THE EMBRYO

This year has been full of musical surprises for me, as my most anticipated albums have let me down, but smaller bands have been stunning me. This new band Deep Limbic System hails from Mexico, and they have put together an impressive sound that is deep, complex, eclectic, and absolutely sophisticated. This is not something I would expect from a band's first effort, let alone an EP. Yet, that's what we have here.

This EP, "The Embryo", really is an album all to itself. Far from a collection of songs, this album explores the idea of growing, maturing, and realizing your potential. It's about understanding yourself, learning to better yourself and get over your fears, and it hits on the idea of that inner hope for something beyond this life. This aptly named EP is truly something deep, as is hinted in the fantastic artwork.

But, to the music now. The EP starts off with a dirty, dynamic saxophone lead in "Amniotic", and it never pulls back from greatness. Beto Valtierra on saxophone is truly gifted, and his sound is incredibly signature from the first listen. The rest of the band---Sergio Sunga on vocals and guitars, Efraín Fraire on guitars, Carlos Barcenas on keys, Angel Daniel on bass, and Pepe Armengol on drums---have crafted something beautiful that Beto then accents expertly with his peeling sax. The music is hard to nail down in one genre, as on this short EP, the band visits everything from jazz fusion to progressive metal to the classic prog rock sound. Gorgeous walls of piano and keys mix expertly with emotive guitar solos in the vein of Floyd and Riverside to evoke a fullness, a gentleness, and a melodious wonder to my ears. The excellent rhythm section is full of surprises and very organic grooves, too. Lastly, Sergio's voice is rather free of accent, and wonderfully balanced, although this EP is primarily instrumental.

It was hard to wrap my head around this EP at first. Even though I can count the various genres that are visited, Deep Limbic System has a wonderful way of mixing them so well that they almost disappear into each other. Bluesy metal? Psychedelic jazz? It's all here, and it should be on everyone's list. My favorite tracks are the addictive intro "Amniotic" and the incredibly well-structured track "Orison". All of the other tracks are very worthy, as well.

So, in approaching this EP, I think it's safe to say that it is one of the best things I've heard in 2014 thus far, and I'm seriously impressed. In fact, after sharing them around a bit, people seemed to take to them immediately, especially other reviewers. So, do yourself a favor and pick this album up at the band's Bandcamp page. Support this band, as I predict amazing things to come.

4.5 stars