Canvas Solaris – Cortical Tectonics

Canvas Solaris – Cortical Tectonics / 2007 Sensory / 6 Tracks / http://www.canvassolaris.com / http://www.lasersedgegroup.com /

Despite the fact that “Berserker Hypothesis” is a mere four minutes long, the harder progressive metal played by Canvas Solaris here bends and breaks an individual’s sense of time, with the band’s detailed arrangements being what stretches the perceived runtime of the track to a time much longer than reality. “Sinusoid Mirage” follows up “Berserker Hypothesis”, and it shows (At least at the beginning), a calmer, quieter Canvas Solaris. The same type of energy is present with each effort of the band; one can just hear that the band wants to jump into the heavy stuff, but they hold themselves back and show off their calmer side for the vast majority of ‘Sinusoid Mirage”.

The band comes back into a faster style with “Gamma Knife”, which represents one of the longer tracks on the disc (settling in at a hair over eight minutes). What shocks me about Canvas Solaris is the fact that they can go and interlink all these different influences, styles, and sounds into a coherent sound that can extend to two and three times what individuals are normally able to stand in regard to a runtime. The fact that nowhere on this disc is a place that the band gets into a “traditional” style of music and vocals further shows their ability to create a narrative with only their instruments to guide the way. Canvas Solaris is a rare example of a progressive metal band that I can completely get into, and their unpretentious sound should be what sells as many copies of this EP as does their musical ability. If you find yourself not excited by hard music and metal in particular, buy a copy of “Cortical Tectonics”. It is my beliefs that Canvas Solaris will be able to restore your faith in the genre.

Top Track: Gamma Knife

Rating: 6.8/10