PHHHHP! Plus

"After CYNTHESIS and its amazing second recording, the pertinently titled album, “ReEvolution”, the ultra talented Californian geminis Brothers, Troy & Jasun Tipton (ex ZERO HOUR), are back with another chapter in their instrumental project discography…ABNORMAL THOUGHT PATTERNS and once again the expansion of their genuine style and the maturated development is terrific, the release date is set for late June…The band broad universe is so extended that the term "limitless" seems underrated and non-representative of their extraordinary and unstoppable musical dominion!The young Guitar God Jasun Tipton, owner of a great fat tone, perform in his finest way as you would have expected, fluid, majestic and without effort (“Blindsight”), quite easy to understand why this man is worshiped by Guitar enthusiasts everywhere, but more than ever, it seems that his brother the Bass maestro Troy Tipton takes a even bigger role, while playing his typical two hand tapping licks, also some more ambitious melodic lines and sharing some hallucinating unison amazing arpeggios between Bass & Guitar (“Distortions Of Perception”)!This instrumental trio is apparently becoming a quartet with the recruit guitarist Richard Shardman, still featuring the former ex ZERO HOUR's drums expert Mike Guy (ex DEATH MACHINE), is providing everything, from stripped down ambiance to a flurry Shredding parts (“Delusions”), in a complementary unreal association, a syncronization similar to something that is identical to the special and unique twin brothers spirit/relationship (“Subliminal Perception”).The Bass guitar realm of low frequencies is honored with the superb track “Synesthesia” (An awareness of synesthetic perceptions that varies from person to another with confusion of colors/numbers and shapes, born from a neurological phenomenon that leads involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway to a disinhibited feedback triggered by specific sounds) where Troy is duelling with two other Bass monsters, namely the legendary Fretless player Michael Manring and the criminally undervalued John Onder (remember the great Shrapnel’s releases like “Infra Blue” by Joey Tafffola (???)/”Extreme Measures” by Vitalij Kuprij or 2000’s “Machine” by ARTENSION and even MSG’s “Adventures Of The Imagination”) another patented mix of elusive etheral soft moments that develops before entering again in a frenzy of note under a Neo-Classical style, built in total opposition with the hypnotic middle break in a new age approach!To prove their absolute artistic freedom ABNORMAL THOUGHT PATTERNS dare to break the all instrumental rules by adding some harsh lead vocals performed by the BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME singer Mike Rodgers, in the detuned “Nocturnal Haven”…But at the slot N°6 they offer us another superb rendition of the same theme, but this time in a fully instrumental version with some additional solo spots by Canadian citizen Tim Roth from INTO ETERNITY, however both tracks contains some lava sweeping avalanche by seven strings rising star Jeff Loomis (ARCH ENEMY/ex SANCTURAY/ex NEVERMORE)!While their latest CD “Manipulation Under Anesthesia” was more extreme and ferocious than hell, pushing the intricacy at the maximum with some almost bio-mechanism rhythmic method and improving in the ultra-hi-tech reaches onto stellar and virgin territories: “Altered States Of Consciousness” is a concept album centered around neurobiologic sensations, in coherence it's a more enriched atmospheric disc, more spacey, groovy, layered with organic textures and full of emotional sequence, with still plenty of sudden bursting of agressive triplets-staccatto-trick, but clearly more accessible and not restricted to please a bunch of Guitar-Fretboard geeks, obviously the talent and the technical ability of the virtuoso musicians involved here, is still head and shoulders up above the level of the average new generation of Prog Metallers…The abnormal musical thoughts are welcome!" - Metal Temple

"Abnormal Thoughts Patterns is a new technical metal trio that comes onto the scene equipped with twenty-plus years of experience. Featuring Mike Guy on drums and twins Jasun and Troy Tipton on guitar and bass respectively, ATP is perhaps better known as the musical backbone of underrated prog metal purveyors Zero Hour. Apt comparisons between the Californian three-piece and acts such as Death and Animals as Leaders have been made, but when Abnormal Thought Patterns are at their most frenetic, they also share Blotted Science's aptitude for conjuring up aural insect swarms. Some of this stuff is guaranteed to make listeners' heads spin.Manipulation Through Anesthesia is ATP's debut full-length release, and it gets off to an excellent start, extending on the saga of the very first tracks they wrote, "Velocity and Acceleration" parts 1-4. These songs, numbered from 5 to 8, flow together as one connected work, clearly taking place in the same universe and containing shared motifs. It's 13 minutes of some of the finest instrumental metal out there. The album then takes a left turn in the form of "Calculating Patterns", a pleasant, jazzy cooldown. It is the first of several mellow tunes that demonstrate Abnormal Thought Patterns' diversity."Harmonic Oscillators", the album's most challenging cut in more ways than one, is also worth a mention. Here, the guys in Abnormal Thought Patterns lose themselves in mathemathics for the first and only time on the album. It's the type of song to make aspiring musicians seethe with envy and set their instrument of choice on fire, being a technical tour de force full of mindboggling time signatures and incredibly dexterous playing. It's also, again with the maths, the only 7+-minute song on an album where the average one clocks in at 4 minutes, and without changing the formular around much. For many, this all-out assault will no doubt be considered the highlight of the album. For others, it'll be a bit too much of a good thing.Speaking of the formular, ATP seems to have carved out a more than solid niche for itself already. Though the notes-per-minute count is oftentimes off the charts on Manipulation Under Anesthesia, the majority of its content manages to stay quite musical. The main event of their faster songs tend to be a heavy, hypnotic, repeated guitar riff, assisted by the always-very-audible bass humming surprisingly melodic tunes while the drums keep everything in place, usually prioritizing cymbal and snare patterns over flashy tom fills. On that note, the album is in no way lacking in heaviness or rhythmic depth despite foregoing the use of double kick drums. Quite an unusual feat in the shred-based instrumental metal environment.For anyone familiar with Zero Hour, it should come as no surprise that ATP succeeds in shredding with style. But there's a lot more to them than that. Abnormal Thought Patterns keep an excellent balance between all three instruments (which are occasionally joined by some light synth accompaniment), making sure there's always something worthwhile happening on several fronts, and they're able to impress even when venturing out of their comfort zone. Manipulation Through Anesthesia does lose a bit of steam towards the end, but is nonetheless an impressive album and a very promising debut." - Metal Revolution

Legendary first album by Florida’s Progressive Death Metal pioneers CYNIC, remixed and remastered, ReFocus.

"The kings of djent are back with a brand new album all the way from sunny England. However, is Tesseract's Polaris a worthy successor to Altered State? I remember watching Kubrick's 2001 for the first time quite a few years back, and it had me floored. The colours, the story, the everything about that movie made the hairs stand up on the back of my neck. And there has been very few bands which have given me the same reaction on singlular songs, let along entire albums. However, there are a couple which populate this list - Dream Theater's Octavarium is one that I can put on repeat and get the same feeling time and time again.Of course the downside of this is that most other movies, films, albums, and what have you, seem to pale in comparison. It's the downside of experiencing something truely phenomenal - an often once in a decade event which you'll be comparing everything to for years after. For me, TesseracT's 2013 album Altered State was nearly but not quite there. And post the British prog-rock outfit's last offering, many had been wondering - including myself - what the new album would bring.In the interest of full disclosure, I was a huge fan of Altered State. Just the use of saxophone is a super deep and melodic metal album was enough to blow me away - and of course with tracks like "Nocturne" and the entirety of the "Of Matter" movement it just sealed the deal. However, I always found myself skipping around the album or skipping to certain parts of certain songs - and they never gave me that "hair-standing-up" effect. However, I was still curious to see what the band would come up with next.But, with the departure of vocalist Ashe O'Hara I was concerned they'd head back to their screamy previous style - a style which in all honesty left me a little cold. As it was announced previous vocalist Daniel Tompkins was to rejoin the band, my heart sank - i knew the band would return to a bellowing metal state which had not impressed - and it would probably leave my favourite Tesseract album as a one off. And boy was I wrong.I'll say it now. TesseracT's Polaris is, hands down, the best album so far of 2015. The previous holder was of course the other badass British band, MUSE. But I have to say that unlike the trio from Devon, the quintet from Milton Keynes had my attention for the entire album.Beginning with "Dystopia" - a super funky hard back to One (without the sandpaper vocals) I knew I was in for a treat. The vocals are super strong, awesomely written and produced, and right on point. The guitar work is, as to be expected, phenomenal along with the drumming and bass playing. Other tracks which were phenomenal were pretty much all of them - though "Messenger" and its attached "Cages" were the ones which sent shivers up my spine - just for the connection in the middle.The only true issue I had with the album was a lack of connecting tracks, which was merely a minor quip. Sure I'd have loved to have seen more of it, but overall I was so taken with the album from the beginning I barely noticed until the end.In fact what I loved so much about the album was the amount of ups and downs, peaks and valleys if you will, throughout all of the songs across the entire album. I could hear influence from everywhere - Story of the Year, Periphery, Muse, and a stack of others I couldn't put my finger on. I realised after the sixth track "Phoenix" just why - it sounded like TesseracT. Sure all the influences were there and poking their head up at times, but overall it just sounded like one of the freshest bands around at the moment. And I don't say this lightly - there are very few bands who truely have their own sound in today's day and age.Polaris is, in my opinion, a Kubrick-level moment for this band. This is their 2001, their Octavarium, 1984, or piano-key neck-tie. In short, if you are a fan of djent music, buy this album. If you like metal, do the same. If you like music, do it. You know what, just get it. If you want to be sat in awe with one of the most amazing albums you'll hear this year. Just prepare yourself, there may not be anything this good again.Not for some time." - The Aureview

"Washington, D.C. progressive instrumental duo Haunted Shores returns after a seven-year absence with second full-length, Void. This is the follow-up to 2015 EP, Viscera, and 2011’s self-titled debut album. Haunted Shores members Mark Holcomb and Misha Mansoor are better known as members of Periphery, where both handle guitars and Mansoor is also responsible for programming, synthesizers, orchestration and drums. And once you know that, you can’t unhear Periphery in what the duo turn out. That said, reading about the differences between the two projects, I wondered whether I had found the reason why I have never really got on with Periphery, a band that, on paper, I should like: “In Haunted Shores, when Misha and I push for something, it’s instantly there. We don’t need to discuss two seconds of music between five people like we would have to do in Periphery.” This description of their day job’s writing habits hints very strongly at compromise. So, can the more free-form stylings of Haunted Shores win me over?Featuring several tracks resurrected and reimagined from earlier output, Void is, for the most part, a whirlwind of technical, progressive extreme metal, mixing elements of death, black and djent. I say ‘for the most part,’ because the band does introduce two synth-driven ambient pieces in “Null” (which is also entirely percussion free) and “Void,” which breaks up the otherwise relentless aggression. Influences are worn openly on Haunted Shores‘ sleeves. Apart from the obvious hits of Periphery, the clearest influences are Meshuggah (“Hellfire” and “OnlyFangs”) and, perhaps more surprisingly, Still Life / Blackwater Park-era Opeth (“Nocturnal Hours”). Across its run, Void is propelled along by lightspeed, clinically metronomic drumming (programmed by the two members via Mansoor’s own GetGood Drums software). Overlaid onto that, the guitars go in at least three directions, sometimes simultaneously, serving up technical noodling, thudding djenty rhythms and airier Opeth-like riffage.“OnlyFangs” brings together all these elements of Haunted Shores‘ sound in quick-fire succession, as cascading grandiose riffs crash down onto a slightly dissonant valley floor where thunderous Meshuggah guitar lines maraud freely. Technical nerdery rears up only occasionally on “OnlyFangs” but the progressive tones are much more prevalent on the reimagined older material like “When in Oslo,” originally from a 2010 split with Cyclamen, and “Nocturnal Hours.” The latter also features a demented freeform saxophone solo from Shining‘s Jørgen Munkeby, which lends the closer a chaotic savagery that works better than the more scripted and calculating über brutality of “Perpetual Windburn.” I would not like to try and guess at the bpm of the drum machine on “Perpetual Windburn” but even Tomas Haake would struggle to keep pace.The ambient textures of “Null” and “Void” provide much needed breathing room on Void. Perhaps due in part to the lack of vocals, Haunted Shores pack a huge amount into Void‘s modest 38-minute run, which looks even more compact when you realize that almost ten of those minutes are gentle atmospheric synth compositions. At times the record feels claustrophobically dense, particularly on “Perpetual Windburn” and “Immaterial.” This is perhaps compounded by the production. It’s not, to be clear, that the sound on show is bad by any stretch, but it feels cold and sterile. On the one hand, this cedes the floor to the technicality of Haunted Shores‘ creators, allowing their undoubted musicianship to shine through, but it also makes for a tiring listen.It’s hard not to be impressed by a lot of what Haunted Shores do. The weight and bludgeoning force of what these two guys turn out is as impressive as the way they handle their instruments. What’s mostly lacking, however, is the emotion. The two tracks that most successfully build in some feeling are the closing duo of the title track and “Nocturnal Hours,” which lean heavily into Opeth. As such Void goes out on a big high and is good throughout but could have been great if Haunted Shores had allowed the songwriting to flow more organically. Rather than separating out the moodier, smoothing textures on “Null” and the title track, these aspects of Haunted Shores‘ sound should have been interwoven into the rest of the record.  Holcomb and Mansoor manage this light and dark show on “Nocturnal Hours” and had they done so across the rest of the album, Void would likely have made a more indelible mark." - Angry Metal Guy