Five years since their excellent ‘Sonder’ album, progressive metal giants TesseracT are heading into the world of ‘The Strangeland’ on their newest epic, ”War Of Being”. The concept follows two characters, Ex and El, who are separated in this unfamiliar land after their ship, The Dream, crash lands. The pair must navigate through this insular world as the entity The Fear leads them to look inward and question their very existence, whilst soundtracked by a band on the form of their lives.
Right from the opening notes of the atmospheric Natural Disaster, it becomes evident that ”War Of Being” is a musical odyssey that demands the listener’s undivided attention. The rich and ethereal layers of Daniel Tompkins’ voice effortlessly blend with the technical prowess of the band, creating a mesmeriZing sonic experience.
”War Of Being” is an album that starts incredibly strongly and only gets better and better as it goes along. In fact, it’s one of those records that is more than just a band’s new album, it’s an experience, a mind-expanding journey into breathtaking heavy music soundscapes.
As it goes on, it transcends its journey through The Strangeland and into the all-encompassing world of TesseracT themselves. Legion is a chaotic yet devastatingly constructed song that sees the quintet floating into dimensions they’ve not navigated before. Daniel gives a vocal performance that sees him scream, falsetto and hit heights we didn’t know he could reach – it’s a truly standout moment.
Elsewhere, Tender’s soft, almost delicate nature creates a moment of tranquility before the 11-minute behemoth of the title-track fights to the very depths of your ear canals with futuristic chugs. Sacrifice closes proceedings with a procession of jangly, beefy riffs and a final few minutes that sounds like it’s being beamed out of the Starship Enterprise during hyper speed. It’s TesseracT at their unequivocal best.
What they do so wonderfully on this album is deliver complexity without sacrificing melody and accessibility. From start to finish, ”War Of Being” will take you on an introspective journey, leaving you wanting to embark on the experience again and again.
This could well be their most important album to date. And considering their previous are superb, puts ”War Of Being” in a pedestal of excellence.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
1. Natural Disaster
2. Echoes
3. The Grey
4. Legion
5. Tender
6. War Of Being
7. Sirens
8. Burden
9. Sacrifice
- Dan Tompkins / vocals
- James Monteith / guitars
- Acle Kahney / guitars
- Amos Williams / bass
- Jay Postones / drums
Tesseract – War of Being 2023, MP3+FLAC
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