PSYCHOSOLSTICE

I listened to this album before I knew anything about the band, and I was impressed. I then learned that it's the first effort from a band that's mainly two guys from Poland with a few guest musicians, and was even more impressed.

Sound-wise, it's almost like a cross between Porcupine Tree and Katatonia, with big hints of Opeth thrown in. Although it's not quite as dark as Katatonia or Opeth, it does present its fair share of emotion, and it doesn't have any of the so-slow-and-mellow-it's-painful boring parts I find in Porcupine Tree albums. The production is great, crystal clear with prominent bass and very clean drums. The vocals aren't overpowering - they fit in just right.

Clean vocals throughout, the album deftly switches from clean parts with a strong bass groove to heavy, distorted passages, even throwing in a few discordant runs and harsh segments. Overall a very strong album, without a single track I would skip. The band isn't afraid to just groove and let their instrumentals really grow and develop before putting the vocals back in, and they transition between everything extremely well.

Path of Dying Truth is a great opener. It pretty much highlights all the best qualities of the band's sound, ranging from clean, groove, mellow, to heavy, distorted, intense chords and riffs. The cello at the end of "Days Which Should Not Be" really shows off how the composition skills of the core duo extend beyond the usual guitar/bass/drums. There are also keyboards throughout the album which add a great deal of production thickness and atmosphere (the keys and cello on Quietus definitely add a TON of atmosphere). The intro to 2AM gets things moving pretty well and the percussive riff in the middle of the song is definitely a pattern you don't hear used all over the place. Every song is well-written and well-performed. This album is quickly moving up my favorites list, and I can't wait to see what these guys come up with next.