Summary:The fourth full-length studio release for the progressive metal/djent band features field recording submitted by fans and a choir conducted by Randy Slaugh.
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Record Label:Kscope
Genre(s): Pop/Rock, Heavy Metal, Progressive Metal
The musical depth of the band's quieter writing is what draws the ear; electronics remain subtle, between Tompkins' falsetto and interplay between piano and clean electric guitars. That isn't to say TesseracT abandoned aggression entirely.
Sonder is a logical next step for TesseracT, one that stands on par with anything they've previously released, yet evidences more authority, musical restlessness, and sonic multi-dimensionality than anything in their previous catalog.
To be blunt, Tesseract are entirely too reliant on ambiance as their "secret sauce." Where a proper use of ambiance can add a pensive tone or an opportunity for emotional reflection to a song, Tesseract rely on it both as cohesive glue on nearly every track on Sonder and as a melody replacement. It's simply not enough.
Not so much leaping between time-signatures as entire time-zones, the gristly riffs and ambient metal meanderings of ‘Sonder’ strive for a kind of stoic, sombre enormity, but they clash badly with Tompkins’ often slick pop vocals.
This was a bit of a turn away from what I would have liked to hear, especially from one of my favorite prog bands. Despite that, I still thinkThis was a bit of a turn away from what I would have liked to hear, especially from one of my favorite prog bands. Despite that, I still think that Sonder is a great listen. For starters the production is phenomenal, the Smile demo teased back in 2017 has been reworked to sound like something out of One (their first album), and the song Juno as well as the Orbital prelude leading into it are amazing, which sounds like something off of Altered State, and the second part of the longest track, Mirror Image very clearly reminds me of the instrumentals off of Polaris. Tesseract is taking all of what they've done before and trying to...improve on it here, which is a bit of a misguided effort, with how much reliance there is on instrumental fills. There are parts of Beneath My Skin that just drag on for way too long, and The Arrow is not a high note to end on. All the ambience spread throughout makes this listen feel a bit more labored than it should be. Partially this makes me wonder if this would have been better off as an EP with Beneath My Skin / Mirror Image and The Arrow
completely cut out. That's not to say the songs are bad, but in my eyes they take away from my excitement in listening to Sonder.
However, a lot of the criticisms of this album aren't incorrect, but to me it's apparent that I enjoy
the album, and Tesseract as a band, far more than a lot of other people. I don't mind the eclecticism or the ambience too much, and I can assure you the album isn't as bad as its penned to be.
A lot of the djent genre isn't supposed to sound pretty or perfectly harmonized, it's supposed to sound very cerebral and even dissonant at times, and this album succeeds in that aspect. It's not my favorite Tesseract album, it's not my least favorite--I would have preferred a heavier and longer album, but the couple of heavy tracks that are included make me very hopeful for what Tesseract will do next.…Expand
I can only make assumptions as to why this album is so much lower rated than the rest of TesseracTs discography, because i personally don'tI can only make assumptions as to why this album is so much lower rated than the rest of TesseracTs discography, because i personally don't see many flaws. The album is very short which might turn off some people. However, short doesn't mean bad and on the contrary can make for a much tighter and enjoyable listening experience (no filler). Of course this means that every single track has to deliver, otherwise you are left with only a handful of good tracks. TesseracT delivers, at least for the most part. Mirror image is the only track that, while not being bad, is a bit lacking in its finale. I felt that this track needed more firepower.
This is also the first album that TesseracT have produced with the exact same band constellation as their previous effort. Maybe this is the reason why the sound of the album Sonder sounds more familiar than their previous output. Whereas their older albums all explored some new sounds this one feels more like a mixture of all their previous works. I think that people are going a little to far when attesting creative stagnancy, after all it is highly unusual for a band to change their sound as often as Tesseract have. So one album that is largely inspired by their previous work is no big deal.
So why is the metascore only in the 60s? I don't know. Maybe critics are getting tired of the trademark djenty/atmospheric sound that TesseracT defined. Maybe they felt like it was too similar to their previous work or it was simply to short.
Thinking about it, maybe they should have released their new material as an EP (and maybe rework or cut out Mirror Image) to get rid off the obvious critique about runtime and to set more realistic expectations. Because then people would see that while Sonder doesn't reinvent the bands sound, it is nevertheless good material and undeniably TesseracT.
I rate this 8/10. It is a must have for fans of the band or the genre and worth a look for everyone else…Expand
