Thanks so much guys! Here's our first review to share.
April 28, 2013 by deckard cain
http://metalspreev2.com/2013/04/28/abnormal-thought-patterns-manipulation-under-anesthesia/
Abnormal Thought Patterns Manipulation Under Anesthesia
Today Jude Mascarenhas reviews the new album from Abnormal Thought Patterns titled Manipulation Under Anesthesia, released via Lifeforce Records.
Tracklisting:
1. Velocity and Acceleration Movement 5
2. Velocity and Acceleration Movement 6
3. Velocity and Acceleration Movement 7
4. Velocity and Acceleration Movement 8
5. Calculating Patterns
6. Harmonic Oscillators
7. String Lullaby
8. Autumn
9. Manipulation Under Anesthesia
10. Electric Sun 2.0
11. Quintessence
With a name like Abnormal Thought Patterns, you, like me must be expecting either visceral goregrind music or new age djent-dja-djent. I was hesitant about checking this album out because of those apprehensions. I can honestly tell you Im glad I looked past them.
Abnormal Thought Patterns was born out of the backbone of prog-metallers Zero Hour, who released a string of albums in the early 2000s, most prominently Dark Deceiver and The Towers of Avarice. If you hear those albums you can clearly hear the clay that would be Abnormal Thought Patterns.
The band comprises of the Tipton Brothers, Jasun and Troy, on guitar and bass respectively, and Mike Guy on drums.
Now that you know who plays what ; onto the album !
SOUND :
Like I had previously stated, just before hitting Play I was expecting either my ears to get ripped off by blast beats or to be nauseated by djeneric djent. What I did hear instead nearly made me think it was the latter : Dissonant sweep patterns. But after the initial 20 seconds, I realized this was far removed from djent. The second I heard that mid-rangy bass I knew I was in for a mind-frak session (In the good way, not the religious figures and little boys way)
The last time a band had written an instrumental that made me groove this much was when Scale the Summit released Monument. This band has pulled out all the stops when it comes to licks. Not only are they technical, theyre tasteful, and they dont get stale, which is the case with most technical/progressive albums. This takes the best elements out of bands like Blotted Science, Cynic, Liquid Tension Experiment and Scale the Summit and gives you this delicious blend of aural goodness.
Theres no mind-numbing song progression nor is there any weird drum pattern or off-time signature drums. This is melodic music that is jacked up with two musicians that really know their instruments and want you to enjoy the music, not make you feel bad about not being able to comprehend it.Plus theres little curveballs of jazz and other weird oriental elements here and there to keep you interested and to keep the musically elite on their toes. In fact by comparison to todays instrumental bands, theyre letting technicality in the arrangement of the songs take the backseat.
You can tell the band have been woodshedding these songs for quiet some time now. Everything just fits like a glove, and you honestly dont get worn down the way people usually do when they listen to instrumental albums. Unless of course youre the next Mozart.
The album flows really well too. The transitions between songs are fluid and you really dont feel that pause between them. In fact I heard this album in its entirety, non-stop, and I just couldnt feel it bearing down on me.
PRODUCTION :
The production on the album is top-notch as well. Nothing groundbreaking, but everything does sound really good. The guitar tone is A-grade and the bass production is outstanding on this album. The lead lines on all of the stringed instruments mesh perfectly with each other and the drums dont sound overproduced or compressed either. The album tries to be as organic as is allowed in this day and age what with digital studios being more convenient. I also really liked that ethereal piano sound they used on Harmonic Oscillators. More of that in later albums please.
