One rut I tend to stay stuck in is to listen to the same things I like over and over – Necrophagist’s Epitaph, Bilmuri’s AMERICAN MOTOR SPORTS (420CC EDITION), The Ocean’s Phanerozoic I. One thing I do like about writing for Everything is Noise (hint hint, nudge nudge, apply to be a writer) is the opportunity to expand my musical horizons and listen to something I necessarily wouldn’t know about on my own.
Sometimes for reviews I’ll just pick a couple bands at random and take a listen, so when going into Crossing the Illusion, I essentially went in blind!
Immediately, some influences that blasted through were Meshuggah and Sikth. One thing that also immediately jumped out at me was the mix – it’s definitely more bass- and low-mid-heavy than I’m used to. I would have liked to hear some more clarity from the background synths and guitars, but there’s nothing like pulverizing rhythms thudding against your ears with strong kicks and bass chugs.
If you were to close your eyes at 1:03 of “Eyes of Sorrow”, it definitely sounds like something Sikth would write, or 2:13-2:40 in “Monolith”, it sounds like it could be a part in “Bleed”. Admittedly, this isn’t my particular go-to for metal genre – but it reminds me of when I absolutely loved bands like Modern Day Babylon and Stargazer – especially in parts similar to 0:38 in “Monolith”. But HERTA has more sounds in their arsenal, dipping into classical guitar (“The Path”), thrash metal in “Beyond the Dead”, and some gnarly guitar solos peppered throughout.
It’s also an incredibly well-paced album, nothing feels super monotonous. “River to the Abyss” and “My Demise” provide some much needed change of pace in their emphasis on melody – every song feels distinct from each other in tempo, no riffs are super recycled, the song structure and motifs seems to be well thought-out – without a doubt, HERTA are excellent at their craft and are talented songwriters.
That being said, and this might be due to this flavor of progressive metal not being my favorite, if I were asked to pick out some particular stand out moments, I don’t know if I could. Nothing was super memorable to me, but again – this could be simply due to my lack of affinity with this genre. But even if someone like me who isn’t super into this style of prog can recognize the skill and craftsmanship that went into this album, I’m sure someone will find some moments that sparkle to them.
Regardless of what flavor of brutality and metal you prefer, it’s worth a listen, and who knows? You might find something that sticks out for you.
