Back In 2015 I ended up with a promo-link of an E.P. by a project called The Paralydium Project. Former Dynazty guitarist John Berg had teamed up with his old band-mate, drummer George Härnsten-Egg, current Dynazty bassist Jonathan Olsson, the singer of techno-thrash-melodic death rockers Degradead, Mikael Shelin and keyboard player Mikael Blanc, also from Degradead with then Therion singer Linnea Vikström chipping in as well. The E.P. floored me right off the bat. Progressive Metal with an input from both Hard Rock and Melodic Rock where the actual song-writing was the main-focus and the members’ exceptional musical skills a big plus. I am very selective when it comes to Progressive Metal and most acts fail to tickle my musical nerves.
To me, many bands in that genre seems to concentrate on instrumental show-off and to make the songs as difficult as possible with a million time-changes and less on melodies and catchiness. That means when I find a Prog-metal act that grabs a hold of me, I usually love the hell out of it. I loved the hell out of The Paralydium Project E.P. and hoped that they one day would release it as a physical product and not just a digital one. That hasn’t happened yet. I also kept my fingers crossed that it would turn into a real band but as time went by, it looked like that wouldn’t happen either. Well, five years later that’s reality – and what a happy camper I turned into when the news reached me. That said, my expectations are extremely high – I did give the E.P. the full monty even though it was only a 3-track – so when a full-blown album now is released, my ears are merciless to what comes out of the speakers.
Opening intro “Enter Paralydium” is a 2 minute, prog-laden and symphonic and orchestral track, full of keys and strings. It holds a softer approach at first but speeds up and gets rougher and heavier towards the end. It certainly brings on an ominous, cinematic vibe which totally does its job at creating an atmosphere that leads us into “Within The Sphere” – and let me tell you, I’m intrigued only by hearing the intro. Said follower is of the bouncy and rhythmic kind, heavy and progressive yet not very mechanic and twisted. It’s more of an in-your-face metal track with a strong main-melody that brings on the progressive elements as a spice. It’s a powerful force with a go-for-the-throat outlook but with an immense refrain that got me hooked instantly. The album couldn’t have treated me with a better start. Stunning.
“Synergy” starts out on a softer yet heavy note and a big keyboard arrangement. A fat and heavy passage follows to get to the verses which takes a bit more laid-back approach, like a progressive Melodic Rock outlook. When the actual chorus surfaces, the number gets more aggressive, punchy and in-your-face, very direct and effective with a catchy hook that makes the tune stick. Also, the acoustic guitar outro part of the solo contrasts the rest of the tune brilliantly. This is killer stuff. Leading single “Finding The Paragon” begins with a mixture of proggy rhythms, staccato guitar riffing and a blipping synth but when the tune gets going, it’s on a more straight ahead note. It’s punchy and striking and holds an atmospheric sonic landscape, direct melodies and a good, juicy dose of catchiness. It’s dark and heavy but also very melodic and quite easy to get into. Bloody awesome, it is.
Latest single “Crystal Of Infinity” opens with a softer, more quiet intro but while it holds an almost ballad-like outlook with a laid-back arrangement, the tune is still quite bouncy where the rhythm-section takes a broader progressive road. When the chorus approaches, the Melodic Rock side of the guys’ past shows up, making it more accessible and hooky albeit in a more uptempo, straight-forward way before it goes back to its mid-paced original tempo. It needs to be pointed out that even though the tune is based on hooks and catchy melodies, it’s by no means mawkish or pop-cheesy. Brilliant track. “Awakening” is a short and concise interlude based on keyboards and holds a colorful and atmospheric soundscape. Both a bit gloomy and ethereal, the instrumental gives us a beautiful guitar-line and strings.
It leads us into “The Source” which says hello on a laid-back verse-note where the melody-arrangement is almost AOR-influenced on a held-back yet groovy beat. The chorus lifts the song up to a bigger and quit majestic soundscape, still on a quite mellow note and a melody with more hooks than a fisherman’s hat. It’s close to being a ballad but the tune goes back and forth from mellower to heavier and progressive moments. Magnificent! “Into Divinity” opens on tougher and more rowdy note but slows down to a more sparse mood when the verse starts. A bit on the mellow and hold-back side, the verses also has a prog-metal rhythm waved in which makes for a dynamic contrast. A female-sung (Linnea Vikström-Egg, maybe?) passage takes us to the chorus, a chorus that comes in a mid-pace with proggy rhythms all over yet still very melodic and memorable. There’s also a heavier and even pompous part where big keyboards meets sharp and intense guitars. Awesome!
As a closer we get “Seeker Of The Light”, a song that starts out as a ballad, soft and calming with a keyboard-part not a far cry from Dream Theater’s “Surrounded”. It gets heavier, though and brings on some bouncy rhythms, still on a ballad-note. The dramatic chorus slows things down and lets the very direct melodies swipe you away and the whole chorus catches on immediately without showing any signs of flirting with the airwaves. That said, the song also brings forth some edgy guitars and a kicking beat making it a source of power but with melodic nuances galore. It’s an amazing track and as a closing track, it’s nothing short of perfect.
I could keep it short and just state that this album kept what the E.P. promised. But since I can’t keep my mouth shut, I won’t. This album has everything I look for when it comes to prog-metal. For starters, they have songs – real songs. This is a heavy album, more on the Metal side than actual Hard Rock but where the aggressive and heavily progressive side takes a hold, they also smoothes things out by showing off their love for Melodic Rock and even AOR-laden stuff which makes for big dynamics and splendid contrasts which in turn makes this a very interesting and unpredictable listen. Songs and melodies before instrumental technique – even though there are lots of that as well. I mean, the guys are amazing musicians – and then some. To round this off, the five years wait has been worth it because Paralydium has made an album that will end up on the Album Of The Year for sure. And maybe now their debut E.P. might see the light of day as a physical product. Well done, boys.
9/10
More Paralydium reviews:
Tracklist:
1. Enter Paralydium
2. Within The Sphere
3. Synergy
4. Finding The Paragon
5. Crystal Of Infinity
6. Awakening
7. The Source
8. Into Divinity
9. Seeker Of The Light
CD & Festival reviews 