If you consider yourself to be a fan of Progressive music, you’ve just happened upon a treat! Valisasha is a project driven by no less than the mind and talents of Walking Across Jupiter guitarist Alexander Valitov. This comes together through an instrumental format as Alexander lets the music do the talking in his solo approach to Progressive Metal music. As such, the results speak for themselves…
And they speak in a “Unilanguage”. That’s the name of the all new Valisasha EP! The record runs at 15+ minutes between four original tracks. You can give a listen right now through the streams provided across this page! This includes a full video stream for the record with a lovely view of a waterfront sunset. The record is currently available on most major online music platforms. This includes the likes of Spotify, Apple Music, Bandcamp, and more. You can find links for all of the above through the bandlink provided HERE.
With all this promise, one has to wonder how “Unilanguage” translates musically… Let’s get to it!
“Nerve” opens the EP with some beautifully composed and cleaner passages that gradually bring on more and more distortion. This opening cut adds layers of heaviness until breaking into some further dynamic shifts. As such, the opening cut effectively shows many sides to Valisasha and therefore fulfills its duty as the opening track on “Unilanguage”. However, it doesn’t show the full hand…
This leads into the second track “Brave Cavalry” which shows more of the Valisasha melodic side as a solid continuation. Ultimately, “Thoughtful” and “Lomechusa” (Zulu for “It will help her” according to Google Translate), the third and fourth tracks, are meticulously crafted as well! They show other sides to the record from melancholy to mystery and beyond, rounding off the experience on a high level. The whole project functions well together, building a certain home between its given tracks.
In the end, it’s quite clear that the 4 installments of this record work together as four quarters of a greater picture. They’re clearly all meant to fit like puzzle pieces in the pursuit of this particular end product. Nothing feels forced or out of place, allowing the listening experience to flow smoothly from one track to the next. It all comes across naturally.
The experience will ultimately be different for everyone, but I think this EP tells a bit of an emotional story between its tracks. A simple interpretation could go something like this… “Nerve” is a reflection of awe like a bird taking flight for the first time before realizing the difficulties of this world. “Brave Cavalry” is acceptance and growing to meet the challenges head on. “Thoughtful” is a bit like contemplation surrounding that growth and realizing the road doesn’t end there – it’s a bit like asking, “what next?” while simultaneously forging onwards. Finally, “Lomechusa” reaches somewhat of a conclusion with full realization following further strife – the closing progressions are really quite beautiful and somewhat tragic. The even simpler interpretation for the whole project is viewing music and the emotions it brings across as the universal language, ala “Unilanguage” as the title. All of that being said, it strikes as a project that’s intended to be enjoyed altogether instead of piece-by-piece – though it really is enjoyable either way.
Instrumentally, Valisasha delivers at a high level across this entire project. Alexander effectively shows off his guitar chops from the riffs to the grooves to the solos and well beyond. Also, considering that all the music was written by the man himself, it shows an aptitude and knowledge based around other instruments as well! In some ways, you get the whole package with the release of “Unilanguage”.
In terms of production, the work on this record comes through quite clean. Similar to his work with Walking Across Jupiter, Alexander has kept it quite professional with this record. If there’s anything to expect from “Unilanguage”, it shouldn’t be a muddy mix. While the new music was all written by Alexander Valitov, the project was mixed by Danil Khabibullin and mastered by Nick Britvin.
The overall vibe of this EP release is certainly on the positive side. It brings about a good energy through varying dynamics. Beyond some of the records more soothing moments, this has been some of my favorite music in terms of productivity these recent weeks. It has a great drive behind it which can translate to motivation while working on projects, driving, or trying to get in some exercise.
The primary drawback of “Unilanguage” is the same issue that universally haunts great EPs – they feel too short and leave you wanting more. To be fair, whatever the record may lack in length is certainly compensated for in the quality content put forth. And the mere fact that it makes me want to hear more can’t be a bad sign, right?
Reading the final translation of “Unilanguage”, it’s clear to see that this is a great record from front to back! It’s an intricate massage for the ears which brings about a number of interesting ideas to stimulate the brain. I quite enjoyed listening and look forward to seeing where Valisasha may go next with this approach (or possibly onto another path!). In the end, I’m feeling a 9 out of 10 for this new EP. Very well done!
Just as a reminder, the whole of “Unilanguage” can be enjoyed through the streaming links above. You can also dig in deeper to find it on streaming / music market platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, Bandcamp, etc by CLICKING HERE.
If you’d like to follow along with Valisasha’s work directly, Alexander has set up an online presence for the project! That being the case, you can keep up to date with Valisasha by giving a follow over on Facebook, Instagram, or VK.
In separate, yet related, news – Alexander’s band Walking Across Jupiter has been rolling out a series of solid singles. You can watch a music video for the latest “Eschatology” and give a listen to “Scarification/Induration” + more by CLICKING HERE.
Enjoy!
Links: Purchase // Facebook // Instagram // VK
