TesseracT – Polaris


Album_cover_for_Polaris_(Tesseract_album)

The history of TesseracT is very disjointed and confusing in places, both sonically and in terms of personnel. With a continuous base of founder and guitarist Acle Kahney alongside Jay Postones, James Monteith and Amos Williams, the vocalist has changed more than Doctor Who, now with Daniel Tompkins returning after his initial stint on the band’s first full length One. Since his first tenure the band’s sound has changed from the, at the time cutting edge djent metal sound, to one that focused towards a more expansive arena while diminishing their metallic influences on follow up Altered State (both Century Media). Now with Polaris (Kscope/eOne) they are venturing even further down the rabbit hole.

The albums opening song will prove the most familiar and easing track for those who crave a return to the crunchy metal of One, with a prominent, chugging bassline throughout, it shows signs of an underlying trait of their sound that has been there since day one, but less so through a Meshuggah lens. Instead Polaris shows an increasingly mellow and even ambient sound with a dreamlike atmosphere, punctuated by increased tempo and thundering basslines, a prime example being the ever building ‘Hexes’.

Of course, many ears will be on what Tompkins brings to the table again, and even with him still firmly on the radar during his TesseracT absence with a host of other projects, his evolution since then is staggering. Completely void of the harsh vocals that powered One, Tompkins clean vocals soar to new heights here, and his time with Indian prog metallers Skyharbor has elevated him even further, hitting new, astonishing high notes and ever improved vocal lines show his flawless adaptability to the band’s changes.

It has often been challenging keeping up with the changes TesseracT undergo, but for every roadblock that hinders their path they always come out the other side stronger than ever; this line up feels definitive as Tompkins proves even with the significant steps the band have made forward, that he still fits like a glove. Polaris is yet another important and impressive leap forward by one of modern prog’s most important alumni.

 

9.0/10

CHRIS TIPPELL


TesseracT Signs With Kscope, New Album Due In 2015


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Kscope Records, the home of all things progressive rock and metal have announced the signing of UK prog stalwarts TesseracT. The signing makes sense for both label and the band as a new album has been announced, aiming for a 2015 release. TesseracT has recently welcomed back Dan Tompkins, who was part of their acclaimed debut One in 2011. The band started a co-headlining tour of Europe a few days ago with Animals As Leaders, where fans can catch the band with Tompkins back in action.

 

 

 

From The Press Release:

KSCOPE is thrilled to announce that, the UK’s masters of modern progressive heaviness, TesseracT are joining the Kscope family.

Amos Williams TesseracT bass player comments on the signing .“Really looking forward to discovering the possibilities of working with such a creative label. We admire everything Kscope’s done with bands like Anathema, Katatonia and Steven Wilson, and can’t wait to see where they will guide TesseracT in this new chapter of the band. Very excited!”

Over the course of the last six years, TesseracT have been at the forefront of flourishing part of the ever-evolving metal scene. Originally formed as a studio project by guitarist Acle Kahney, TesseracT immediately eschewed all well-established notions of what metal should sound like and swiftly became a unique and daring entity. Acle had recruited a line-up worthy of his groundbreaking compositions and the band embarked upon a quest to inject some originality and excitement back into an often myopic and lazy British metal scene. The longstanding line up of drummer Jay Postones, guitarist James Monteith, bassist Amos Williams have recently welcomed back vocalist Dan Tompkins, whose first show back with the band was on the main stage at this year’s UK Sonisphere Festival.

TesseracT’s debut album ‘One’ in 2011, featuring Dan Tompkins on vocals, received widespread critical acclaim, not least due to the album’s staggering six-part centrepiece ‘Concealing Fate’, which brilliantly showcased the band’s pioneering sonic approach and unstoppable arsenal of off-kilter riffs, soaring melodies and disorientating atmospherics. The primarily acoustic ‘Perspective’ EP emerged in May 2012 to an effusive response from critics and fans alike and shortly after, their status as progressive metal’s most fascinating new creative force was very publicly celebrated when TesseracT picked up the Best New Band trophy at 2012’s inaugural Progressive Music Awards in London. Not wasting any time the band released their second album ‘Altered State’ in early 2013 again to worldwide media acclaim.

The band have already found a new creative energy having reunited with Singer Dan Tompkins and have already written half of their third album, the follow up to ‘Altered State’ and is slated for a 2015 release

Fan’s can experience the band’s thrilling live shows across Europe from today as they begin an extensive tour with co-headliners Animals As Leaders

30/09 NL – Zoetermeer – De Boerderij – SOLD OUT

01/10 DE – Hamburg – LOGO

02/10 DE – Cologne – EUROBLAST FESTIVAL 2014 – X

05/10 NO – Oslo – John Dee

06/10 SWE – Gothenburg – Fangelset – SOLD OUT

07/10 DEK – Indre By – Pumpehuset

08/10 DE – Berlin – SO36

09/10 PL – Warsaw – Proxima

10/10 PL – Krakow – Fabryka

11/10 HU – Budapest – A38 – SOLD OUT

12/10 CZ – Prague – Rock Cafe

13/10 DE – Munich – Backstage Halle

14/10 DE – Ludwigsburg – Rockfabrik Ludwigsburg

15/10 AU – Bezirk-Simmering – Szene Wien

16/10 CH – Aarau – Kiff

17/10 IT – Roncade – New Age

18/10 IT – Roma – Traffic Club

19/10 IT – Sesia – R’N’R Arena

20/10 CH – Geneve – USINE

21/10 FR – Luynes – Le Korigan

22/10 FR – – Rillieux La Pape – MJC Ô Totem

23/10 FR – Nimes – Paloma

24/10 FR – Bordeaux – Bootleg

25/10 FR – Nantes – Ferrailleur – SOLD OUT

26/10 FR _ Paris – Damage Festival

27/10 FR – Strasbourg – La Laiterie

28/10 DE – Mannheim – Alte Seilerei

29/10 DE – Jena – F-Haus

30/10 DE – Hannover – Musikzentrum

31/10 DE – Osnabruk – Kleine Freiheit

01/11 BE – Brussels – AB Club – SOLD OUT

02/11 NL – Nijmegen – Doornroosje

03/11 UK – Southampton – Talking Heads

04/11 UK – Birmingham – O2 Academy Birmingham

05/11 UK – Manchester Sound Control

06/11 UK – London Scala – SOLD OUT

07/11 UK – Glasgow – Cathouse

08/11 UK – Nottingham – Rescue Rooms

09/11 UK – Bristol – Thekla

Plus headline shows in Russia

15/11 – RU – St Petersburg – Club Zal

16/11 – RU – Moscow – Volta

 

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