Cyberiam, The: The Cyberiam

Having been sent this 2018 self-titled debut album from Chicago’s The Cyberiam at the same time as their follow up EP, The Butterfly Effect, and live album, Forging Nations, has really allowed me to immerse myself in the word of this four piece band and what they do. The short way of explaining what that might be would be to simply smash Rush, Dream Theater and Symphony X headlong into each other and see who comes out alive. And yet, that would be to sell this band short, for while they do undoubtedly make no bones about where their initial inspiration comes from, the actual music they make has a life all of its own.

The brooding riff on opener “Alice In Afterland� ensures that you tune straight in to what’s presented on a track where the double kick drums from Tommy Murray are just as likely to dominate as the roaming bass work from Brian Kovacs. And yet, at times it’s the keyboard embellishments from Frank Lucas that truly capture the imagination as they jostle keenly with the excellent vocals and gyrating guitars from Keith Semple. Bring all of that together and you’re left with clever, but catchy compositions such as “20/20 Visionary�, where a dashes of Queenryche and Enchant are thrown into the mix as a grinding riff sends sparks high into the air. A real highlight of the live album these guys have also put out, “Nostalgia� and its melancholy air truly makes its mark here also, a well pitched spoken intro and outro capturing the imagination as the music expertly takes on the mood of the lyrics. Whereas “Juxtaposer� heads in yet another different direction, something more technical and near math-rock being melded with a Coheed & Cambria like catchiness, without ever compromising either aspect. At every turn there’s something to be impressed by, “Cool Kids� a stop-start conglomeration that pulls in a fusion edge and heavies it up without ever losing its subtitles, whereas “Brain In A Vat� is every bit as enigmatic as its title suggests.

The more acts that enter the progressive metal arena, the more difficult it becomes for any of them to truly stand out. That The Cyberiam have managed to do just that with not just this debut, but each and every one of their releases says much about them. Repeat listens confirm that they are no flash in the pan and while they maybe aren’t quite at the progressive metal top table yet, they sure ain’t far away.

Track Listing
1. Alice In Afterland 

2. Cool Kids 

3. The Fall 

4. Don't Blink

5. 2020 Visionary 

6. The Historian 

7. My Occupation 

8. Juxtaposer 

9. Brain In A Vat 

10. Nostalgia

Added: October 29th 2021
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: The Cyberiam @ bandcamp
Hits: 804
Language: english

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