ALBUM REVIEW: Circadian – Intervals

With the release of The Shape Of Colour back in 2015, Aaron Marshall – better known as INTERVALS – laid out a masterful template for prog and fusion infused guitar instrumentals. Although punctuated by 2017’s The Way Forward, INTERVALS’ latest Circadian seems to pick up where The Shape Of Colour left off. Much of the synth-driven playfulness that helped pepper The Way Forward is reduced on Circadian, and in its place is a return to a laser-beam focus on guitar theatrics. While it is a shame to lose some of that extra texture (although it still pops up here and there), Circadian is absolutely not weaker for it, instead feeling unwaveringly committed to a cohesive vision of lyrical guitars above all else.

On the surface, Circadian is a fusion-inspired record of instrumental pieces, brimming with impressive musicianship and prog-metal sensibilities. At its most flashy are tracks like the electrifying Lock and Key, a number dominated by winding guitars and spiral riffs that gradually build with additional inflections before giving way to restrained rhythms. However, dig a little deeper and you’ll quickly find Circadian excels most at melodious, high octane guitar. Signal Hill typifies this. Its interplay of soaring guitar leads, light synth harmonies and mischievously varied percussion evokes images of the kind of blue skies you only see in classic Sega games. Indeed, there is a palpable sense of joy and energy to Marshall’s writing across Circadian that wouldn’t be out of place on the soundtrack to Outrun, so effervescent is the material here.

It may sound odd to say for technically driven guitar record, but one of the biggest strengths of Circadian and INTERVALS as a whole is the impeccable song-writing. Make no mistake about it, Circadian isn’t a set of abstract instrumental pieces so much as it is an album of wordless songs. From the triumphant swoon of guitar leads on opener 5-HTP, the album is littered with instrumental hooks that truly sing rather than exist simply to show off musical chops. There is an almost pop feel much of the material, carefully sidestepping the genre’s twee trappings while tapping into its catchy exuberance. D.O.S.E. is one such example – playing out like a pop ballad at first, the squelchy guitar licks of its chorus stand toe-to-toe with the best sugar-sweet hooks THE BANGLES could offer. The whole track is tied together by an unexpected, but delightful, saxophone refrain that gives everything a real new jack swing vibe.

For the guitar nerds however, INTERVALS remain as technically proficient as ever. With songs that find a delicate balance between metal pulsation, jazzy Guthrie Govan style licks and even occasional djent rhythms – sometimes even in the space of one song, such as on String Theory – there is always something interesting going on musically across the album. For all its heavenly melodies however, there exists a more aggressive underbelly to everything. Clearly Marshall’s chops are metal inspired, with muted riffs and djent tinged rhythms often finding their way into the mix. However, these heavy sensibilities primarily provide a foundation for INTERVALS to build on, rather than dominate proceedings. Heaviness is never employed for the sake of it, but rather to help accentuate the harmony of everything else.

Perhaps most impressively, Circadian never falls into the trap many guitar-driven instrumentals are prone to – overemphasis on technicality without purpose, outweighing what’s actually enjoyable to listen to. On the contrary, even as Marshall ups the complexity of guitar parts, it never becomes a challenge to listen to Circadian. The intricacy of the music only exists to benefit the overall flow of the whole record and Circadian’s sub-40-minute running time passes by like a cool breeze. With it, INTERVALS further cement themselves as one of the heavy scene’s most masterful and creative instrumental artists.

Rating: 9/10

Circadian is out now via self-release.

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