Music

Album Review: Tesseract ‘One’

Published

13 years ago

March 21, 2011

Well, the time has come. The review that many have been waiting for is finally up. Tesseract’s ‘One’ was chosen as my ‘Most Anticipated Album of 2011’ due to my love of the ‘Concealing Fate EP’. So the question arises, has Tesseract been able to produce an album that satisfies? Have they been able to create that same magic? Find out after the jump!

The album opens up with ‘Lament’, which after blasting the ‘Concealing Fate EP’ multiple times seems strange. The reason for this odd feeling is very simple: each song on the ‘Concealing Fate EP’ was a greater part of the whole, feeding off of the track before and continuing into the following track. Having a track that is complete in and of itself is not what I am used to. However, it serves as a great example of what is to come. Dan Tompkins continues to show his astounding vocal ability through gorgeous harmonies and devastating rage-filled screams. Acle and James run through syncopated guitar riffs, both beautiful arpeggios and crushing distortion chords, which would probably befuddle most musicians. Amos might easily become one of the most respected bassists in the metal scene due to his extremely clever and dexterous runs. James’ subtle yet brilliant accents on the drums are the final bullet point to this band. Simply put, this is a band of musicians that are all 100% on top of their game. But more importantly than that, through all their skill and talent, they know how to feed off of each other to create a song that is cohesive, groovy and, for lack of a better word, totally badass.

The production of the album is astounding. Read my description of the ‘Concealing Fate EP’ and you’ll know what you’re in store for. For those of you too lazy to click over (seriously?), I’ll put it like this: Nearly perfect. There are a few moments here and there where things can get somewhat overpowering, but they last for rarely more than a second, so it never really interferes. However, this album is something that needs to be appreciated on a good sound system.

Some of you may be hesitant to get the album considering that half the tracks are the ‘Concealing Fate EP’, simply wrapped on both ends by new material. That’s a fair concern to have and one that I don’t think any band would fault you for. However, I can safely say that this is an album that is completely worth picking up. There is a reason that these guys have a name that is defined as a four-dimensional cube: It’s because their music can be that intense, deep and complicated. However, once the album comes to an end, it’s the beauty and melody that were so memorable for me.

The Final Word: Tesseract have unleashed a monster with ‘One’. As heavy and technical as it is, it is also surprisingly accessible for the casual listener. Get thee to your local CD shop and grab a copy. You won’t be disappointed.

JonathanBarkan

Managing editor/music guy/social media fella of Bloody-Disgusting

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Music

“He Walks By Night” – Listen to a Brand New John Carpenter Song NOW!

Published

2 weeks ago

April 9, 2024

John Squires

It’s a new day, and you’ve got new John Carpenter to listen to. John Carpenter, Daniel Davies and Cody Carpenter have released the new track He Walks By Night this morning, the second single off their upcoming album Lost Themes IV: Noir, out May 3 on Sacred Bones Records.

Lost Themes IV: Noir is the latest installment in a series that sees Carpenter releasing new music for John Carpenter movies that don’t actually exist. The first Lost Themes was released in 2015, followed by Lost Themes II in 2016 and Lost Themes III: Alive After Death in 2021.

Sacred Bones previews, “It’s been a decade since John Carpenter recorded the material that would become Lost Themes, his debut album of non-film music and the opening salvo in one of Hollywood’s great second acts. Those vibrant, synth-driven songs, made in collaboration with his son Cody Carpenter and godson Daniel Davies, kickstarted a musical renaissance for the pioneering composer and director. With Lost Themes IV: Noir, they’ve struck gold again, this time mining the rich history of the film noir genre for inspiration.

“Since the first Lost Themes, John has referred to these compositions as “soundtracks for the movies in your mind.” On the fourth installment in the series, those movies are noirs. Like the film genre they were influenced by, what makes these songs “noirish” is sometimes slippery and hard to define, and not merely reducible to a collection of tropes. The scores for the great American noir pictures were largely orchestral, while the Carpenters and Davies work off a sturdy synth-and-guitar backbone.

“The trio’s free-flowing chemistry means Lost Themes IV: Noir runs like a well-oiled machine—the 1951 Jaguar XK120 Roadster from Kiss Me Deadly, perhaps, or the 1958 Plymouth Fury from John’s own Christine. It’s a chemistry that’s helped power one of the most productive stretches of John’s creative life, and Noir proves that it’s nowhere near done yielding brilliant results.”

You can pre-save Lost Themes IV: Noir right now! And listen to the new track below…