AMELIORATE

I have guitar hero to thank for finding this small but great band. (Who said video games are a bad source of progressive rock?) Unfortunately Ameliorate is just an EP and therefore really short, because the compositions on here are really great.

The style of this band is obviously progressive metal but they do have a hint of jazz fusion. The bass is pretty funky and the keys are well up there in the mix. The guitar is still the leading instrument for this type of music which is used for some really crunchy riffs.

The compositions are pretty loose in that they are all over the place. I guess that's a good thing since it gives the album a less serious environment.

There are some moments that are overtaken by excessive noodling, but this is far and in between. Another pet peeve I have is the shoddy production, especially for the drums which sounds like a stick hitting a brick. But otherwise this is a phenomenal EP by a relatively unknown duo.

7/10