ALBUM REVIEW: Sonder – TesseracT

The UK’s progressive metal scene has been dominated by a small number of bands in the last decade or so. One of the most prominent, if not the most, are TESSERACT. Consistently mesmerising audiences since their debut release One in 2011, each new release has brought a different layer to their talent and music. Altered State featured alternate vocalist Ashe O’Hara, and delivered multi-layered, gentle, beautiful soundscapes. Polaris saw a return by original vocalist Daniel Tompkins, and saw TESSERACT‘s more radio-friendly, accessible side. 2018’s offering, Sonder, sees the band take everything they have learnt, all the features of their sound, and combine them to create eight tracks of progressive brilliance.

Right off the bat, the record opens with Luminary, bursting with huge riffs, and the trademark bass-driven wall of sound that their fans know and love. Tompkins’ vocals then break through with unsettling, gentle contrast to the power of the instrumentals. Luminary is a perfect example of the evolution of their sound, as the riffs evoke memories of their heavier past records, whilst they still blast out a huge catchy chorus as one may have found on Polaris. Following Luminary is King, the standout track on the album, as well as the lead single, and arguably one of the finest pieces of writing from TESSERACT to date. The song ebbs and flows through huge polyrhythmic instrumental sections, into the biggest chorus the band has ever written. Dan also returns to form with aggressive harsh vocals, delivered in measured moderation – which, whilst it may leave the heavier fan wanting more, arguably adds to the power of the song, as it demonstrates the heavier capabilities of the band in perfect restraint.

It would be easy to comment on how much the bass and drums provided by bass god Amos Williams and Jay Postones shine on the first tracks, however they shine equally on every single track. Each song acts as a playground for Postones to roam within, bringing his well-known polyrhythmic groove and chops, whilst Williams dances around this, funkier than ever, and with a bass tone that could level mountains. This is perfectly demonstrated on Juno, as the slap bass and kick drums lock together to create that trademark TESSERACT djent-funk.

This continues throughout the rest of the record, which seems to flow perfectly between tracks until its completion. With the aid of the beautifully soaring guitar lines that permeate each song from James Monteith and Acle Kahney, the band create melodic bliss on each track, with a pause only for the borderline evil-sounding Smile, which shows off the heavier side of the band with its dissonant riffing. Rather than being annoyingly disruptive, however, Smile seems to be placed perfectly within the record. Each TESSERACT release provides a story, whether that’s through the lyrics or the music, and each flows up and down. This is the story of Sonder – musically, it drifts like waves through low-fi clean guitar in isolation through to the dissonance and aggression of Smile.

This is an art that TESSERACT have perfected through the release of Sonder, and hopefully will continue to hone in the future. Existing fans of the band will be overjoyed with this release, and if there’s anyone left in the world that enjoys heavy music that haven’t listened to TESSERACT yet, this record would be a massive introduction.

Rating: 9/10

Sonder is set for release on April 20th via Kscope.

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