365 Days of Metal: Frak The Gods Week, This Is Primal Directive

It's hardly rare for me to talk about how much I like certain records, or how they were my favorite at a certain point in time, during a specific year, or as part of a genre. But actually listing my true all-time favorite records would be a challenge .

Which is why it should be of importance to note that this is one of those records.

Day 39

The Contortionist - Exoplanet

Band Origin: Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
Genre: Progressive Death Metal
Label: Good Fight Entertainment
Running Time: 57 minutes
Release Date: August 31, 2010

Best Part: Exoplanet I: Egress, Exoplanet II: Void, and Exoplanet III: Light

Favorite Tracks: Flourish, Oscillator, Primal Directive, and Advent

Grade: 5

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Exoplanet in 20 words or less:

A trippy, groovy, sci-fi progressive death metal experience that weighs in heavy on the awesome.

The Band:

The Contortionist is a five member band out of Indiana that blend together metalcore, death metal, and progressive-jazz fusion into something that when done incorrectly, you would expect to be an incoherent mishmash of discordance. Often compared to the likes of Between the Buried and Me, their Apparition EP aided in redefining the group after they overhauled their sound, and renamed themselves The Contortionist - a truly fitting name. The Contortionist manages to convey a wide range of moods and sounds throughout their work, relying on the variety of the styles they draw from to create some truly interesting tracks. Their progressive nature, use of odd grooves and sci-fi themes are just some of the features that make the band stand out from the crowd.

The Contortionist's previous releases include: Shapeshifter EP (2008), and Apparition EP (2009)

Jay's Take on Exoplanet:

I actually wrote a review for Exoplanet early in January after I failed to listen to this album before the end of 2010 and inadvertently snubbing it from my Top 10 of 2010 - a massive fail on my part. So if you may have seen some of these words before, don't be alarmed. Exoplanet is a superbly fine record from the first moment it roars into synch, to its final closing moments, showcasing the evolution of the band since the release of Apparition. The inclusion of a newly recorded version of Oscillator was a really great treat at the mid-point of the record, giving huge throwback to their previous EP. The Contortionist is one of those bands that manages to blend together each of the styles they draw from in ways that provide a unique sound experience from one track to the next - and they prove this throughout Exoplanet. You'll find graceful melodies, technical fretwork, odd but groovy riffs, breakdowns and basically the kitchen sink. While you'd expect non-stop face crushing destruction from the way many of their tracks begin, you get treated to a wide range of transitions, from chuggy, meaty, bone crushing riffs, to melodic interludes with clean and pleasant vocals. The aspect of the record (and inherently the band) that makes all the difference is the ability to make those transitions as seamless as possible - something The Contortionist are very capable of doing. This was one of the first albums I listened to in the new year and continues to be a great listen with each run through, occupying a nearly constant position on the CD tray of my stereo.

Sample of the Day:

I mentioned on the weekend that I thought this band would be my favorite set when I hit up the Frak The Gods tour on Monday. People will surely argue with me, because of the range of talent inherent to each of the four bands I've showcased since Monday. Fact of the matter is, it's all going to be fucking amazing - but I'm looking forward to this the most.

So here's your sample, and the three part title track, which closes out the record.





- J