Celaris

CELARIS is a Progressive Metal band based out of North Carolina. “In Hiding” is the band’s debut EP, and contains seven tracks. “A Manifold in Parallel” leads off the album. It opens with dazzling lead guitar parts and some smooth vocals. Some Djenty tones come into play, before the harsh vocals take over. The meter shifting proves that the band has some command of their instruments. It takes a bit of an ambient pause after the half-way mark, allowing the bass guitar notes to shine, finishing on a bit of a softer note.

“Reprieve, Release” opens with harsh vocals and some heavier, accented guitars. Clean vocals come into play but the weighted instruments remain. There is just a bit of an odd connection between the music and the clean vocals. The keys don’t quite align. The rugged instrumentation however is noteworthy, as are the clean vocal harmonies. The ending section is really quite invigorating. “Regenerate” is just a bit shorter in length. It features mostly clean guitars, and strong vocal harmonies. It has an ethereal quality to it, and this is where the band showcases some real songwriting talents. The chord progressions are right where you expect them to be, and create a sense of melodic bliss that you long for. When the distorted guitars come in, they pick up the melody line and run with it, including a fantastic lead solo.

“The Torus Separation” is close to seven minutes in length. Opening with some choppy, echoed guitars, it transforms with the addition of clean vocals. The melodies are out there and for the taking. Harsh vocals come in and the guitars churn on heavy accents. The guitar work is especially good in this track. Pearson, Pappalardo, Mungal, and Rush sound hold down the bottom line with what sounds like years of work together. “Hemostasis” is a short, two-and-a-half-minute ambient piece which is very easy on the ears, and helps to break up some of the earlier madness.

“Hastur” is an under-four-minute song of chaotic guitars and raging vocals. Joshua Rush also shows some prowess on the kit here. “Escharotic” closes the album, and this song is where it all comes together. Clean vocals work with harsh vocals, while the instruments hold things down with a lot of time changes. This time, it all seems to work together. Heavier, more moving passages line the center section of the song, as it slows down just a bit before picking back up. The movement of the guitars is choppy, but the vocal harmonies smooth out the edges.

Overall, it’s clear that the band has talent, and I love this “mash-up” style of Progressive Metal with Djent and even some Core tones mixed in. It’s probably my new favorite thing. While there were mostly hits, there were just a couple misses, where the album favored the heavier side of the genre rather than letting some more melodies shine as in the song “Regenerate.” The band however have built a strong base with their debut album, and will only get better as they improve on both their songwriting skills and time together as a group of fine musicians that they are. It’s an excellent first effort and I very much look forward to hearing future releases from the band.

Songwriting: 8
Musicianship: 9
Memorability: 7
Production: 8 - Metal Temple