ALBUM REVIEW: Impulse To Soar – Calyces
CALYCES are a Greek progressive metal four-piece looking to make their mark on the scene with their debut LP, Impulse To Soar. Formed in 2018, they’re a relatively new band, but their sound is deeply reminiscent of past eras. The album is particularly evocative of late 00s prog metal, a period which saw some of the genre’s best releases. It draws especially strong comparisons to Crack The Skye-era MASTODON or the earlier work of BARONESS.
As on many of it’s comparative points, the guitar work on Impulse To Soar is very impressive. Throughout the record, guitarists Manthos Stergiou and Giannis Golfis lay down epic proggy riff after epic proggy riff. Lots of songs, like Beyond Sight and Those Flames Are Dancing Wild, also feature frantic Brent Hinds-esque lead parts. Others, like False Awakening and The Great Void, see them deliver brief yet powerful guitar solos. CALYCES’ rhythm section also brings their A-game. Bassist Stelios Tragos and drummer Alex Stavropoulos add loads of groove to the record, and regularly serve as an anchor in the band’s trance-inducing rhythmic jams.
‘Groove’ is definitely an appropriate word when talking about Impulse To Soar. While the record is stuffed full of odd-time signatures and polyrhythms, it’s not often that listeners will be unable to bang their heads in time to the music. It’s this feature which gives the album a firm modern grounding, at points even bringing to mind the more techy/djent-esque touches of a band like TESSERACT. The most obvious examples of this are on the album’s later tracks Home and Beyond Sight.
Stergiou also handles vocal duties on Impulse To Soar, giving an exciting and versatile performance well-matched to the music behind him. His vocals are often comparable to the boom of singers like Troy Sanders or John Baizley. Elsewhere, such as on The Great Void, they bring to mind Brann Dailor‘s higher, slightly more melodic register. There are also some points where he shows a more savage side, perhaps most notably on sixth track Wired Crown.
The impressive performances on Impulse To Soar are definitely helped by the record’s excellent production. The album was mastered by Grammy Award-winner Alan Douches, known for his work with groups like MASTODON and KVELERTAK. His experienced hand on Impulse To Soar helps listeners hear every rich detail of the album’s expansive, thought-out songs.
The album is of a consistent high-quality throughout, but particular highlights come in the form of Ego Dries Up The Ocean and The Great Void. The former, the album’s lead single, is a driving heavy track which could even draw comparisons to groups like GOJIRA or OPETH at points. The latter is as MASTODON as CALYCES get. It’s a mid-tempo, riff heavy piece, with haunting melodies which wouldn’t sound out of place on any of the band’s post-Crack The Skye albums.
The record also features some notable guest appearances. Unfair Labor, another riff-heavy highlight, ends with a long jazz saxophone solo from Jørgen Munkeby of SHINING fame. Beyond Sight sees the band add ethereal backing vocals from SPINELESS‘ Chrysa Tsaltampasi, bringing to mind PINK FLOYD‘s Great Gig In The Sky. In both cases, the appearances elevate the songs’ already high quality. They also add variation which is sure to help maintain interest over the album’s long runtime.
While Impulse To Soar is definitely a heavy record, it’s never abrasive or oppressive. Instead, the band show a good command of dynamics and melody throughout. The record’s final tracks, both instrumentals, demonstrate this well. Uneven Loops is a triumphant, anthemic piece which shows how well the band give their ideas the space they deserve. After this, the album closes on We’re Lost, But It’s OK, a beautiful acoustic instrumental. It’s a good piece, if not a little disappointingly placed. Sitting at the end of the record, and featuring a burp and a couple of cock-ups at the start, it feels as though CALYCES lacked the courage to place it earlier on and instead added it as an afterthought. A band this good should definitely have the confidence to back themselves; the fact We’re Lost… feels like a moment where they don’t is a bit of a shame.
At 58 minutes, Impulse To Soar is probably a little too long. Some may also accuse it of not bringing much new to the table. That said, CALYCES are clearly taking inspiration from some of the best prog metal bands and albums of all time. Not only that, they’ve done a great job of creating a record that comes pretty close to the quality of these influences. All in all, Impulse To Soar is a consistent, cohesive, exciting album that serves as quite the opening statement from a band who are sure to go on to great things.
Rating: 9/10
Impulse To Soar is set for release on October 16th via self-release.
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