Elusory-Wide Asleep

Self-Release/Independent
2015

Formed in 2012 by musicians David Morgan (Guitars, Bass and Drums) and Anthony "Ant" Casaletto (Guitars and Bass ), Elusory is a up-and-coming HEAVY metal band that began life as a side-project before evolving into the gnarly creature that stands before us now. Lead vocalist Mike Wells rounds things out for this MI / NC-based band which for some reason has been misdiagnosed as a Progressive Rock/Metal project (more of that in a second). The forthcoming "Wide Asleep" is Elusory's full-length debut and this 45 minute album is schedule to drop on July 7th. With a total of 11 tracks in all, "Wide Asleep" opens fiercely by way of the hard-hitting "Haunted" and right from the start I found myself confused by this trio's email address of Elusory Rocks and the whole Progressive Rock/Metal tag. Now, don't get me wrong here. Elusory is a progressive-minded band and to that end you're quite likely to pick up on similarly-themed influences. Or if you will bands that end up raging from Dream Theater to Watchtower. But to call this band a "rock/metal" outfit is a great disservice to the extreme nature of this music. And by extreme I mean EXTREME! These guys simply DESTROY everything in sight and it all starts with Elusory's maniacal front-man!! Harsh and clean vocals set the stage aflame before the pair of Morgan &; Casaletto come along to blow the whole building down! Who am I kidding? They blow the whole BLOCK down!!!! Reference-wise I would throw  out other names like Meshuggah, Cynic and even Killswitch Engage and CD Baby isn't exactly far off with the Machine Head recommendation. Even so Elusory does their own thing and Dammit Janet(!) they sure do make it sound easy! Armed with complex riffs and drop-dead righteous grooves this three-piece band is fully-capable of doing the old stop-start thing as well as anyone, but these guys make metalcore sound relevant and even hip. Along with the metalcore, progressive elements and extreme metal you'll hear pieces/parts of melodic metal, speed, thrash, and death metal, but the most impressive additions here would be jazz and fusion! Like Atheist and Cynic did before them, Elusory adds interesting flavors to sound in order to creatively push themselves as far as possible. While nowhere near as prominent as it is the aforementioned bands these jazz elements are there nonetheless and that ends up making "Wide Asleep" an even more enjoyable venture (if that was actual possible!). With intelligent and memorable lyrics that match the complex and expertly-executed music within, "Wide Asleep" is a hell of a debut album for this new band and one that I enthusiastically recommend! For more information about Elusory be sure to head here and make sure to keep an eye out for "Wide Asleep" as this CD is not to be missed!

Embryo-Embryo

Logic(Il)Logic Records/Andromeda Dischi
2015

The first of two promo CDs to recently come my way from the fine folks at Atomic Stuff Promotion and Logic(Il)Logic Records (Badmotorfinger, Twintera, Steel City, Hex, Nightglow....), "Embryo" is the latest release from this long-standing melodic death metal band from Cremona, Italy. Formed in 2000, with vocalist Roberto Pasolini and guitarist Eugenio "Uge" Sambasile the sole original members and influences listed as Fear Factory, Meshuggah, Strapping Young Lad*, Embryo first hit the scene with the demo "The Source of Hate" in 2001. Following the release of "Promo 2002" the band issued their full-length debut album, "Chaotic Age" in 2006. Another demo ("Promo 2009") appeared before the band would release the highly-rated "No God Slave" in 2010. It was "No God Slave" that truly brought the group into the limelight with stellar reviews pushing the band upward and onward. Here it is 2015 and the band is finally rolling out album number three, the self-titled "Embryo". Currently rounded out by keyboardist Simone Solla, bassist Nicola Iazzi and drummer Enea Passarella** this five-piece band falls somewhere between melodic death metal and standard death metal with the harsh voice of lead singer Roberto Pasonlini often times moving this metal band into deathcore and/or extreme territory!  With a grand total of eleven-tracks and a run-time of over forty minutes the recently-released "Embryo" (recently-released as in the 10th of this month!) is all at once intimidating and intriguing. Lyrically-speaking the album "Embryo" is "a descent into the Maelström of human soul 'til the door to the abyss that is the denial of being part of mankind" even if you'd have a hard time catching on to that given the otherworldly/demonic delivery of Roberto Pasonlini. As stated it's his unapologetic approach to "singing" that gives this Italian band that extra edge making this self-titled studio recording excessively brutal! By balancing out his beastly voice with complex arrangements that are deep and soul-steering an album like this becomes much more than merely a LOUD death metal release. That isn't to say that "Embryo" isn't LOUD as it is! It's also extremely HEAVY as touched upon. But, thanks in no small part to the fact that "Embryo" was recorded, mixed and mastered by the skilled hands of producer Simone Mularoni (DGM, Empyrios, The Modern Age Slavery, Vision Divine...), it is all that (LOUD and HEAVY) and so much more! This Italian band plays with purpose and the various musicians involved with this recording did more than just unleash unholy amounts of hostility and vulgarity dressed up as "music". These numbers offer interesting riffs and imaginative keyboards. The bass parts are progressive and the drumming (while certainly pummeling!) shows passion and personal pride. When brought together the music gives the listener a reason to pause and reflect what Embryo is really about. "Embryo" is worth tracking down as there is much more than meets the eye when it comes to this particular death metal band.     

*Given the band's complex arrangements and the compelling ingredients that found their way into this mix those three influences don't even begin to scratch the surface when it comes to everything that "Embryo" has to offer. Whether you are into melodic death metal or extreme metal this album has something worthwhile to say to you if you should choose to listen!

** Drums on "Embryo", which by the way are freakin' smashing(!), were performed by the talented Francesco Paoli (Fleshgod Apocalypse).