Fractal Universe “The Impassable Horizon” Album Review: This Band Is Growing Into Their Sound
I’ll be honest, it took me a while to get into Fractal Universe. They definitely have that Cynic-influenced brand of progressive metal to their sound. I typically love bands with that style, but something about Fractal Universe made me shy away at first. Not sure if it’s because the band is relatively new or something about their sound wasn’t clicking with me, I can’t remember exactly (though I remember not caring for the clean vocals).
However, I decided to give Fractal Universe another chance with The Impassable Horizon. Compared to their last two albums, this one is definitely more mature. The band is really growing into their sound and I like this album a lot more than their previous material.
The album starts strong with “Autopoiesis.” It’s a completely sublime song, with mesmerizing riffing and clean vocals that pull you in. But this song has more of an edge than many other songs on the album; there are more harsh vocals on this track and the drumming is crazy.
The next song, “A Clockwork Expectation,” is one new Fractal Universe song that fans have already heard. The band released a music video for this track at the end of April. I’ll be honest, this track wasn’t my favorite at first, but I did warm up to it. There are many surprises in this song; it twists and turns in various directions.
The song begins with melodious singing leading into chanting. It’s completely bewitching in the beginning until you’re thrown off your feet by the sudden heaviness. This heaviness morphs into the unexpected saxophone solo that’s nothing short of beautiful.
This is also a good way for me to introduce Vince Wilquin, who plays guitar, does the cleans and growls, and also plays the saxophone. Geez, what can’t that guy do?
Things pick up with the next song, “Interfering Spherical Scene.” Like many of the songs on the album, the song moves from enchanting melodies to harsh and brutal parts. My favorite part of the song is the guitar solo that flows with the atmosphere rather than stands out on its own.
One song that was released recently is “Symmetrical Masquerade.” The video is completely animated, which I always appreciate videos like this because it’s more interesting than watching the band performing. This song is very distinct. One of my complaints with this album is a lot of the songs sound the same — I will cover this more later. But this song is so much more dynamic than the other songs on this album. It’s very progressive, going in waves between heavy and melodic. It’s a complex track that many fans seem to like.
“Falls of the Earth” is a track I really like since they push the limits with their heaviness. The song is both dense and melodic, and is overall very catchy. This is one I especially like because it’s heavy on the harsh vocals. Topping it all off with a hypnotic solo, this is definitely one of my favorite tracks on the album.
The next song, “Withering Snowdrops,” still has that same ruthless vibe with a very catchy chorus. This track also has another amazing saxophone solo (seriously how will this Wilquin guy play this material live). Otherwise, the song isn’t my favorite but it still stands out.
Going back to my complaint about the songs sounding the same, this happens toward the end of the album and starts with the track “A Cosmological Arch.” At least I got bored around this part of the album. Keep this in mind when listening to the album as a whole.
“A Cosmological Arch” is a track that has a lot of gravity, though it doesn’t stand out compared to the previous tracks on the album. But listening to the song on its own, it definitely conveys the inhuman musicianship of these guys. From progressive guitar stylings to the almighty saxophone and one of the most killer bass solos, it’s a bold track that’s sure to get some attention.
But not all songs are good on their own. This is the case with “Godless Machinists.” While there are some punchy guitar parts and the overall atmosphere is vigorous, there are some awkward vocalizations that are ruining the song for me. It’s an eight-minute song and it just seems to drag on forever.
The album ends with an unplugged version of “Flashes of Potentialities.” The acoustics bring out the melody in this song but also the unique guitar patterns. I even like Wilquin’s voice better in the acoustic version than the original track. Honestly, I would love it if they released more unplugged versions of their songs.
Overall, Fractal Universe is maturing as a band and The Impassable Horizon definitely proves this. I’m glad I decided to give them another chance because there are many aspects of this album I like. While many songs sound the same and they have a few filler tracks, this album will likely be the start of success for these guys.
Rating: 7/10
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