Ever since their inception in 2003, TesseracT have marked themselves out as being ahead of the curve in the progressive metal scene, actively adapting and evolving for each new chapter. With the band headlining Arctangent in 2022 and about to embark on another giant world tour, what could be next for the band?
“I think we realised we needed to do something different this time,” says vocalist Daniel Tompkins. “It’s been five years since Sonder, and we wanted to mix it up and try something new.”
War of Being (Kscope Records) is a concept album, centering around two protagonists, Ex & El. Whether these additional details bog down the overall flow and rhythm of the album or not, this added depth means War of Being has the capability of being TesseracT’s most ambitious and cohesive record to date.
Fluid changes and sporadicity is the nature that TesseracT play within War of Being. Opening with a cacophony of chugging guitars and Tompkins’ screams before immediately switching it up with melodic vocal passages that soar over transcendent chords being played out below – despite this juxtaposition of sounds, the two styles perfectly bounce off each other in harmony.
With the band now twenty years into their career, as immediately as the opening song “Natural Disaster” TesseracT lay out what has gotten them to the stage they’re at, showcasing their range of harsh breakdowns, transcendent choruses, and those intricate tapping groove segments, constantly switching amongst their arsenal, keeping the listener on their toes, and, more importantly, interested in the six-minute track.
With “Natural Disaster” acting as an introduction to the band to new fans and a welcome back to their fanbase, the band journey forward into the album, displaying new influences and skills. The third track “The Grey” brings the bass to the centre stage, the intricacies of which showcasing elements of the likes of Tool, whilst the more melodious chorus-driven segments follow more in the wheelhouse of Periphery, the poppy hooks keeping the ears attached for every line that Tompkins puts out.
His barking, disjointed vocals at the beginning of the track, bring on a new element in which the band use heavy sounding materials to create a whole new atmosphere, rather than it being used as means to inspire mosh pits, it’s utilised abruptly as a segue into the next section of the song. It’s through these unique styles that the band are able to truly stand out above their peers in the scene.
With songs as long as the title track and closing song “Sacrifice”, it feels that the regular song lengths of “Sirens” or “Tender” sees them acting as much as an interlude than a whole song with the band really starts to explore more sonically, creating whole soundscapes in their music.
This is realized in the title track for the album, in which the eleven minutes enables the band to go all out and let segments stand out and breathe before moving onto the next part. War of Being really feels more of a stage play or an opera, where it’s split apart into movements rather than individual songs, but still part of a collective, cohesive experience.
With each and every album release TesseracT have put out, the band appear to be exploring a brand new avenue. With the Altered State releases, the band brought in influences from more contemporary pop vocals into the mix, and with Sonder, the heavier side of the band was brought to the centrefold. On War Of Being, it truly feels like the band have managed to gather together this array of sources as a foundation they are built, and mesh it cleanly together into one cohesive, amalgamation of an excellent album. You can tell the band have put their all in on this project, and it has paid back tenfold.
Buy the album here:
https://tesseractkscope.lnk.to/warofbeing
9 / 10
CHARLIE HILL