Now a unit for over a decade, California's Intronaut have released an assortment of solid albums that pretty much go in multiple musical directions, from sludge to prog to death metal to post rock, but the band seems to have really gotten the 'spark' to put it all together here on their latest Century Media release, The Direction of Last Things. There's some really lush, melodic fare on display here, such as the undulating "Digital Gerrymandering", complete with layers of alluring guitars and clean vocals from the duo of Sacha Dunable & Dave Timnick, while the always impressive rhythm team of bassist Joe Lester and drummer Danny Walker drive the more aggressive "Fast Worms" and "The Pleasant Surprise". Each one of these pieces mesh nimble progressive metal with jazz fusion and death metal, and the interplay between these four musicians is astounding. Think Mastodon meets Between the Buried and Me for a simple reference of just what Intronaut are creating here. "The Unlikely Event of a Water Landing" throws brooding atmospherics and jazzy passages at the listener, alternating clean & growling vocals, as well as extreme metal thunder, while the snarling riff monster "Sul Ponticello" shares some post rock leanings with pop and good old fashioned heavy metal. Walker's insane drum work propels the intricate title track, and the shimmering "City Hymnal" is the album's catchiest song, with dreamy vocals soaring over layers of guitars and complex drum patterns. Post rock meets jazz? Sure, somewhere in between.
The Direction of Last Things is at times much more aggressive than the last few Intronaut releases, but the band still do a great job of mixing in those more atmospheric, brooding, and emotional arrangements, giving the album a ton of variety and allowing each song to breathe. Could it be their strongest album to date? Quite possibly, but check it out for yourself and you be the judge.
Track Listing
01. Fast Worms
02. Digital Gerrymandering
03. The Pleasant Surprise
04. The Unlikely Event Of A Water Landing
05. Sul Ponticello
06. The Direction Of Last Things
07. City Hymnal
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