Linear Sphere Reality Dysfunction
Linear Sphere Records November 7th, 2005
By Jason Jordan
Londoners Linear Sphere are a promising prog outfit, if Reality Dysfunction is any indication of their talent, ability, and overall potential. I think it probably is. Honestly, however, Im not in love with progressive metal like I used to be, but the Dream Theater meets Spiral Architect approach passes the test here. Reality Dysfunction is a solid progressive record, and relevant labels should at least give these guys a once-over, or maybe even more than that.
At over an hour in length, this debut offers as much material as youre gonna want or need. The musicians are all seasoned veterans, judging solely by their performances, and the songs structures are intricate, though not befuddling. Like Spiral Architect, each member of Linear Sphere is given room to move, but the instruments somehow form a strong, healthy body. On Ceremony Master, for instance, there are several Dream Theater-esque fruits ripe for the picking, as well as plenty of technical leaps and bounds. Also reminding me of the prog titans were the soundclips, which saturate perhaps oversaturate Reality Dysfunction. They decided to use excerpts from political commentaries, and one need only examine The Great Debate from Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence to get the basic idea; said clips pop up, intermittently, throughout this full-length album. Id rather have them condensed into one opus, or cut entirely. Another potential turnoff is Gerons vocal persuasion. At times he adopts a regular prog voice, though during other moments hell be squawking or sounding like hes off his rocker. Yeah, occasionally the vocal craziness makes me think Geron could use a straitjacket, but his pipes are indeed suited to this style of music. While not quite endearing, he suffices.
Hugging prog, tech, and jazz simultaneously, Linear Sphere set a daunting project before them. They conquered the adversaries, though. Their comparisons to Dream Theater and Spiral Architect surely wont hurt matters, nor will the 25-minute epic From Space to Time, in which Geron and crew pack a wallop. The guitar acrobatics are worth your time alone, but hopefully these Brits will be calling a record company such as Sensory or InsideOut their home in the very near future. Still, some perseverance and determination is needed to make it all the way through this disc because not all of it is easy on the ears.
7/10
UMs Review Rating Scale
Official Linear Sphere Website
Linear Sphere Records November 7th, 2005
By Jason Jordan
Londoners Linear Sphere are a promising prog outfit, if Reality Dysfunction is any indication of their talent, ability, and overall potential. I think it probably is. Honestly, however, Im not in love with progressive metal like I used to be, but the Dream Theater meets Spiral Architect approach passes the test here. Reality Dysfunction is a solid progressive record, and relevant labels should at least give these guys a once-over, or maybe even more than that.
At over an hour in length, this debut offers as much material as youre gonna want or need. The musicians are all seasoned veterans, judging solely by their performances, and the songs structures are intricate, though not befuddling. Like Spiral Architect, each member of Linear Sphere is given room to move, but the instruments somehow form a strong, healthy body. On Ceremony Master, for instance, there are several Dream Theater-esque fruits ripe for the picking, as well as plenty of technical leaps and bounds. Also reminding me of the prog titans were the soundclips, which saturate perhaps oversaturate Reality Dysfunction. They decided to use excerpts from political commentaries, and one need only examine The Great Debate from Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence to get the basic idea; said clips pop up, intermittently, throughout this full-length album. Id rather have them condensed into one opus, or cut entirely. Another potential turnoff is Gerons vocal persuasion. At times he adopts a regular prog voice, though during other moments hell be squawking or sounding like hes off his rocker. Yeah, occasionally the vocal craziness makes me think Geron could use a straitjacket, but his pipes are indeed suited to this style of music. While not quite endearing, he suffices.
Hugging prog, tech, and jazz simultaneously, Linear Sphere set a daunting project before them. They conquered the adversaries, though. Their comparisons to Dream Theater and Spiral Architect surely wont hurt matters, nor will the 25-minute epic From Space to Time, in which Geron and crew pack a wallop. The guitar acrobatics are worth your time alone, but hopefully these Brits will be calling a record company such as Sensory or InsideOut their home in the very near future. Still, some perseverance and determination is needed to make it all the way through this disc because not all of it is easy on the ears.
7/10
UMs Review Rating Scale
Official Linear Sphere Website
