a didgeridoo, an instrument used by the Aborigines, the native owners of Uluru. This is interesting to me because Indukti is a Polish band and I'm surprised they would even know about Australian aborigines, let alone write a song about a most revered and treasured Aboriginal icon.

For the briefest of moments, the beginning of "No.11811" actually reminds me of "Mystery Train" by Transatlantic, but then the seriousness kicks in and I'm relieved that it's not a happy sounding song like "Mystery Train" is. There is simply no place for happy vibes on this record ? but ironically, the feeling it gives me is pure joy.

There are aggressive riffs, some phenomenally raw and energetic drumming, and the bass sounds wonderful in the mix. Most of the album is instrumental, although Mariusz Duda of Riverside provides vocals on three tracks ? "Freder", "Cold inside...I" and "Shade." His dry delivery reminds me of Shane Howard from an Australian band called Goanna (who aren't prog and this is probably the first time they've even been mentioned on this site, as I doubt anyone outside of Australia would've heard of them).

Of course, as mentioned earlier, the violin plays a prominent role on this album but rather than agitate, it provides a nice contrast to the more aggressive sounds. It seems to be used more as a vehicle for taking the listener into a calm state, before the storm hits...and I just love a good storm!

The final track "...and Weak II" is a journey in itself, from calm to sonic rage and back again. It is so incredibly beautiful and sums up the album brilliantly with the many different shapes it takes over its nine and a half minute duration.

The only thing I might criticise is the bland album cover, but the music within more than makes up for this.

I absolutely adore this record and I cannot wait for Indukti's follow up, "Idmen" (the first track, available on their Myspace page sounds incredible). Bring it on!

For now though, S.U.S.A.R rates five very deserving stars!

Indukti ? SUSAR 4 stars

A very interesting package.

This debut album feels like it's done by a bunch of high profile veterans, but this is not the case. The album can easily be described as having its heavy roots in Tool, as well as the atmosphere, but more along the lines of Riverside, in which it's vocalist also provides on two tracks. The cello gives the album a more celestial and psychedelic feels combined with some oriental drumming and some hypnotic bass lines, so in other words, this is a very good mix of instruments and brand of music. Most of the album is fairly heavy, but there are some soft tracks with ambient soundscapes. The one thing in common with all the tracks is an 'ethnic' feel when all the instruments intertwine.

This album has given birth to a new sound, which Indukti is the sole owner of.

INDUKTI are an interesting band, perhaps mis-categorised as post-rock/post-metal by some. I hear heartland prog-metal in this album, albeit with a unique amalgam of instruments (including harp and violin) leading to a most pleasant sound. Like OCEANSIZE, perhaps the closest analogue to this band, there are elements of the post-rock sound, but they do not take us into the post-rock landscape in the way, say, KAYO DOT does.

Indeed, the band's biggest flaw is also, perhaps, the reason for their mis-categorisation: they do not have any meaningful vocals. This is such a shame, as their compositions cry out for a melodic line to give them that extra dimension. 'S.U.S.A.R.' is a fine instrumental album (there are guest vocals, but they are rather thin and insignificant, dwarfed by the instrumentation) with none of the cheap tricks some metal bands use as part of their posturing persona: this is all class. Prog heaven.

'S.U.S.A.R.' consists of seven equally strong tracks, all featuring contrasts between beautiful acoustic music and crunching heavy guitar, driven along by a complex rhythm. Lovers of TOOL and OCEANSIZE ought to check the album out, but it does not scale the heights these bands reach, lacking the compositional excellence and vocal power of either. Nevertheless, this is an above average debut and well worth a listen.

There's something magical in first two minutes of Freder, these arabic like melodies. Oriental things always charmed mind of westerners. In fact, these traits return soon after tech metal introduction in said time.

That's first track, six more remain. Truth is, that this interesting flavour, not so usual melody and harmony is present through all songs (as far as I can tell). Good thing for me, that it's not just brutal assault on your ears, betting all chances on that you'll be overwhelmed by it and in your ecstasy, you'll forgive, or won't hear in this sound mess at all, big void of innovation. Yes, I'm follower of theory, that you can gain more with theory of precise sound with extreme as one of the flavours, not main ingredient. Also, ambient like sound is here. So different from their latest release and

5(-) so better. I know, it's not tech/extreme. Their second album could be, but this one mix together all things in correct rate. And again, I have to say, that melody is not a crime, when music doesn't depend solely on it.

Indukti is one of the many prog bands emerging from Poland during the last years. The first time I read something about Indukti was from this page. After the first listen I immediately purchased the album. This is the form of extreme tech metal I really enjoy. All members are great musicians and the songs (most instrumental) are superb. The most distinctive influences are those of Tool, but overall Indukti sound a lot different. The vocal lines of Mariusz Duda (of Riverside) remind of his band somehow, though they generally are more experimental. This is one of the best prog releases in 2005. Favourite tracks: "Freder", "Uluru", "No-11811".

A beautifully recorded album of powerful songs from the realms of heavier prog yet there is often an atmospheric and even sensitive feel to the music's sound--which is what keeps me interested and engaged. I attribute a lot of my interest and satisfaction to the work of the violin. There are a lot of times that I'm reminded of RIVERSIDE while listening to this album--especially when there are vocals going on. The major detractor from my overall enjoyment of this album is that every song has too much similarity in sound, pace, and style.

Album highlights: "Freder" (7:30) (8/10); "No. 11812" (7:59) (9/10); "...and weak II" (9:36) (9/10).

Indukti's debut album is a very capable piece of progressive metal which appears to take a lot of inspiration from Porcupine Tree's inspired entry into the genre on In Absentia - right down to the spacey, dreamlike vocals contributed by Mariusz Duda - and with the brilliant violin work of Ewa Jablonska adding a startling and unique dimension to their sound. Whilst prog bands of yesteryear were often fond of incorporating instrumentation beyond the typical rock group drums, guitar, bass, vocalist and optionally keyboard (as indeed are many modern post-rock groups), it always struck me as a bit of a shame that more prog metal groups didn't have any atypical instruments as permanent fixtures in their sound; here, Indukti buck that trend marvellously.

This album is marked by pronounced strengths and weaknesses. The strengths are the high level of energy and the great ability of the group to create atmosphere and ambience. Musically, the strength here is creating moods, frameworks, etc., mostly dark and tense. Dynamics are well used throughout. On the other hand, most of the songs seem incomplete to me. They feel like they are missing a soloist on top of the great layering and building of the other instruments-- something abstract/crazy on top of the other instruments would have made this brilliant.

Stylistically, they sound a lot like Tool. Again, this album shows great potential, but it was not really realized by this group at this point. I would continue to watch how they evolve. This album is worth checking out, but it is not close to being essential.

SUSAR is the perfect progressive instrumental album. I say this, of course, in complete irony based around the fact that there are vocals on this record, but I feel that is one of the many things that add to make this such a great album instrumentally. Ever since progressive rock first cropped up in the late 60's, we have had bands trying their hand at a fully-instrumental variant of the style, to mixed results. Without the vocals, instrumental albums needed something to help the music flow, to give it a narrative, and they regularly flocked towards wacky sounding keyboards and solo duels to do the trick, which rarely worked. Quite frankly, instrumental albums, especially in a genre like progressive rock, completely bore me. There are exceptions, especially when it begins to border on post-rock, a genre known for its ability to stay afloat without vocals, but prog instrumental albums tend to lean so hard towards uncontrolled instrumental wankery, and because there is no room for the instrumentals to be subdued (because there are no vocals to support), the music loses all sense of melody and restraint and floats into nothingness.

And although the last 20 years have seen the invention and spread of progressive metal, instrumental albums in the style haven't got much better. In fact, one could argue that they've got even worse. Before SUSAR's release there was Liquid Tension Experiment, possibly the most indulgent and wanky group in existence, and after it we have the influx of "djent" and "tech metal" - with Blotted Science and all those legions of kids in their bedrooms making some of the most lifeless and coldly technical music I have ever heard. So could instrumental prog ever really exist as anything more than wanky garbage? Well, yes, it did. Briefly, as Indukti's debut record, SUSAR. SUSAR is, above all, an insanely unique release. It's a 75% instrumental album that features long instrumentals and brief vocal-led tracks (as opposed to the other way around which is the norm), it contains no keyboards (thank god), it flirts between the lines of progressive rock and metal, and is risen above mediocrity by two things - the guest voice of Riverside's Mariusz Duda, and the incredible violin of Ewa Jabłońska.

Mariusz is on three tracks here, although one of those is a very minimal contribution, and his voice acts as such a great break from the jamming instrumental onslaught of the longer tracks. Instead of using instrumental tracks as breaks like many vocal-based prog bands do, Indukti use Mariusz to create some pretty great, lower key music between the long songs. "Cold Inside" is the first of the two vocal track, which essentially feels like a softer Riverside track with a touch more folk, from the violin, and what I believe is a sitar (I could be wrong). While the song could have transitioned better from the opener, it definitely feels like the first vocal part of an immense epic - which "Freder" was the overture for. "Shade", the second vocal track, is definitely a far stronger song, and would probably be my favourite on the album if it weren't so short. Unlike "Cold Inside", it feels like far less of an interlude, and contains some great heavy riffs and tribal- like percussion that call Tool to mind. And to add to that, the "I TRULY AM THE SAME" hook line is one of Mariusz' best, ever.

Then there's the rest of the album - five songs, all longer than six minutes, and aside from some tribal wailing on "Freder", entirely instrumental. All of these pieces have such great energy flowing through them, and you can tell that a lot of them came about through hours of jamming together, because they all are so keyed in to what each instrument is doing and where the passage is gone. The guitars, bass and drums here are all relatively straight - we don't get huge wanky 42-note-per-second solos on this album, instead Indukti go for a very Tool- influenced, riff-heavy variant of prog metal jamming, and it makes for much better listening. Without wanky solos and without a keyboard player to splice in cheese, Indukti could play like this for hours and I wouldn't get bored. But all of this is accentuated and brought to life by the violin. Acting in the way a lead guitar would in this situation, the violin brings the melody, the contrast, the brightness, the intensity, and nearly makes this record on its own. With the melody being carried so wonderfully up high, the rest of the instruments can focus on rhythm, and there are some mighty fine rhythms in this album. A lot of the heavy guitars, and the way they jam them for long periods of time without reliance on a vocalist, remind me of sludge and post-metal bands like Isis and Neurosis. The metal guitars are thick and crunchy, but they know how to develop linearly, and aren't all-heavy-all-the-time, which is something those post-metal bands mastered in the early 2000's.

But, I must admit, the album does falter a little bit in the second half, and I think this is strengthened by the fact that Mariusz doesn't show up for the last 24 minutes. The best track out of the final three is probably "And Weak", the second part of "Cold Inside", but most of that is heavily relying on the melody of the former, and with the vocals missing, it doesn't feel quite as powerful. Both "Uluru" and "No 11811" are solid tracks, but aren't anywhere near as memorable as the first two instrumentals, especially since they essentially do the same thing. "Uluru", as the name suggests, has an interesting inclusion of a didgeridoo (something that groups like Tool have always been partial to), and although it's certainly a cool noise, it does feel a tad gimmicky, especially when it goes full gargle-mode in the middle of the song. The length of these pieces does seem to be a bit of a factor too, considering that long instrumental jams to tend to shift towards wank as they go along, and some parts of the last three tracks do lose the cohesion a bit.

I have to admit that this album is a bit of a missed opportunity, and there are a shockingly low number of bands playing this kind of music, but at the same time this could easily get very boring very fast. Aside from some hiccups, SUSAR is strong album from start to finish, taking the instrumental side of some of Tool's longer jams, throwing a violin all over it, bringing in some sludgy riffing, and having one of the 21st century's best vocalists sing a couple of tracks to keep it in check. Essential listening to check out, and if anyone wants instrumental prog metal that isn't wanky garbage, this is possibly the finest example.

8.1

Originally written for my Facebook page/blog: www.facebook.com/neoprogisbestprog