ALBUM REVIEW: War Of Being – TesseracT
Without mentioning the dreaded ‘P’ word, a lot has changed since 2018 and the release of Sonder. The music industry is learning to acclimatise to the ever-rising costs of purely existing as a band, and TESSERACT have spent this time wisely, honing their skills and creating an ambitious package (which includes a video game) to coincide with the release of their long awaited fifth studio album entitled War Of Being which is out now via Kscope. Will this release be able to match the considerable hype?
Natural Disaster pulls no punches, plunging straight into hefty riffing and powerful screams. Crunchy instrumentation intertwines with captivating melodic elements in quite the emphatic opener. Echoes sustains the surge in momentum with an uplifting, energetic tone and infectious grooves, particularly in the drum department. The elegant, graceful sequences provide the ideal accompaniment to the invigorating rhythm. The Grey returns to the nostalgic djent blueprint which TESSERACT played a significant role in perfecting. Meticulously executed technicality swiftly swarms around this soundscape.
Legion possesses a dramatic yet ominous mood which is further amplified by the ridiculous diversity in Daniel Tompkins‘ vocal range. A commanding heaviness takes a firm hold of the track for a brief period, alerting you of its ability to strike at a moment’s notice. Tender exudes a cinematic quality with its clean and sombre yet fascinating demeanour, providing a pocket of serenity before the arrival of the mammoth title track. War Of Being is as exhilarating as it is jarring. The track twists and turns through varying waves of intensity to keep you on your toes. Another spectacular vocal performance has you fixated during every moment.
Sirens immerses you in a pulsing, electronic vibe, allowing for a moment to contemplate what has occurred up to this point before the alluring prose of Burden springs forth. Many intricate layers expertly mesh together, culminating in an enthralling spectacle. Sacrifice collects all the tools displayed during this adventure and crafts one final masterclass of musicianship to ensure this release has its well-earned, euphoric conclusion.
Very few bands can acquire your full attention span for an hour but TESSERACT aren’t just your average bunch of musicians. They’re frontrunners, flagbearers and continue to astound with their abundance of talents. The instrumentation and overarching concept encourage the listener to dig deeper into every nuance and how it plays a part in the overall product and this will take multiple playthroughs to fully appreciate. Another stunning release from metal’s great innovators.
Rating: 10/10
War Of Being is out now via Kscope.
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