DEAD EGG

I'm actually no longer sure where I got this album from, but I've had it for awhile now without reviewing it, and as far as I know, it has yet to see an official release, which is too bad, because there are some really impressive musical moments on Dead Egg. It's labelled as Extreme Prog Metal, and certainly I can hear some Meshuggah influence in them, but I also hear plenty of Isis and Tool creeping in there. The vocals in particular remind me of those bands the most. Very beautiful and melodic for the most part. A previous review said that the singing sounded 'monotone'. I don't agree with that. The melodies aren't all over the place a la Jon Anderson, however the style fits the music, I think.

My favorite tracks include ''Flower'' (the most Meshuggah-like of all the tracks, in my opinion), ''With Eyes Full of Colors'' (which has some really amazing technical rhythmic stylings), and ''Visions in Slumber'' (featuring a jazzy-style opening before going completely into outer space with the wailing guitars!). Some tracks are pulled off better than others, I think, but considering this is a debut release, it really shows the talent involved, here (and oh yeah . . . it's all being played by one guy).

Perhaps some of the most magical moments on the album are when the heavy stuff dies down, and clean, dreamy musical passages take over. There is a moment in particular near the middle of ''With Eyes Full of Colors'' that sounds very much like something Dave GIlmour would play. Immediately following it, however, is more groovy, heavy rhythms. I like that sudden switch-up of styles in this type of music, and in some ways I'm more in favor of the radical shifting in Metal music than I would be in other genres. That may be a little inconsistent, but when the differences are extreme enough, it just seems to 'fit' more. Where as on an album like Gryphon's ''Red Queen to Gryphon Three'', the sudden musical changes just feels disjointed.

There are moments on the album that feel like they were just thrown in for good measure, and merely to show how 'technical' this music is rather than to best serve the music itself. Large portions of the track ''Please Stay Blind'' struck me that way, although that song features a truly lovely guitar lead near its center. So it's a mixed bag, I suppose. Some moments are incredibly magical and surprising, where as other times the music just feels 'calculated' rather than inspired.

If you're a fan of diverse Extreme Metal such as Cynic, Meshuggah or Opeth. you'll probably find plenty to enjoy on Dead Egg (that is, if you manage to get ahold of it). It's not the best album of its kind, but I am looking forward to what the future may hold for Egoist. In fact, I plan on ordering the second album soon (which IS in fact available to to order).

It's a fun ride for the most part, and certainly shows plenty of promise.