ALBUM REVIEW: Impulse Voices – Plini

Maybe it’s his humble personality, or perhaps a direct result of his ever more proficient music, but PLINI is growing in stature by the week. It’s most likely a combination of the two, but even despite his recent – albeit slightly controversial – claim to fame surrounding the use of his music in a DOJA CAT live performance, the Australian is becoming something of a household name in the world of progressive metal and beyond. Instrumental from the offset, his fortitude stems from the sheer quality of his output. Most notably with the 2016 album Handmade Cities, we have seen his humble following become avid support and now finally, four years on, we are mere days away from his latest offering, Impulse Voices.

Nothing has changed really. And by that, we can assume that this album is a continuation of what we have seen Plini do time and time again. Blossoming soundscapes and the kind of intricacies that make you shut your eyes and imagine mountains. Delicacy, heaviness, and everything in between rolled into one delectable record. This begins with I’ll Tell You Someday, which shimmers with the charm of a prog rock classic. The reality is that this is largely back-to-basics stuff. Without doubt, he is a very capable musician, but we aren’t blinded by science, instead we’re simply presented with impeccably refined hooks and melodies that seem to possess a perpetual repeatability.

Reaching the end of track one makes you want to restart track one, and that’s the genius of it. Too often nowadays we pick albums apart to try and dissect immensely complex passages of music, which is great in some regards. But honestly? Impulse Voices is such a refreshingly easy listen. As we continue into Papelillo, very little effort is required on our part. We already know that PLINI is a guitar god, and that few can match the quality that he produces, but the very fact that we can sit back, relax and comfortably take this album in is testament to how well written it is. That said, there are heavy spikes, and the album loses it’s shit for the odd moment, but for the most part it’s serene.

Perfume kicks off with a hint of synth, before a taste of ambient drumming leads into the track proper. Once more, simple yet effective guitar notes drive it forwards, focusing on the atmosphere rather than trying to force us to applaud his ability. And this pretty much sums up the whole track. It builds and it swells in good taste until the very end, where we are drawn into Last Call for another stellar track. This brings us to the eponymous Impulse Voices, a detail driven song. It’s easy to forget that this is a one-man bedroom project, not only because of the production quality, but also because of PLINI‘s seemingly endless ability to play nearly every instrument to such a high level. It’s uncanny, and as each individual element continues to weave together, we’re left with a phenomenal song.

In the later stages of Pan, we are treat to a slight surprise. Following a similar pattern to the rest of the album in it’s open half, this track proceeds to play out in a blaze of saxophone, which seems to be often used as a magic bullet in metal albums of late, but really works well here. It’s fitting of the music, and might just be one of the best PLINI tracks to date. As well as having the album’s best guitar solo, Ona sees him seize the opportunity to throw a little piano into the mix, before darting into the finale, The Glass Bead Game. 

Closing out as the album’s longest track, The Glass Bead Game is adventurous at the very least. In it’s nine minutes, we get the best of both worlds. There are more twists and turns than a George R. R. Martin novel, and to continue the Games Of Thrones hyperbole further, anything goes in PLINI‘s never ending quest to dominate the progressive metal world. Riff after glorious riff meets thudding double kicks, as well as a cocktail of soaring melody and sheer ambience. PLINI is like that ancient craftsman that would search for years for that ideal piece of wood, before whittling it away to perfection. That is Impulse Voices summed up. Simple, elegant, phenomenal.

Rating: 8/10

Impulse Voices is set for release on November 27th via self-release. 

Like PLINI on Facebook.