The Pitch: Unsigned New York progressive band (friends of Bangladeafy) inspired by the likes of Karnivool and The Mars Volta pour their time and resources into a well-produced new record.
What I Like: The time and money put into this were worth it. The production is strong and helps highlight the talents of each musician. The vocals tread that line between Chevelle and Tool, but I hear the Mars Volta influence at key moments as well (like towards the end of "Mass Appeal"). And check out his pipes acapela on "Peice of Us." Spellbinding. These guys are also excellent at really capitalizing on each instrument to create strong builds with varied time signatures. Textured drumming, the bass tone is beefy, and the guitars really run wild across genre borders from jazz and rock to metal. "Signal" is just plain lovely.
What I Don't Like: My inner metalhead thinks a few more harsh vocals a la Opiate or Undertow could give this thing an extra kick, but maybe that's overkill.
The Verdict: Escaping Velocity is a beautiful album ripe for prog worship. I think that the compositions are varied and, more importantly, strong enough to draw in fans from both the rock and metal camps. And with The Mars Volta gone, these guys seem capable of sliding right into that role.
Flight's Fav's: "Rule 41," "Mass Appeal," "The Fix"