PROVIDENCE

Before listening to Callisto I had only listened to Post Metal's 'Big Four', them being Isis, Neurosis, Pelican, and Cult of Luna. I have been an avid fan of the Post Rock genre and i thought i'd give it's heavier side a listen through Isis' Panopticon and it didn't disappoint to say the least. Then I listened to Callisto's Noir and BAM! amazing album!! they floated through heavy brutal riffs to extremely mellow passages seamlessly and even had a touch of avant garde with the sax and all... However, I think this new album is a step back for the band....the album fails to pick up from where they left off at Noir... they've grown much tamer, much less engaging in my point of view. It is a solid effort no doubt about it, but it doesn't have that same energy and experimentation, and in my point of view only picks up at the end with the last three tracks which show a bit of what made me really get into this band... It's a good listen, but just good... 2.5 stars rounded to three...

Some parts of this album come across really cool, but at other times, it seems really bland; giving me mixed feelings about it

In Session was a great track to open up with. I liked a lot of the melodies between the vocals and the deep guitar parts. I really got into this one.

Rule the Blood was a decent track too, but it seemed like too many of the melodies were repeated over and over again within the tracks following it, Covenant Colours and Eastern Era. When listening, you feel like you're stuck in the same song, even though you're positive the tracks have changed. If they were all presented as one track and the individual titles used as chapters, then it would probably make a lot more sense to my ear; and would probably be easier to understand the connection. But no connection is stated, so I'm still lost and still wondering why they correlate. Eastern Era ends great though, picking up with a new progression from the previous repeating melodies.

New Canaan was good. I liked the use sax in it; however, overall, didn't get powerful enough for me. Although, Stasis and Where the Spirits Tread have some great dramatic parts. Definitely one of the highlights to look forward to in the middle/end of the album.

Dead Weight was a good relief from the slower drumming. It's more active than the other songs, rhythmically-speaking. I also like the xylophone parts in it. Subtlety makes everything. I also like the transition to those guitar chords around the 4:30 mark.

Drying Mouths has it's interesting parts as well, I like the abrupt, yet smooth drum transition into what sounds like a possible chorus due to melody change taking place around 1:00. After that, it begins to pick up and everything seems to keep rising towards climax, only to go soft shortly, then hits you with the end. Great track.

The last song, Providence, starts with a motif to the first song, In Session, giving it a 'book end effect,' which I liked. I felt like things were to be summed up. However, the melodies weren't repeated or related like tracks 2-4 were, and led to more varying passages instead. It was a good song to leave you off at.

Overall, the album isn't too bad, but I wasn't completely captivated by the music. It's dark and gloomy, which fits great and really does it's job, but it just seems like there should be more change within it to mix things up a bit. The tempos, keys and time signatures seem too familiar between each song, and the drumming is often alike. It seems like it needs more taste thrown into it. The vocals aren't bad, but again, too familiar between each song. If you're not paying the closest of attention to it, then by the end, it's difficult to remember which songs you were attracted to and which songs you weren't. It all meshes a bit too much together. These tracks would be great for your .mp3 player's Shuffle feature, but it's difficult to listen straight through the whole album and really adore it. Considering the ups and downs, it's a good album, but definitely not a favorite for me; nor my favorite album from Callisto themselves.

CALLISTO were said to be pretty original and innovative as for average Post-Metal band, but their early releases fail to impress me that much. "Providence" is obviously better, it's some kind of Post-Post-Metal; heavy riffing and distorted vocals mostly replaced with atmospheric mellotron background, dreamy guitarwork and simple rhythm-section. A strong Scandinavian Prog vibe is felt here as well; it's like nowadays ANEKDOTEN jamming with nowadays CULT OF LUNA (which is quite possible, by the way). Some songs even remind me of more "light" Modern Prog like DREDG. So, if you're into mellow and dark atmospheric music, you may try "Providence", but it's definitely not the best Post-Metal release one can imagine

This album is not so generally appreciated, not even by those who think (like I do) that Callisto's second album Noir is a masterpiece. Almost gone are the brilliant proggy crescendos and overall heavy tensions that colourize the palette of the earlier albums (at least they're in a different form here). Instead Callisto draws a lot of influences from art rock and even a bit from country, while adding some beautiful, atmospheric keyboards. Sure, this is not an album for a total metalhead to bang his head all the time with, but why would it have to be? I like the overall mellow and relaxed atmosphere of the album, and the focused-sounding clean vocals. The tracks are more bass than guitar oriented, which also is a nice move in my opinion as their bass player is pretty skilled one. There are some very nice bass patterns like the one on the nicely grooving beginner In Session. So, less prog than their earlier albums, but a very enjoyable release.

I must start this review by saying that I am one of the rare fans who were not blown away by the band's previous album, Noir (it does have a few great songs, whilst others I would call rather mediocre, eventually tiring me down with each listen), whilst for me the later albums of theirs stand out. Especially Providence, which is one wicked mixture! Mixture of what? Take excellent vocals (with some heavy throat singing) and jaw dropping bass work, add some highly emotional melodies ranging from the most dreamy downtempo guitars the band has ever done to some fair deal of metal riffage, an atmosphere less gloomy than on Noir but still equally dark, and a range of instruments which do not necessarily seem to belong at first (saxophone, flute, mellotron), but only until you realize after a few listens just how amazing the whole thing sounds together. As if a modern Anekdoten has come together for some jamming with Cult of luna in the backyard of Iceland's Kontinuum, creating some truly beautiful post-metal with a sensibly strong Scandinavian Prog vibe. I know the five stars might seem like a bit of a stretch for some, but I simply cannot give this album a lower rating, looking at how innovative ideas it has and how cleverly and confidently these are being put together, ending in something that is not an easy listen but will pay off big-time with each listen.