Isolysis « The RingMaster Review

A couple of months or so short of two years after the release of The Owl EP, British instrumental progressive rock trio The Parallax Method release its companion piece, The Squid. Continuing the theme of “space and a perpetual battle between the owl and the squid to convey their unique sub-genre of modern prog” started with the first EP, its successor takes ears on another groove infested, colourfully inventive, and technically captivating shuffle sure to have the body enthralled and twisted as eagerly as the imagination.

Emerging from the ashes of hard rock band Isolysis, The Parallax Method stepped forward in 2014 with old friends in guitarist Danny Beardsley, drummer Dave Wright, and bassist Daniel Hayes. Drawing on the inspiration of bands such as Between The Buried And Me, Tesseract, and Karnivool, they nurtured and bred the compelling tapestry of sound to grace debut EP The Owl in 2015. Its acclaimed release and complex yet easily accessible escapade announced The Parallax Method as an exciting prospect to watch and an adventure to devour. The departure of Hayes post the recording of the EP saw Ben Edis (Spirytus/Breed77) come in and complete a line-up even creatively bolder and mischievous within The Squid.

Let’s Get Kraken gets things underway; its title the first hint to the knavish and spirited escapade within song and EP. From within a busily engaged crowd, a swing guided bassline joins the jazzy flirtation of guitar, beats skipping along with them. It is an inviting collusion soon luring hips and feet into the waiting net of enterprise; every initial attribute and lure soon infested with lustful intensity and creative boisterousness as things get funky with the arrival of Donald Sutherland And His Magnificent Mane. Evolving from its predecessor, grooves captivate as hooks ensnare, all the while Wright’s swings landing with real bite and snap as the track gets down to laying a web of intrigue and beguilingly evolving adventure. There is chunkiness to its body which sparks the appetite as much as its gentler wanderings across the senses, all making for a compelling incitement for body and imagination.

Its final vocal sigh sparks the similarly spirited and energetic shuffle of You Gotta Be Squiddin’ Me’, the track slyly entwining ears with seductive grooves with a whiff of predacious devilment as around them melodic interplay blossoms its own beguiling enticements. Electronic spicing only adds to the tenacious and imaginative touch of song and guitar, Beardsley weaving another rascality of sound through his strings as Edis’ bass prowls with its own coltish instincts and intent. Fuelled by mood swings of enterprise, the track at times heavy and rapacious whilst in other moments crafty and sprightly, it has body and thoughts leaping and inventing respectively.

As too does the creatively athletic and kinetically energetic canter of Owl Pacino Vs Mega Mango; a piece of music which can feel in certain moments like a stand-off between battling textures and attitudes but at other times a heated yet respectful collusion of both sides; though it is the aggressive instincts of each side which drive the outstanding track.

Its funk lined finale flows into the epic melodic epilogue and dynamically entrancing theatre of I Squid You Farewell (Owl Be Seeing You). The final track is a drama of sound and texture; an imagination woven and guided frolic of the rich craft and strikingly inventive versatility of all three musicians as they lead the listener on a fruitful gest as much of their own as the band’s making.

Every listen of The Squid brings escalating joy and adventure as new twists in the imagination flare up as fresh nuances and layers are discovered. The EP is a stunning move on from The Owl yet still works perfectly with its earlier companion; the full glory of The Parallax Method ingenuity and creative fertility best served with both releases played back to back and given full attention of ears and mind.

The Squid is out now digitally and on CD @ http://theparallaxmethod.bigcartel.com/

http://www.theparallaxmethod.com/ https://www.facebook.com/theparallaxmethod https://twitter.com/parallaxmethod

Pete RingMaster 16/05/2017

Pic Ewan Mathers_www.ewanmathersphotographer.com

There are so many things about The Owl EP to wax lyrical over; from its intricate yet free flowing fusion of flavours to its smiling warmth of character even when offering a more volatile twist or passage to contemplate. Most though it is the fact that each of its instrumental adventures provides a brand new escapade with every listen. The music hints, at times openly suggests, but all the time the imagination is given the sonic and melodic palette to paint its own inspired landscape and exploits, and that is pure fun and pleasure.

The release comes courtesy of UK progressive rockers The Parallax Method, their debut introduction to the UK rock scene. Formed last year, the seeds of the band began with guitarist Danny Beardsley, drummer Dave Wright, and bassist Daniel Hayes’ time together in hard rock band Isolysis back in 2011. With a collective experience of almost thirty years, the Derbyshire trio re-united last year as The Parallax Method, drawing on their mutual love of bands such as TesseracT, Karnivool, and Periphery to spice a sound, as mentioned earlier, tagged as progressive rock but entwining the broadest array of styles and essences into a fascinating tapestry. It is all in evidence within their first incitement Owl, the trio conjuring a web of creative intrigue and glorious aural adventure. Since its recording, Hayes has left the band to be replaced by Ben Edis (Spirytus/Breed 77), but left as his legacy a gripping part in a potent start to the bands easy to assume rise to the fore of the progressive scene.

Parallax cdep1._RingMaster Review To quote their press release, “The Parallax Method leans on the themes of space and a perpetual battle between the owl and the squid to convey their unique sub-genre of modern prog. Space signifies the vast and epic nature of each track. The owl, wise and powerful, manifests itself in the music in its’ confident and strategic build ups. The squid, sneaky and sly, embodies itself in the ever-present surprising twists and turns. And the battle between them often ends in a violent stalemate which serves to betray the band’s humble standard tuning.” That is the premise to and suggestive nature of the release but to be honest as soon as second track Honey I Shrunk The Squid steps forward, after the cosy yet stark intro of the brief Welcome One and Owl, the imagination is off and running with its own narrative too.

Evolving straight out of its predecessor, as all pieces do, the track is soon writhing with juicy grooves and darkly toned rhythms which in turn breed a just as swift virulence in their increasingly inventive enterprise. You can easily confirm the spicery of those previously mentioned influences but also as the track, and indeed EP, develops thoughts are reminded of Belgian solo project Squidhead. The song continues to take ears on a busy and eventful dance, the guitar a jumble of coherent hooks and bewitching melodies framed and punctuated by the almost morose tone of the bass and the swinging beats of Wright. There is an industrial feel to the visual incitement it sparks, an intensive parade of activity and life which is often seduced by shards of melodic beauty and melancholic warmth.

The following Can Mango Take Me Higher is blossomed from those seeds too, exploring them with the sombre yet flirtatious lures of Hayes’ bass and the resourceful craft and imagination of Beardsley’s fingers of guitar strings. As in the previous piece, the music perpetually evolves, at times brewing up tempestuous climates and avenues as potent and captivating as the mellow seductions aligning them. The spatial ambience of the track has thoughts soaring into the dark and dangerous unknown but always there is an earth bound intimacy which also has the imagination and emotions working overtime, the latter especially when the bass throws off its shadows to wonderfully cluck, for want of a better word, at the senses.

Though individual tracks definitely work alone, The Owl should be listened to and is most enjoyed as a whole. Each song is a natural progression and chapter in a singular scintillating tale, whether with the band’s premise or in one’s own thoughts; flowing masterfully from the other as Radagash The Brown does from Can Mango Take Me Higher. The new encounter is a cosmopolitan shuffle which from its jazz kissed and sultry opening scenery travels rugged terrain and gentler seas towards a classical seduction bred on Latin influences and mystique sowing climes. Ultimately the track is a cauldron of technical prowess and even more so mischievous imagination, there no escaping the underlying grin to the release.

Closing on a techno agitation against emotively spun keys, the song flips into Owlgarhythm, the only time you could say the join is less than organic. It matters little as the immediate haze of funk lined agitation and devilry sides with blues electricity, the trio again whipping up a tenaciously sculpted shuffle with a whisper of bedlam to its heart and energy. Continuing to spin a revolving soundscape of sound and descriptive textures which are more travelogue like for the imagination than echoing the conflict maybe suggested by the EP’s theme, the track is superb. As the whole of The Owl, it is a spellbinding creative emprise which you might never get a clear handle on but just devour more greedily with every listen trying.

Another great thing about the EP is that it never has a whiff of indulgence or showing off which can and often does afflict many progressive spawned offerings, meaning that The Parallax Method is definitely a band to pay attention to and The Owl, a release you really should let your imagination play with.

The Owl is released on Friday 11th September through all stores.

Pete RingMaster 10/09/2015

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