THE SPACE ADVENTURES OF PYJAMA BOY

Though outsiders to the styles may profess that the combination of metal and jazz music seems strange and unorthodox, I have been hearing more and more new bands that fit the bill. As far as the 'prog' scene goes, these bands take the form of a most often instrumental rendition of Dream Theater-style progressive metal, with the complex chordcraft and leadwork of jazz. Quantum Sphere narrow their sound further with a rhythm section inspired by math metal titans Meshuggah; a trend that's swept through many newer acts. Although Quantum Sphere have chosen a pretty crowded style to express themselves with on 'The Space Adventures of Pyjama Boy', they do have one thing going for them that still feels rare in the field: charm. Despite not quite lifting themselves out of the sea of technically proficient prog-fusion I have heard lately and setting their sound apart from the others, Quantum Sphere are in no short supply of potential.

As one might get from the album's name, Quantum Sphere don't take themselves too seriously. Suffice to say, 'The Space Adventures of Pyjama Boy' is not going to be the title of anyone's doctoral thesis (unless it's a flippin' awesome doctoral thesis!) but their tongue-in-cheek attitude does not hold them back from delivering a wallop on the technical side of things. Although Quantum Sphere's core is the Dream Theater-style progressive metal that emphasizes odd time signatures and plenty of lead work, the math metal 'djent' of Meshuggah plays a bigger role than I would have first imagined. While guitarist Joe Pearson dabbles around with jazz-laden prog metal-odies, bassist Greg Knox and drummer Matt Smith get some very rhythmic grooves going on. Although it is none of the musicians' primary instrument, the keyboard plays a big role in shaping the mood of 'Pyjama Boy's journey. The tribute to the sci-fi masterpiece Blade Runner 'Attack Ships on Fire off the Shoulder of Orion' showcases the technical wonder of the band, though the band keeps a healthy dose of spacey atmosphere to stave off becoming an ego contest.

Quantum Sphere have a more promising sound than most of the prog-metal-fusion bands I have heard coming out in recent years, and even as they are now, the band exude excellence with this full-length debut. With that being said, 'The Space Adventures of Pyjama Boy' leaves some room to grow. It would be interesting to see the band flesh out their sci-fi leanings a little more, and perhaps accentuate some of the atmospheric trends they bring forth in the music. As it stands, Quantum Sphere is residing in an overcrowded style of technically proficient soundalikes, but if anything, it will be their quirk and willingness not to take things completely seriously that will see them through.

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