Fractal Cypher
The Human Paradox
Independent Release
2016
I may not be the biggest prog metal fan around, but I do appreciate this kind of music when it doesn’t cross the line and become tiresome for the sake of show-off. I fancy the modern version of prog metal music quite a bit and all these new bands that are blending the traditional progressive metal with the neo-prog metal.
Well, Fractal Cypher belong to this young prog metal generation that blends wonderfully the old with the new and they are aware that melodies are part of prog metal music too… without believing that playing the “fastest” or the “hardest/toughest” can take you to the prog elite. This newcomer is coming from Montreal, QC, and it’s a band that will find its place among the prog metal fans sooner or later.
Were I to give the band’s musical identity I’d say they are influenced by acts like: Symphony X, Dream Theater, Circus Maximus, Haken, TesseracT , Periphery and so on. They do not make their tracks intensively long to be “progressive” as some may think, but they conclude their music ideas and themes regardless of the track length. I do like the way they use the melodies along with the heaviness and the few extreme & modern elements on their tracks. Certainly, the “somewhat” raspy voice of the vocalist Simon Lavoie, the fantastic lead guitars by Vincent Bruneau and the magnificent keyboards by Ludovick Daoust (who is also the songwriter) make the final outcome even more alluring. It would be a miss to leave the tremendous drummer Steven Cope and the great bassist Tommy Fradette out. Then again, there are few “brutal” vocals here & there (along with the djent parts), which I guess justify the band’s “modern” influences somehow. The musicianship is very strong in general. The production is lush, powerful and heavy. The album was produced by the keyboardist Ludovick Daoust & Chris Donaldson (Cryptopsy, The Agonist, Beyond Creation, Neuraxis) that also did the mixing and the mastering.
It is strange how Fractal Cypher are not on a label (big or not) yet, cuz honestly there are bands that do not have half the talent of this band and they are on a label’s roster. Then again, if they did this cuz they didn’t find something to satisfy them on the whole, all I have to say is “bravo” for not giving in and doing things the way they choose to. The album features 9 tracks and it lasts around 64 minutes. The mellow, soft, ballad-like track “Awakening” features two guest appearances by Julie Jasmin on violin and Sara Jasmin on viola. Other than that, all the other tracks are following the heavy melodic & modern prog way.
When all is said and done, Fractal Cypher is a talented modern prog metal band that has a bright future ahead. “The Human Paradox” will surely gratify all these fans who fancy (modern) prog metal music, but do keep in mind that this is just the beginning…
Well, Fractal Cypher belong to this young prog metal generation that blends wonderfully the old with the new and they are aware that melodies are part of prog metal music too… without believing that playing the “fastest” or the “hardest/toughest” can take you to the prog elite. This newcomer is coming from Montreal, QC, and it’s a band that will find its place among the prog metal fans sooner or later.
Were I to give the band’s musical identity I’d say they are influenced by acts like: Symphony X, Dream Theater, Circus Maximus, Haken, TesseracT , Periphery and so on. They do not make their tracks intensively long to be “progressive” as some may think, but they conclude their music ideas and themes regardless of the track length. I do like the way they use the melodies along with the heaviness and the few extreme & modern elements on their tracks. Certainly, the “somewhat” raspy voice of the vocalist Simon Lavoie, the fantastic lead guitars by Vincent Bruneau and the magnificent keyboards by Ludovick Daoust (who is also the songwriter) make the final outcome even more alluring. It would be a miss to leave the tremendous drummer Steven Cope and the great bassist Tommy Fradette out. Then again, there are few “brutal” vocals here & there (along with the djent parts), which I guess justify the band’s “modern” influences somehow. The musicianship is very strong in general. The production is lush, powerful and heavy. The album was produced by the keyboardist Ludovick Daoust & Chris Donaldson (Cryptopsy, The Agonist, Beyond Creation, Neuraxis) that also did the mixing and the mastering.
It is strange how Fractal Cypher are not on a label (big or not) yet, cuz honestly there are bands that do not have half the talent of this band and they are on a label’s roster. Then again, if they did this cuz they didn’t find something to satisfy them on the whole, all I have to say is “bravo” for not giving in and doing things the way they choose to. The album features 9 tracks and it lasts around 64 minutes. The mellow, soft, ballad-like track “Awakening” features two guest appearances by Julie Jasmin on violin and Sara Jasmin on viola. Other than that, all the other tracks are following the heavy melodic & modern prog way.
When all is said and done, Fractal Cypher is a talented modern prog metal band that has a bright future ahead. “The Human Paradox” will surely gratify all these fans who fancy (modern) prog metal music, but do keep in mind that this is just the beginning…