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Fractured Dimension, The: Towards The Mysterium
 The Fractured Dimension are Jimmy Pitts, Jerry Twyford and Alex Arellano with keyboards, bass and drums, three very capable musicians, and complementing them is a list of talented contributors on guitar and other instruments. Towards The Mysterium is a complex instrumental release, if you lean more towards the less demanding or more straightforward performances then this album probably isn't for you. But those who are up for some challenging, not to mention innovative music will like what The Fractured Dimension have created.
Alex Arellanao is a monster on the drums; he would have to be one of the busiest players ever captured on a recording. I haven't been this impressed with a drummer since Virgil Donati, Thomas Lang, Mike Mangini or Marco Minnemann with their amazing playing and incredible independence. Some drummers have what they call a bag of tricks, well, Alex has a shed full and then some, he is just so inventive and fluent with his drumming on Towards The Mysterium.
You also can't fault the musicianship from Jimmy Pitts on keyboards and Jerry Twyford with bass, delivering numerous wonderful moments. Guest guitarists include Ron Jarzombek, and Marcel Coenen of Sun Caged, so there is no shortage of showmanship all round.
Various music styles are coming through on The Fractured Dimension's seventeen compositions, many of which are quite short, but hey these guys could probably play almost anything. Classical and metal influences, avant-garde, fusion, progressive music with constant challenging sections, it's quite the assorted release, and I especially like how they duplicate each other at times, such as on the title track. If you enjoy a band that goes further and possesses the ability to pull it off convincingly, then certainly look for The Fractured Dimension.
Track Listing
1 - Prelude
2 - Towards The Mysterium
3 - PRISM I. Reflection
4 - PRISM II. Refraction
5 - Fibonacci's Notebook
6 - Strangeness
7 - The Mathematics Of Divinity
8 - Out Of The Summer Sky
9 - Worshiping Slonimsky In A Ravellian Mood
10 - Piano Improv Take 1
11 - Falling Down Stairs
12 - Despair
13 - Fractured Are The Nine Principals
14 - Slendro: An Improv For Lane
15 - Reiteration And Extemporaneous Noodling
16 - Preparatory Action
17 - Lecture
Added: October 17th 2009
Reviewer: Scott Jessup
Score:  
Related Link: Band Website
Hits: 3688
Language: english
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Fractured Dimension, The: Towards The Mysterium
Posted by Jon Neudorf, SoT Staff Writer on 2009-10-17 09:10:59
My Score:
The Fractured Dimension are Alex Arellano (drums, percussion), Jimmy Pitts (keyboards, piano) and Jerry Twyford (bass). There is also an impressive list of guest musicians who lent out their services. Pitts and Twyford are formerly of the avant-garde dark metal band Scholomance and Arellano was a member of the progressive metal band Power of Omens. In 2004 the musicians met and in 2008 Towards the Mysterium was released. According to the band's website the album is a tribute to the Russian composer Alexander Scriabin. The music touches on many styles and genres with feet firmly entrenched in the avant-garde. Whether it is jazz fusion, progressive metal, classical, or progressive rock, you will find it on this release all wrapped in a blanket of experimentalism and creativity. This is a challenging listen but one that should be rewarding if the album is given the time it deserves. The musicianship on this release reaches into the stratosphere. The drumming of Arellano is exceptional as is the bass playing of Twyford as many of these songs feature bass runs that are scary good. The same can be said of the keyboard play of Pitts who puts his stamp all over these tracks.
The album starts with the experimental jazz of "Prelude", a short number that leads into the title track. Intricate drum fills and tempo changes combined with lightning fast bass runs makes this slice of quirky prog a real treat. They kind of have a 'lets throw everything in but the kitchen sink' approach to song composition, but for the most part the arrangements work. Whether it is the classical piano in the short "Piano Improv Take I", the avant-garde progressive rock of "The Mathematics of Divinity" where the band cooks up a storm with bass, guitar and keyboards before coming to a stop, allowing only keyboards to continue before returning to a wild guitar solo with just a touch of shred, or the exotic Eastern sounds of "Slendro: and Improv for Lane", there is a lot of music to fully absorb. Perhaps it is best if you listen for yourself.
Complex, creative, transcending, innovative; these are just a few words that describe this release. The Russian label MALS has a good one on their hands with Towards the Mysterium. Recommended for fans of avant-garde progressive rock everywhere.
(originally reviewed for progressiveears.com)
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