Unique Leader is proud to release the debut full length album from South Carolina's Invoking The Abstract. The instrumental progessive tech-metallers formed in 2010 and released an EP in 2012. Aural Kaleidoscopes was recorded at The Basement Recording Studios with Jamie King (Between The Buried And Me, The Contortionist, Scale The Summit). Comments the band, “Aural Kaleidoscopes is a diverse and precise album written to challenge us as musicians and composers. Each song is composed in a different key, none of which are repeated until the final track that transforms the keys into a serialist scale. Some songs are composed to freely flow from one to the next, as others stand alone as achievements in their own right, creating a partial concept album. This album is also our first experiment with completely instrumental arrangements leaving the interpretation of each piece to the listener.”
Honestly, there's not much more to be said than that. This is another album that does plenty of talking without any words at all. The hooks are airtight and the level of musicianship is astounding. Think a heavier Animals As Leaders or Mendel's solo work. Or maybe Protest The Hero sans vocals while being attacked by a swarm of bees? At least that's what I think of at the opening of "Locus," Part of me thinks that's a typo and they really meant to call the song "Locust." The drumming on this track is equally impressive. I made several attempts to count out the time signatures and came up empty.
The union of the melodic and intensely chaotic is truly inspiring on Aural Kaleidoscopes. The songs suit the name well. Take "Requiem," which opens on a beautiful, tranquil scene...like lovers laying in the grass by a stream in some secluded, wooded area...before suddenly being chased by by a pack of robotic super-wolverines. Other tracks range from brief smooth jazz tapping ("Sensory Substitution") to full-on face-melters ("Aural Kaleidoscopes"). I'm also particularly fond of "The Summit," which really does evoke imagery of climbing to some impossible precipice Cliffhanger style.
Cliffs, bees, robots...you name it this album has it. All you need is a music player and some imagination. Any true lover of progressive music, especially the drummers and guitar players out there, should pick up this album. The songs are incredibly fun in addition to their frighteningly technical nature. It came out last Friday, so check it out now.