YOU ARE LITERALLY A METAPHOR

If you only hear one new album this year, make it this one. This is definitely a favorite for me. The music is amazing, eclectic and beyond belief at times. I'm telling you, don't bypass this one!

"Consider the Source" is an Eclectic Prog band from New York and was formed in 2003. They utilize some interesting sounds including micro-tonal scales including Indian and middle-Eastern influences. They have released 6 full length albums since their formation, including "You Are Literally a Metaphor", released in 2019. The band currently consists of Gabriel Marin on guitars, John Ferrara on bass and Jeff Mann on drums and percussion.

"Sketches from a Blind Man" hits the strange and eclectic sound right off the top with a funky and upbeat bass line with the unique sound of the eastern influences in the guitar. There are many electronic and synth sounds in this also, including some of the percussion, but the drums themselves are organic. The micro-tonal sounds mesh in an interesting sound when combined with the standard rock bass line. The melody is quite interesting and goes through several variations with many different sounds and meter/tempo changes. "The One Who Knocks" moves to a jazz sound with a nice strummed guitar and more effects created from looping. The unique sounds continue as the three talented musicians continue their unique style. The bass is heavy in these tracks and the guitar is sometimes recognizable and others, completely unique and strange, but the music is excellent, interesting and quite catchy. Halfway through, the drum established a clunky tango rhythm and the guitar plays along with an almost trumpet like sound. It is hard to believe 3 people can create this sound. Tempo changes, textural changes and lots of progressive traits, this album is full of them.

"Unfulfilled and Alienated" is the only track on the album that is less than 6 minutes. It is a very fast, speed rock track with those mid-East influences quite obvious and a complex bass and rhythm section going on underneath. This one will get your head swirling with its amount of notes in both guitar and bass and the crazy drumming. So much packed in a small space. "It is Known" slows things down a bit with an atmospheric guitar and simple bassline. This is very spacey and psychedelic with some nice effects, almost similar to Ozric Tentacles. Its not too long before things get more complex, especially with the bass line, but the theme keeps things anchored. The whining guitar that plays the melody is a cool sound. At 4 minutes, everything abates and the guitar almost sings a new melody at first against a minimal background, but things intensify as it goes along. After 6 minutes, we reach a new level of complexity as things go wild. And then, OMG that bass issues some rapid fire notes along with the guitar. Awesome! Hold on a minute while I pick my jaw up off the floor. Finally at 10 minutes, the craziness returns to the original theme.

"They Call Him the Smiling Assassin" finds a danceable, mid-Eastern style in the middle of a chaotic beginning. The bass is quite heavy and it follows the traditional sounding guitar. Adding in some funk, the bass makes it all relevant while the guitar keeps it traditional at the same time. The track is dark, fast and fun all at the same time, with a wildness that makes you want to get up and dance like a chicken. Later, it takes on a Primus style craziness as the bass and guitar fight for prominence. It's like there is no time for a breath here. The theme returns at the end of the track. "Misinterpretive Dance" is a bit more sane as far as the melodies are concerned, but the ever changing meters give the track its title. It's complex and melodic at the same time. Eclectic is definitely the right word for this amazing music and yes, it does get totally crazier as it continues. Finally, after 7 minutes, things become more grounded as the main theme returns but the tricky meter changes are still there.

"You Won a Goat!" is the next track. It starts with drums only before rapid fire bass and guitar play an obvious Indian inspired melody very fast and lots of humor mixed in. Later, things calm a bit while a moaning micro-tonal guitar solo comes in and things build back up again. Soon, craziness ensues as you have come to expect by now. Excuse me, I have to pick up my jaw again. "When You've Loved and Lost Like Frankie Has" is a lot slower, but with a sneaky rhythm. Amazing guitar effects again with that unique micro-tonal sound and a chunky bass line that sounds like a soundtrack to a off-beat spy movie. The guitar sounds just like a synthesizer because it is so smooth as it slides between notes. The last track is another 11+ minute closer called "Enemies of MagicK". It begins very ominously with crazy dark guitar effects. Then we go into rapid fire mode again with almost djent style drumming and bass, but a slow vocal effect played by the microtonal guitar keeps things from total chaos. I'm not even going to try to give you a play by play on this one, it is constantly changing and returning to different melodies throughout. Textures, meters, styles keep changing, yet it is still coherent and amazing.

Going into this album, I did not expect this at all. Eclectic is definitely the word for this, and so is unique and amazing. As crazy as things get sometimes, it always keeps your interest as you want to hear what happens next. The effects are excellent, the musicianship is out of this world. There are many times throughout this album I was just speechless. This is definitely a contender for the best album, and it is a strong one. If you don't listen to a lot of new music, then this should be one of the few that you listen to. How could you not praise this amazing music? How could it be that only 3 people can make a sound as full as this? How could this band be ignored for so long? I'm telling you, this is one of the most awesome things I have heard this year and maybe even this decade. You must listen to this, it is crazy good! Huge bass, guitar, drums and effects all the way through.