ALBUM REVIEW: Colors Through The Void – The Tyromancers
The Île-de-France is the most populous of the 18 regions of France, and this bustling metropolis centred around Paris is the home of a curious instrumental progressive psych trio going by the name of THE TYROMANCERS. Lucas (bass), Léon (drums) and JB (guitars) came together to share their love of collaborative composition as well as a passion for food. This passion for food and flavour steered the naming of the band. Tyromancy is a form of esoteric magic consists of divination by studying the coagulation of cheese. The band’s debut album Colors Through The Void is an intriguing musical journey that contains a magically eclectic mix of genres that draw influences from both ends of the progressive music spectrum, from the likes of 1970s prog legends CAMEL and modern prog’s RUSSIAN CIRCLES.
One of the main appeals about instrumental psychedelic rock is that you have the ability to get effortlessly lost in the music. With THE TYROMANCERS‘ plethora of influences and innate ability to genre hop with relative ease between surf rock, funk, stoner, jazz, hard rock and even incorporating the atmospheric tendencies of black metal, there is a lot here to grab your attention. The album as a whole is a fast-paced musical journey, with each track getting progressively darker it simulates every cautious step you take into the metaphorical void. Even with the void staring down at you, there is a frantic playfulness to this album that is really enjoyable. You don’t know which way THE TYROMANCERS will go next. Like children on too many blue Smarties E numbers, the constantly shifting rhythms, riffs and grooves keep your body moving whilst simultaneously taking your brain on a crazy, swirling, twirling trip into a parallel universe. The unorthodox inclusion of surf rock whammy-barred notes and chords is what gives this album its charm. With shuffle beats and groove-laden bass lines following a more jazzy and funk pattern, these crazy surf rock leads have no right to fit as well as they do.
THE TYROMANCERS have definitely harnessed the esoteric processes and knowledge that you need in order to practise divination with coagulated or fermented cheese; musically Colors Through The Void is ripe with creative lunacy that is intensely enjoyable. In some cases it leads you down the path of imagining that you are floating around in milky curds and whey. The band’s performance throughout the record is tight and cohesive, showing the maturity and chemistry way beyond the normal standards set by a debut album. With just enough psychedelic strangeness to keep you intrigued and without detracting from the each song’s trajectory and momentum, Colors Through The Void is a surprisingly well-balanced and well-produced album.
The album opens up with Behold! The Tyromancers and it is a strong introduction to the band’s unorthodox sound. You’re thrust straight into a world of funky, psychedelic beats and riffs. The infectious grooves worm their way into your eardrums with minimal resistance as your body gives way to the dance-inducing rhythms. It is here that surf and stoner collide with jazz and funk to create an excitingly frantic musical mash-up. Gilded Run follows a similar formula, but here you start to hear the more modern and atmospheric black metal influences start to creep in. The opening riff is ominous and sinister sounding in comparison to the previous song. Yet when it settles into its groove it becomes even more chaotic, with lead riffs spiralling all around you before the song eventually breaks down into a crazy psychedelic jam. The Golden Wheel is a smoother track that leans more into the band’s surf rock style. It almost sounds like alien communication with sea creatures, with the guitar leads under the relentless influence of the whammy bar conjuring up images of dancing whales and stones pufferfish. Album closer, the 15-minute juggernaut Through The Void? is where the record takes a sharp descent into the dark recesses of the void. Slower, doomier and grimmer, this song signifies that the party is over and we’re going into the deep, black void. Once the song kicks in after a lengthy intro, you hear the feverish influence of modern progressive metal. Goliath riffs and heavy, pounding drums bludgeon you to a pulp.
THE TYROMANCERS are an incredibly versatile and creative trio. Their unorthodox brand of progressive psychedelic rock is wonderfully exciting and intriguing. Colors Through The Void is a brilliant musical journey that showcases the band’s talents and songwriting credentials. It is a very strong debut album.
Rating: 8/10
Colors Through The Void is set for release on November 25th via self-release.
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