DRIFTGLASS

World-weary, Off-kilter, Disoriented

Driftglass

Yes, of course, this band- based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada- but also most suggestively the idea of highly-polished insanely heated sand, that is then beaten, abused, and weathered in the sea.

Becoming yet another kind of colorful gem, collected and burnished by seekers on the shores- children and others open to beauty in strange places.

World of Conversation

Indeed, the title of this album under consideration, obviously: the third release by DRIFTGLASS- the first an EP, and this the second full-length album, self-released March, 2019.

But also, the sense of words, meanings, sounds, pronouncements, conversations, sermons, dispatches, SOS messages, cries for help...

Another kind of ocean that can overwhelm, and just as easily underwhelm, can manipulate and confuse, as easily as words can elucidate and clarify.

Conversation

On this album DRIFTGLASS portrays the kind of nightmarish, deer-in-headlights experiences many of us find as we negotiate a life in which it is not always (ever?) simple to find one's footing, get one's bearings.

"Conversation" implies some sort of give and take, speaking and listening, giving and receiving, some kind of back and forth.

For my money, actual conversation is rare, something that goes beyond and beneath idle, self-absorbed chatter, into depth, meaning, weight, purpose, and the relief of finding kindred spirits.

The Music

DRIFTGLASS define themselves as "progressive metal", yet to these ears I'd suggest heavy progressive music as well.

The "conversation" is often between distorted guitars and gentler clean guitar tones, or synthesizer intermixed, or that resonant, deep bass tone alongside the nimble drum work.

There is no great display of virtuosity; rather we hear ensemble playing, some great hooks and melodies, with clever turns of phrase in the lyrics.

At times, there was a sense of the repetitive, as the roughened vocals were almost always the same throughout, arrangements followed set patterns of verse/chorus/instrumental/bridge, verse/chorus (with variations of course, but still).

There is great use of space, of energy, of vigor, a full sound, a surface sheen over the somewhat cynical, nearly defeated voice of the persona in the lyrics.

In Sum

I was immediately drawn into the music, charmed by the glimmer of the burnished glass, the great hooks, the over-all sheen of music that in some strange ways reminded me of my earlier days listening to Sugarloaf, or even Head East.

And yet...that repetitive quality sometimes lost my interest, lost my focus, and I became hungry and thirsty as a man on a raft adrift on a salt sea, and no store of clean water, no solid food.

A good, not essential album, and my rating is 3.5/5 burnished glass stones.

Driftglass are a Canadian band from Toronto, Ontario, born in 2008 from the ashes of another band called Dissident Saint. They blend elements of classic prog rock with prog metal and in 2014, after an EP released in 2009, they self- released their first full length album entitled "All That Remains" with a line up featuring Alvin Ihsani (vocals), Gera Kisselman (guitars), Ilya Maximenko (guitars), Andrei Zaretski (keyboards, piano), Alon Shenfield (bass, mandolin, glockenspiel) and Jeff Marshman (drums). It's a very interesting work where introspective, visionary lyrics perfectly fit a music full of energy and passion. If you like bands such as Dream Theater and Rush give them a chance...

The opener 'Insect In A Jar' is a caustic reflection about the future where the protagonist feels like a helpless, solitary captive in the hand of fate; 'Thrown Out To Shore' is a melancholic piece about regret and wasted time, false promises and lost chances; 'Evelyn' is a disquieting track about madness and dreams where a musical box plays you a song... The melody remains as the protagonist searches for the answers to the riddles in her brain and times goes by' On 'Devil Of My Dreams' the music and lyrics evoke glooming nightmares and a man's struggle to escape from a chilling, hollow emptiness; 'My Last Lament' is the dark tale of the agony of a dying man where lies are the only truth and every memory becomes a star in the open sky while the following 'Disconnected' (featuring the female vocals of the guest Polyna Firer) is a bittersweet reflection about illusions and perceptions...

In my opinion, the last three tracks are the main course of the album. 'The Rise', 'The Unfolding' and the title track are linked together and form a long, complex suite dealing with environmental issues. The music and lyrics conjure up nightmarish atmospheres and apocalyptic visions that could recall H.P. Lovecraft and the myths of Ctuluh but the humankind seem almost take pride in avoiding the struggle in front of the hot warning flame of a nature in danger. When everything is lost it's too late to learn from mistakes and what is left is nothing but memory and regret'

The album is available in free legal download from bandcamp. Have a try!