A Sense of Gravity
Atrament

Six polite, well-educated gentlemen that make metal, can that really be something? That is how the band is described on the band website and we got to listen to their second album Atrament, a sixty-eight minute long piece. With an attractive cover artwork, and I should point out that the music is exciting and adventurous as well as very good.

Progressive metal is how these guys are best described, obviously inspired by the likes of Dream Theater. But it is not only that style of progressive metal that is represented here; they also use heavier stuff with growling and that sort of thing. They are both powerful and varied with excellent production and good vocals. Adventurous but not really surprising, I don’t really think they offer anything that makes you stop and think. It is quite obvious where the ideas for the structures and melodies come, and it is not from the polite gentlemen.

They could probably go down some more surprising and exciting paths as I think this album is a little bit predictable when they borrow stuff from the giants of the genre, so it is very good but also predictable. Should be very appealing to fans of the progressive school of metal. They do what they do really well, although the album could have been somewhat shorter and I suggest they do away with the video track Echo Chaser as that isn’t a particularly good track. The other tracks on the album are all very good, particularly the first two that are tracks I really like despite the obvious influences or perhaps because of those influences.

In the end I think the album deserves a thumbs-up, as it is a very good album. It may not appeal to everyone as you should like a more complex creation that requires both time and attention to get the most of it, like it is with most progressive albums. They could do with a little more individual flair but with all angles considered I think it is fair to describe this one as a high quality album that you really ought to look closer to if you like progressive music.

HHHHHHH