LIVE(STREAM) REVIEW: Fractal Universe @ The Impassable Horizon – Alive
French progressive death metal maestros FRACTAL UNIVERSE have propelled themselves into the spotlight in impressive fashion, only getting better with each passing release. In celebration of their brand new release The Impassable Horizon they have devised a livestream which is available now via Veeps until August 8th. Still plenty of time to get your fix! The lovely folks at Incendia Music gave us the opportunity to review the show and give you the lowdown.
The quartet hit the stage of the Le Gueulard Plus in France and got straight down to business, diving straight into the opening track Autopoiesis fresh off their latest album. With no gimmicks or fancy stage fixtures to distract away from the performance the collective had to be on their A game and boy did they deliver. Slotting into the pocket within an instant reeling off the most intricate of riffs whilst also holding down vocal duties and making it look like child’s play.
It was a pleasant surprise to see frontman Vince Wilquin utilise his talents on the saxophone on their latest effort and this translated into a live performance brilliantly, instantly elevating the tracks graced with its presence. There are so many moments to appreciate held within the chapters of The Impassable Horizon, from the dramatic opening of A Clockwork Expectation, the addictive hooks of Symmetrical Masquerade and rapid fire instrumentation of Withering Snowdrops there really is no moment of this performance where your attention begins to wander. You’re fully engaged in everything that is unfolding and the animated graphics neatly tie everything together.
It goes without saying that the set was heavily focused on showcasing the new material but this didn’t mean there wasn’t the chance to sling out fan favourites such as Sons Of Ignorance and Oneiric Realisations from previous albums Engram Of Decline and Rhizomes Of Insanity, showing how comfortable the band are at diving headfirst into the realms of death metal just as much as they effortlessly execute beautifully captivating atmospherics. There are special moments littered around this performance and you can’t help but smile as three pronged vocal assaults mesh together seamlessly, when fellow guitarist Hugo Florimond and Vince grin at each other whilst playing elaborate tapping segments and when drummer Clément Denys unleashed a vicious round of blast beats are just a few examples. If this is your first time hearing about FRACTAL UNIVERSE then you are in for an absolute treat.
Rating: 10/10