The Pitch: "Unapologetically nerdy and a little out of left field" progressive metal from Stargazer out of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Familiar components deliver something a little different. Lyrics have to do with mental health, creation and destruction, and the human psyche. FFO: Textures, Periphery, Outrun the Sunlight
What I Like: When I first listened to the album single "Temple of Solace" below, I was led to believe that Stargazer fed heavily from albums like Texture's Phenotype. The djent is strong with these technical, melodic hooks, and the clean vocals have a deeper, fuller quality to them that transcends typical metalcore labels. But that's really just a small piece of the puzzle. Compositions defy typical expectations of when harsh vocals and distortion should kick in, or even when a chorus should fit. There's nothing overtly avant-garde about it, but the differences are enough to give one pause.
To be perfectly honest, all of this turned me off to the album initially. But as they say, change is an uncomfortable thing. My ingrained expectations of how things ought to be were thrown off balance. Herein lies the real genius of the Tui La (which I believe appropriately translates to "push and pull"). Once I got over the initial hump and readjusted my expectations, I came to really appreciate the strange meditative qualities of the music; qualities highly in line with the album art. One wouldn't think a set of traditionally more abrasive sounds could create such an aesthetic, but when fused with the smooth jazz foundations at play here, the results are serene.
Critiques: There is a part of my brain that still screams for more prototypical Periphery-ish cathartic explosions, but if you really came for that, why not just listen to Periphery? Do we really want everyone to sound the same? All of that aside, the production on the clean vocals could use some tweaking. There are definitely some moments where it feels a little too poppy and processed.
The Verdict: Tui La may not be your typical headbanging experience when it comes to djent-heavy progressive metal, but if you can step outside of those expectations there is a very interesting and well-performed album to enjoy. It's something familiar, and yet just different enough to take you to another kind of musical space. Check it out for yourself today HERE and let us know what you think on Facebook and Twitter.
Flight's Fav's: Temple of Solace, Wobigon, Skinwalker
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