INTELLISCIENCE - Alpha

INTELLISCIENCE

Album: Alpha

Genre: Progressive Metal

Release Date: February 12th 2021

Country: Chile

Label: Self-Released

Band Links: INSTAGRAM / FACEBOOK / YOUTUBE

I have to admit I’m feeling a bit like a broken record at the moment because of mentioning “debut album” in combination with “great” or “awesome” on repeat, but – yes!!! – these deserve it (imho 😉). The growing amount of first efforts is striking currently, and there are some real gems in between. So here we go with a promising young band that is worth to lend them an ear, if you’re into progressive neoclassical powermetal in style of earlier Symphony X. I’m talking about INTELLISCIENCE, a quintet from Chile, who self-released their debut “Alpha” on February 12th 2021. Band name, album title, and the cover artwork fit well together and might appeal to the dedicated prog fan. There is not very much information available about these guys, but they have more than enough to say with their instruments.

Musically, they got me from the beginning: after a symphonic intro with first instrumental impressions, “Fly So High” doesn’t hesitate and presents a passionate band with great technical skills and song writing abilities. Rough sounding riffs build a solid basis for the songs, pushed forward by fast powermetal drumming, and fans of virtuoso guitar solos will find more than enough for their listening pleasure here. The keyboard sounds alternate between sparkling tones, beautiful piano, and a bit of Hammond organ or harpsichord here and there. While the solo parts offer impressive runs, dueling with the guitars, the background orchestration is weaving amazing soundscapes. They know how to play with these elements, and keep this dynamic going over the whole album.

It took a moment for me to get used to the vocals honestly, but this might be caused more by the mixing than by Paulo Domic’s singing itself. He brings in an amazing range and enough variation in his expression, and it would have been nice to give him a bit more space to evolve the songs. This little issue turns better with “Chains of Fire”, which is also one of my favorites on “Alpha”. At this point, the vocals got me too, and from now on, the songs grow even stronger.

I’d like to highlight three more tracks, that stand out for me: “Silent Call” isn’t silent at all and has to be heard. Starting with a little reminiscence to the 80s, it turns into an intense progmetal song, and the toping of the cake are again the guitar and keyboard parts.

Just when you think they’ve shown everything, INTELLISCIENCE come up with “Rain of Misery” and bring all the above-mentioned to the top! “Nightmare” is the only song that slows things down a bit. The change of mood fits very well here, the music evolves in waves over 10 minutes, and closes the album in a beautiful way.

To sum it up, these guys know what they do, and offer a powerful debut, presented with great musicianship and amazing song writing. There is no weak track on “Alpha”: they keep the tension from the first to the last moment, and the album gets even stronger in the second half. You can find more than enough guitar and keyboard wizardry, but they never forget the song itself. At some points, I’d wish the mixing would be more differentiated, as so much happens, and some things simply drown unfortunately, but this is just a little moarning compared to what we get to hear. INTELLISCIENCE are an exciting new discovery for me, and I can only end with the recommendation to check them out.

Written by Katha