Not to be confused with Meshuggah, The Paradoxical Spiral is an Instrumental, Progressive Tech / Death Metal project on the rise from New Bedford, MA. Guitarist / writer Michael Dunn delivers a heavy, riffy, out of the box, adrenaline filled assault. This sound was put on full display through the impressive debut release “Necromorphs” back in 2011.
Now that sound is being pushed even further on their sophomore album “An Ancient Prophecy” as the band has expanded their musical approach. Essentially, The Paradoxical Spiral has a very technical, riff and groove oriented method to how they execute their music. This was especially apparent on their previous release. But now they’re expanding upon that sound into realms of atmosphere, melody, and heightened creativity. They’ve even incorporated new instruments into their sound. All in all, it serves as welcome artistic growth from the group.
The record was just released on March 26th. To sweeten the deal, you can give the whole thing a listen right now. The Paradoxical Spiral has been offering up the album for streaming since before the official release! You can check it out on their official Bandcamp or simply scroll down.
After giving it a listen, it’s clear that “An Ancient Prophecy” will bring about good events for your ears. Tracks like “New Age Warfare” and “An Ancient Prophecy” will melt faces while others such as “Voids In Rapture” and “Sacred Artifacts” will take you on aural journeys. Beyond these, there are more stand out tracks to be found. There’s a good mix of varying content on the record. You never really know what’s going to happen next.
This is a very good album, but I wouldn’t say it’s totally solid. I have a three main criticisms here. First, the production is lacking. In all fairness, this is a solid DIY effort by the band and I respect that. But truth be told, these tracks could sound HUGE with superior production. The ideas are all there and the ideas themselves are solid. They could just use some extra *umph* in the mix. Second, the instrumental delivery of a few segments could be tighter. And third, the drums are obviously programmed in the mix and could frankly sound better. Yet again, in all fairness “An Ancient Prophecy” was written before drummer Matthew Blackmon joined. These things may take away from “An Ancient Prophecy” in some regards, but it’s still most definitely worth the attention of your ears. I was torn between giving it a 7.5 and an 8 but ultimately figured they have a few more steps to take before touching on greatness.
To sum things up, Michael Dunn did a really good job here. On some fronts, I’d say he did a phenomenal job. There is a lot of talent and potential in The Paradoxical Spiral. Looking forward to seeing their line-up completed (let them know if you think you’re up to it!) and listening to their music as they continue to grow as musicians. Don’t forget to stream through “An Ancient Prophecy” and if you enjoy what you’re hearing, be sure to buy the album right here! Support DIY music \m/
