Paragnosis: Clarity In Three (Redux)

The clue, as they say, is in the title. For Clarity In Three is an EP by the powering progressive trio Paragnosis ��" oh and it’s also been ‘reduxed’. Meaning that having been originally released in 2016, this six track effort now becomes a seven track outing as it’s given a shiny new coat and set free into the world once more.

So, if Paragnosis are a trio, you’re guessing, drums, guitar and a bassist who handles vocals, right? Well, nearly, but not quite, this outfit instead looking to add a gloomy, slightly doomy touch through a selection of deep, meaningful instrumental workouts. It’s hard rock, it’s proggy, and there’s also an element of Sabbath at their noodlingest. For noodle Paragnosis do, as testified by “Better Off Dead� and its roaming bass line and occasionally scything guitar. But they are also keen to keep things structured and tight, the basis for these workouts song based and reasonably simple, rather than technical and challenging. At times, as the grind of “Maggots� slithers and wriggles, things can actually become a little too straight forward and even as the guitar howls and wails, there’s a suggestion that had it done so over a track a couple of minutes shorter than this seven minute piece, then it might have been all the better for it.

And all too often that’s the problem here. Going without a vocalist isn’t really that unusual, or daring - even though Paragnosis did start out with a singer and release a single in that configuration - but there really needs to be a little more going in the likes of “Foresight� and indeed “Hindsight� to truly hold the attention. And if I was being unkind, you could suggest that there also needs to be more work done on differentiating the individual tracks from one another as they go.

The new song is “Asthmatic� and while it does follow a similar path to that laid out elsewhere, there is a sharper edge, more daring mid-song breakdown and a slightly spacier feel that isn’t present in the older offerings. In truth it still isn’t quite enough to save Clarity In Three from being a solid, if unspectacular offering, reduxed or not. Do Paragnosis need a vocalist? Well, that’s not for me to say but they do need some sort of clearer focal point to raise their spirits.

Track Listing
1. Maggots
2. Interlude
3. Better Off Dead
4. Hindsight
5. Foresight
6. Condition
7. Asthmatic

Added: September 3rd 2018
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: Paragnosis at bandcamp
Hits: 900
Language: english

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