CAUSE & CONSEQUENCES

Some albums, even prog albums, don't have to re-invent the wheel to succeed. I had never heard Anasazi in the past, but as I worked my way through my first listen of Cause and Consequences, I kept nodding my head thinking "Good choice." Like many prog metal bands, Anasazi switches up the feel often, but it never feels forced. They also don't milk a particular idea too far (which many other bands do). The influences are certainly here - Tool, Opeth, Porcupine Tree, and traditional heavy rock, but the number of different rhythms, tonalities, melodic elements always kept me interested. There is very little shred (although it is well done in the few places the guitarist lets loose). Thankfully, the band neither leans on Dream Theater or Meshuggah. There's plenty of groove, great riffing, and vocals that have some attitude and snarl without ever going into extreme realms.

There is a LOT of death themes in the lyrics, which did not appeal to me as much as the music itself. What did appeal to me was the production. I could hear everything clearly. During vocal sections, the vocals were the loudest element. When there was a guitar solo, it was clear. Riffs, including the spaces between notes, sit on top when it's time. While one would assume that all professionally mixed and mastered albums would be this way, modern overuse of compression and overdubs often makes (especially metal albums) a soup of sound where the only clear element is the kick and snare.

The final epic is indeed the star of the album, taking the listener on a journey that has many stops along the way but always knows where it is headed. The opening riff encapsulates all the things the band does well - a syncopated riff a la Opeth, then a layered vocal over a Tool groove, and then a not-quite-chorus that if anything makes me think of King's X. What I love is that even if one instrument is making an obvious nod to a classic band, other members of the band are pulling from somewhere else. The result is interesting, rocking, and a great listen from the opening to the close.

So why not 5 star? Although they have produced a wonderful album, recombining known elements in their own unique way, the elements themselves are familiar. My emotional response is more like a little nod and "Nice!" but not "Holy Moly what is THAT?" And I think there needs to be some of those moments to classify an album as masterpiece.

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