Instrumental rock and metal, while generally displaying a keen sense of proficiency that would make most mortals weep, often suffers from a lack of accessibility to the average listener. Take a band like Animals As Leaders, for instance. Do you think one of the most popular and respected instrumental metal bands of our time is ever going to co-headline with Taylor Swift? That would be pretty interesting, but not terribly likely.
However, instrumental rock is still fantastic to those of us who love the genre. When ex-vocalist Douglas Robinson split with the band recently, many thought the band was in trouble. His vocals, after all, were an important part of their also fantastic previous two records. It’s with that said that From The Gallery Of Sleep surpasses even the highest expectations one may place upon this release – because it is a potential game-changing album that should be regarded as a modern classic.
That’s not a statement that can be taken lightly, and the music 100% backs it up. It’s a musical thrill ride through genuinely engaging music that the music scene hasn’t seen in a long time. Take a song like the 3.30 track, “Lira”. At first listen, it doesn’t necessarily grab you as a song that would stand out – but it stands both alone as a singular piece, and part of a greater hole with a sound that might be best described as the the angular progressive metal of Tool or even Rishloo, and the throbbing IDM/electronic of someone like Tycho. It’s these electronic flourishes that really engage the listener in ways that some instrumental cannot. All without vocals.
Album opener “Copper Wasp” really helps build the aura of explosivity on this record, as it’s a track that both stands out as an individual, while helping to define the record’s characteristics. This and subsequent song “Trading Shadows” deliver a one-two knockout punch that bludgeon the listener with heavy yet pulsing riffs and atmosphere. Those drums from Aric Improta at the tail end of that track and also “Vice Wave”? He’s a talent we don’t deserve.
There’s plenty more to discover on From The Gallery Of Sleep, as it lies somewhere between progressive metal, post-hardcore, instrumental rock, and post-metal. Considering how much it engages the listener musically, we are looking at a true gamechanger in the world of progressive metal, for those who give it a shot.
