ALBUM REVIEW: Lightless – Vipassi

It’s always exciting for instrumental fans to have a band like VIPASSI return. Their last record Sunyata was a 30-minute delight of death metal adjacent, extreme progressive ideas that really made an impact. While there are many similar moments in new record Lightless, there’s more space and tonal qualities akin to post-metal, jazz and shoegaze injected into the mix, resulting in a record with many more layers to uncover.

With initially tranquil title track Lightless, the drums really inform the central feeling of the song, shifting from spacious and snappy to full blown double bass drum bombardments. That’s not to say the rest of the ensemble isn’t contributing. On the contrary, VIPASSI have really pushed up the dynamics on this record, from sauntering fretless bass to animated lead lines and exciting rhythms.

There are slightly more death metal inclinations on Labyrinthine Hex, while the bass does some heavy lifting in inferring some jazzy elements over the shoegaze drones and the wall of drums that crashes around. Some beautiful lead parts from the guitars also add a nice amount of texture with harmonised bends and tapping aplenty. There’s ample flavour once the track gets off the ground. Overall, this is a pretty intense front end with lots to revisit, but it’s definitely engaging.

VIPASSI really have managed to take the prior achievements of their debut and interlace them with fresh ideas and approaches that show a massive development in their sound. Morningstar holds the balance between prog, shoegaze and extreme metal with ease. The dynamic changes are all delightful to try and juggle around your head, while Shapshu feels both frantic and moodily laid back – the best expression of modern progressive playing you will have heard in a while.

Phainesthai is a delight of progressive grunting chugs coupled with elegant run-on riffs that feel like a perfect contrast to the aggressive rhythms that lay around it. Again, superb bass sections within this record are nuggets of pure joy. On that note, it’s great to see a band completely appreciating the unique elements that different instruments have to offer – each gets its moment to shine while still making the record bigger than the sum of its parts. A great example is a serene, ethereal and aggressive track like Ruination Glow, which is absolutely unmatched for its technicality and atmosphere.

If you are looking for a more avant-garde soundscape that’s not as inclined towards double bass drums, Neon Rain is much more in the vein of jazz/experimental in terms of its wider expressive nature. While the elongated moments of unregulated drums might not be for everyone, those people should be few and far between, as within these ambient moments are some of the strongest examples of tension building and reward within the more compact, regulated tracks.

Closer Promethea is the amalgamation of all influences and styles in a mammoth almost 11-minute offering. Arguably, this is the best example on Lightless of how progressive music at its best feels like a conversation. No one part is written above another; the aim is to serve the music and the emotional response. While this is of course a darker moment, it’s blissfully serene in sections while it completely throws you at the wall in others.

VIPASSI have made a lush, triumphant record that really champions the melodic and experimental sides of what it means to be progressive, in equal measure. From bombastic aggression to shinning, modern textures, Lightless is a gem of a record.

Rating: 9/10

Lightless is set for release on January 26th via Season Of Mist.

Like VIPASSI on Facebook.