After his solo album 'Becoming Human' in 2020, the singer and multi-instrumentalist 'Simon Collins' embarks on the new project 'eMolecule' with 'Kelly Nordstrom' with whom he had worked a decade ago on the album 'Dimensionaut' from the group 'Sound Of Contact', project in collaboration with 'Dave Kerzner'. The result is a contemporary progressive album, 'The Architect', which is a kind of metling-pot of different styles with an alternation of accessible parts and others much less which require multiple listenings to fully penetrate all the corners and corners.
And from the first title 'Emolecule', we are overwhelmed by all kinds of atmospheres which range from an introduction to electronic sounds bringing a certain dissonance to explosive progressive metal with an accompaniment to the percussive drums of 'Simon Collins', passing through progressive rock accompanied by a doctored song which then explodes in a deluge of sound, but also in the second part of the title, a sequence with the allure of contemporary music that composers such as 'Pierre Henry' or 'Iannis Xenakis', the finale returning to heavy progressive metal on a slow tempo. More conventional, the eponymous title of the album offers an energetic atmosphere that is close to formations like 'Porcupine Tree' with multiple twists, such as this remarkable break in the second part of the title which brings down all the tension accumulated before to better start again on an incisive finale. Follows 'Prison Planet' which is much more accessible at first listen by unrolling catchy melodic lines bathed in electronic sounds, the rhythm section printed by 'Simon Collins' recalling in some places the style of his father (dogs do not cats!!), then, 'Mastermind' (see the video above) sets out again in an inventive progressive labyrinth full of tensions and relaxations which flirts with industrial metal with disturbing sonorities, the rhythmic acceleration in the second part leading to a magnificent acoustic part followed by a striking symphonic part which makes it one of the major titles of the album. With 'Dosed', we started again in heavy metal on a slow tempo which unfolds a haunting melody on which the intense vocals are well in phase with the power deployed until the end with cries of extreme metal, then, change of scenery with the instrumental 'The Turn' which opens on a few piano notes and which gradually gains momentum to finally explode in the middle of the title and, after a break, devastating guitar riffs take over for a new tormented section to end on an atmospheric note, imagining this expression of "calm after the storm". Much more conventional and presenting a very beautiful sung section, 'Awaken' takes us on a song with a catchy melody which is more reminiscent of 'Elton John' than of 'Dream Theater', then, 'Beyond Belief' (see the video here) unfolds a sort of hit with electronic sounds which are much more measured than the fiery atmospheres of the first part of the opus, an opus which continues in this melodic atmosphere with 'The Universal' which is a new composition alternating powerful parts and others much more posed, all benefiting from multiple rhythmic changes. And to finish, the beautiful song 'My You' offers us a melody which comes directly to the head and a very beautiful final guitar solo which makes it one of the most accessible titles of the album, then 'Moment of Truth' displays a double face with a first part reminiscent of the ballads of 'Phil Collins' but which grows throughout the title and which ends with an explosive finale highlighting boosted progressive metal.
In summary, the duo 'Simon Collins' and 'Kelly Nordstrom' produce an album of extraordinary density and richness that requires adherence to styles that are quite distant, and 'The Architect' will certainly be reserved to a well-informed public that loves a progressive that draws its influences from both rock and metal, while keeping a resolutely modern character with the addition of electro sounds... | |
