NIGHT TO DAY

Another brilliant sunrise in the spring of 2017. A Greek rock outfit Time Collapse have got started as a promising heavy / experimental quintet, and finally their full-length debut shot "Night To Day" veiled in a beautiful, mysterious sleeve in March, 2017. They say (both in their own bio and upon their Bandcamp page) they are a crossover / metal progressive rock band but sound not of crossover nor of metal for me. Through their debut creation, I guess it should be more natural they are called as a heavy rock project seasoned with metallic taste and slight pop spice. It might be apparent that they would have got massively influenced by 70s Rush or King Crimson.

Their playing technique is quite qualified, and composition and production are well elaborated. Kinda vibration between calmness and loudness is balanced, and their melodic view is filled with cool tightness, deep heaviness, and mystic ethnicity ... sounds inspired by modern Myth. And don't forget their soundgarden itself is leaning towards 70s heavy prog tinged with pop essence eventually. What an amazing manner they invited catchy flavour whilst composing such a deeply heavy opus. Battles of instruments (guitars and keyboards) in the front line supported with the strict rhythm section (especially in Messiah Complex Suite) are excellent although there is not so dramatic nor theatrical atmosphere. We can believe they will create / produce in more and more enthusiastic manner in future yes.

From Greece, this five piece band delivers their first album about the transition from night to day and darkness into light. This album is the result of 3 years of work and I can say that these guys didn't waste any of their time writing and recording this one. The album starts with a short intense instrumental track. It is followed by some Porcupine Tree experimental soundscapes with piano before the heavy guitars and the vocals kicks in. The mood and the pace of the song can also be close to what Tool has been doing for many years. "Reflecting Lies" show some complex drums patterns and a good use of the vocals and some nice guitar playing. "Night to Day" is another great track with an electronic intro and a piano break, this instrument is, in fact, use a lot on this album to create that duality of the heavy and the light. The songs have a lot of breathing room before the heaviness comes in. After the heaviness of the first part of the 3 parts suite "Messiah Complex", the band surprises us with a 2 minutes loop woman chanting before getting into a heavier mode. The band continue to use that Porcupine Tree rhythm guitar chords but mixed with some original guitar playing and some complex structures. The intensity level of the songs is always present even in the slower pace passages. The last song is another instrumental song to complete the cycle, this one being the acoustic and calm one compare to the first. From the production to the musicianship, the arrangements and the songwriting, this album is an excellent discovery. You can get this one for free at their Bandcamp page, I can't give only 4 stars, compare to what I have been hearing lately, it's a solid 4.6 stars.

I have to agree with everyone else on here, this is a beauty. TIME COLLAPSE are a five piece band out of Greece who play a heavy style of music not too unlike FATES WARNING part way through their careers. Lots of atmosphere as the keyboardist pretty much uses synths to create another layer of sound or produce some atmosphere. We do get piano too. The singer adds a second guitar.

This was self released by the band in 2017 and I noticed they released a couple of singles in 2020 so hopefully a new album is on the way. There's a couple of guests including a female soprano vocalist who actually doesn't use words as we get these amazing vocal melodies on that first section of the "Messiah Complex". Also we get some clarinet on the title track. I love that this clocks in at 38 minutes and it's 2017!

"Time Bound" is the short but effective opener that builds with keyboards leading the way. Heaviness just before 1 1/2 minutes. So good! "Time Collapse" opens with a bass line as drums come and go. Piano, vocals and atmosphere take over as the keys echo. It settles before 2 minutes as we get this nice heavy sound with great sounding vocals. We get a brief instrumental section with drums leading the way before the vocals return. I'm such a fan of a band using their band name as a song title.

"Reflecting Lies" opens with heaviness with drums out front before a calm with vocals takes over around 1 1/2 minutes. Guitar to the fore then these multi-vocals that sound so amazing. More excellent sounding guitar 4 minutes in. "Night To Day" contrasts the heavy with the atmospheric so well. I'm a broken record here but man I love their sound.

"Messiah Complex" is divided into three sections with the first called "Projected Perfection" and this section is pretty much that. Atmosphere galore along with heaviness and of course our female guest adding those vocal expressions. The second section is called "Cracked Delusion" with plenty of piano early on as vocals arrive. They contrast the piano sections with the heaviness after 2 minutes as vocals step aside. Guitar and drums lead and that guitar sounds so clean and beautiful. Gotta love the intensity and vocal arrangements late.

The final section of "Messiah Complex" is called "Redemption" and man this brings modern day ANATHEMA to mind, it's so uplifting and a perfect way to end the album in my opinion. This record just keeps getting better to the point this might be closer to 4.5 stars at this point. I've been holding off this review just so I could get a few more spins in. My kind of music.