Dissension is the debut CD from Ethereal Architect, a four-piece progressive metal band from Austin, Texas. Comprised of David Glass (guitar/keyboards), Darby Wen (bass), Jake Koenig (drums), and Adam Contreras (vocals), Ethereal Architect play a fairly technical, symphonic, and always melodic form of progressive metal, oddly enough very European sounding for a band from Texas. Contreras has a very expressive voice, and he chooses to take a route that is more akin to some of the European neo-prog scene vocalists than your standard high-pitched screamer or deep growler that is common in the prog-metal genre. At times you might almost wish for him to kick it into overdrive a bit, like on the heavy & technical "Slip", but give him credit, his vocals are always melodic, if a bit on the safe side. As for the music here on Dissension, expect plenty of time changes throughout, with atmospheric keyboards roaming in the background while intense rhythms & intricate guitar work make up the bulk of the arrangements. Glass lays down some impressive fret work on tracks like "Still Waiting", "Thief", and "Undone", while the CD's 11-minute epic "Negative Two-Thirds" is easily the track that all the proggers are going to want to seek out, a dramatic piece with effective vocals from Contreras and lots of instrumental wizardry.
Ethereal Architect seem to have plenty of the starter tools to build something substantial here, so they easily fall into the category of "band to watch" in the months and years to come.
Track Listing
1 Phrygian
2 Still Waiting
3 Slip
4 Thief
5 Nevermore
6 Driven
7 Undone
8 Choke
9 Negative Two-Thirds
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