The review - Exivious - Exivious
1, Ripple Of a Tear
2, Time And Its Changes
3, Asurim
4, All that Surrounds pt. 1
5, Waves of Thought
6, The Path
7, All that Surrounds pt. 2
8, Embrace The Unknown
9, An Elusive Need
Tymon Kruidenier - guitar (also in Cynic)
Michel Nienhuis - guitar (also in Sengaia)
Stef Broks - drums (also in Textures)
Robin Zielhorst - live bass (also in Cynic)
Exivious - the higher level of intelligent music
What is the jazzfusion genre? Guitar solos, riffs, which have roots in blues e.g. in pentatonic scales and rock rhythms with jazz harmonies, approaches are in general defines as jazzfusion. Ideas who helped to build first steps of jazzfusion was created by stunning jazz legend Miles Davis in his later musical portfolio, kind of unconventional jazz thinking musicians Chick Corea and Al Di Meola with solo albums and together with band Return to Forever, Mahavishnu Orchestra with lead guitarist John McLaughlin anddrummer Billy Cobham , unusual guitarist Alan Holdsworth, ethnic music influenced Weather Report, versatile Frank Zappa, progressive Rush with talented drummer Neil Peart, King Crimson, Pink Floyd and many others e.g. mainly funk oriented musicians.Many metal bands in the recent two decades tried to combine death and thrash metal with jazzfusion and one of the most representative and most influental records was "Focus" composed by band Cynic in 1993. Who metal fan did not know the "Veil of Maya" or "Sentiment" ? Exactly Exivious bandcore consists of two persons from Cynic line up, then drummer from dutch progressive metal band Textures (band name is derived from Cynic song) and guitarist from Sengaia. Exivious has released 2 demos already in 2001 and 2002. After seven years they finally come with full record material.
The musical philosophy of Exivious are partly the the next level of Cynic progressive metal music, however they came with other and more interesting proportion of musical knowledges and skills included extra virtuosity, jazz improvisation and instrumental approach. They have sense for creating the real authentic, complex and resourceful atmospheric music. This is the case when talented people joined all mentioned items into one entity the result is magnificent. They have created well marked musical stream which depicts the story from the beginning to the end. Exivious music has ambition to leave the very strong impression for listener. This music put your mind softly up into the infinite universe in non-violently way and you will be surrounded by the most emotional melodies and ambient sounds. Of course the imagination of story and daydream projection can be individual. How it works if you submerge your fantasy into the emotive songs without distorted guitars called "All That Surrounds part 1" and "All That Surrounds part 2"? Authors in title "Waves of Thought" probably operates with imagination too. Imagine, that you listen this track and relax somewhere in calm place with closed eyes and you get engulfed by the waves of thoughts. Rough palm distorted guitar parts will turn your thoughts from beautiful form into bitter reflections of the possible reality. Also "Embrace The Unknown" has contrast sound concepts because of sorrowful verses and happier choruses. "Asurim" is probably the most jazz track here because of less metal riffs, and expressive jazz structure and improvisation. Introductory fretless bass tones flow into the background theme and guitar solo with massive high pitched tone effects. Then track tranverses to complex rhythm sections where the apex is excellent improvisation section of bass and drums. Drummer Steff shows that he grew on traditional jazz drum school, by using his typical slow and middle tempo metal beats. Tymons and Robins guitar and bass phrases are prime but notable and Cynic fans will recognize them. "Time And Its Changes" can be described as track with more technical metal elements and disharmonic chords. It is naturally, because every track on this record hasdifferent jazz - metal ratio. Frequent changes, where one part slides into another with carefully chosen transition is the reason that you will not get boring feeling. When we compare Exivious with Canvas Solaris, Panzerballett, Animals As Leaders we find out that they inserted less technical metal elements in undistinguished way. Are you ready to gain real brilliant musical experience? Are you curious how will work your fantasy with this ear-flattering music? I recommend to listen their demo from year 2002, where are four excellent songs called "Eyesight", "Without your name", "The Innerchild" and "Shapeless Thoughts".
Rating: 10-10 ...If I could give eleven I would certainly do it:)
This is the best metal album released in 2009 with technical death metal masterpiece "Process
of a New Decline" from french act Gorod.
Embrace The Unknown:
