LIMITLESS LIFE REFLECTIONS

Playing a style of progressive and melodic death metal, Mexico's The Advent Equation was originally formed in 2006 under the monicker Advent, and released an EP in 2008 with this name. The band became known as The Advent Equation in 2012, and released Limitless Life Reflections, their debut full length album, later that year. The Advent Equation's extreme style of progressive metal brings acts like Opeth or Edge of Sanity to mind in terms of quality and even in sound, but this observation's modern and innovative spin on the genre makes for an intriguing listen. As punishing as it is intricate and melodic, this stunning debut is likely to have something for every adventurous metal listener.

Despite being labeled as a progressive death metal act and having origins as an Opeth tribute band, The Advent Equation has a rather innovative approach to the genre. Sure, the contrast between heavy and light sections is here in spades, and there are even a handful of acoustic portions, but Limitless Life Reflections does reach far beyond the melancholy and dynamics of classic Opeth material. Modern touches in the form of atmospheric keyboard tones, sleek production technique, and occasional djent-y riffs give the album a fresh coat of polish, and while fans of 'classic' extreme progressive metal should have no problem approaching this album, it offers a myriad of new ideas to keep things interesting. Influences from jazz, traditional progressive metal, and Meshuggah-inspired polyrhythms spice up the expected blend of gloomy melodic death metal and progressive rock, and this variation is much appreciated.

Fortunately, The Advent Equation also knows how to write some exceptional material, and tracks like "Glimpse of What May Be" and "Hopeless" are superb displays of technical wizardry and compositional finesse. Fans of metal that is simultaneously catchy, progressive, and devastatingly heavy should find a lot to enjoy from Limitless Life Reflections. This is one of the strongest debuts I've heard in 2012, and I highly recommend all extreme progressive metal listeners to give it a purchase.