Canvas Solaris "Sublimation" CD
[Tribunal]
Having been quite impressed by their last EP, I was thoroughly looking forward to this full-length of technical/progressive metal. This time out the trio make use of the standards of guitar, bass, and drums with accents of guitar synth, 6- and 12-string acoustic guitars, synths, doumbek, table drums, congas, shekere, and perhaps some other elements (though honestly few of them are ever very evident at all). Immediately noticeable is that, while not yet perfect, the recording here is far better than it was on the EP, which is quite a relief. The drums sound quite good, the bass has a home, most of the guitar tones are dry and clear (hard panned) with effective character, etc. I think the drums are slightly dominant in the mix, and I'd like the bass to be a bit more central against the guitars, but the mix is getting there. A few of the guitar tones could still use work as well, but for a trio that I imagine is on a strict budget I think they've done well. Stylistically this material feels to me a bit more geared towards a progressive direction with a few more overt jazzy aspects to it. Some of the melodies have a Scandinavian tinge at times, but while I would still point to the classics like Cynic and Atheist on some level, few of the riffs herein resemble those bands at all. Probably my chief complaint with this record is that the writing falls into the trap that many such instrumental bands hit on, and that's the fact that the songs aren't all that memorable or emotional to me. Sure, there are passages that really conjure some sort of feeling, but oftentimes it's a smattering of somewhat typical riffing and complex layered runs just for the sake of it. It's not overtly complicated at all times either, some of this stuff is rather basic, and I don't sense much improvisation or anything, which makes me wonder why a more moving writing approach wasn't adhered to. I know it's hard, but the best instrumental acts really focus on songwriting over all else. Take for instance the acoustic passage with tribal sounding percussion in "When Solar Winds Collide" - a superb moment amidst an otherwise somewhat bland and uninviting track that tops seven minutes. Had the entire song been based on variations of this acoustic passage it could've turned out brilliantly. "Cyclotron Emission" does shift effortlessly between lush clean passages and distortion more effectively than some of the other pieces, as does the more creative and at times emphatic "Ekstatik Parataxis (The New Measure)" - my personal favorite of the disc. The closing title track is also a bit more lush and atmospheric, which is great. And I do enjoy the solos. They're also a bit typical in a sense, but they're still well delivered and composed, so I do like them a lot. The drumming is also a bright spot, as I quite dig drummers who really place a lot of emphasis on flashy cymbal work and quick fills as well as being able to stick with simple, straightforward patterns. I've heard better drummers of course, but there are a lot of colorful drum moments here that make a positive difference. Visually it looks alright, the text is clean, the planetary images simple, the color scheme minimal, etc. I really hate the band logo and wish it was more creative or visually engaging, but shit happens. I do find it amusing that they name their solos under insane titles like "Fixed Radius Magnetic Electron Accelerator", though. Oh, and among the bands listed as influences are Toxik, Holy Terror, Portal, Realm, Breadwinner, and my favorite thrash record of all time - Forbidden's "Twisted Into Form", among numerous other gems, so these fuckers have supremely awesome taste in music! I like this, they're a very strong outfit, but they really need to push it to the next level in the future. The recording is better this time out, but the writing is still rather one-sided as a whole, so for the most part it's 40 minutes of the same thing with a handful of significant shifts thrown into the mix. They've got a lot to work with, and they're succeeding on some levels, but I'm mildly bored with portions of this disc, and I'd hate to see them sleep on their talents rather than developing. (7/10)
Running time - 38:50, Tracks: 7
[Notable tracks: Cyclotron Emission, Ekstatik Parataxis (The New Measure), Sublimation]
Tribunal Records - http://www.tribunalrecords.com

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