As has happened often in the past, the Internet has rescued me. In a time where I was craving something emotional, a musical journey that would explore my own heart, there came to me from out of the ether Vivid Illusion. Promising an intelligent survey of post-rock, progressive and hardcore, my brows were initially raised in skepticism. Many bands today claim to blend genres but few of them can live up to their promise. Vivid Illusion’s Circumnavigation | A far exceeded anything I had hoped to hear; dreamy passages act as interludes for aural explosions that then close full circle into ambiance once again. Head on over the jump for your first taste.
“Liquid Walker” is a great example of what ensnared me here: the dreamy, almost lazy opening to the track is filled with great lyrics (seriously, check them out) about memory and childhood. Quickly however, the soundscape opens up into an amazingly moving, fast paced, sludgy passage. This in turn only leads back into the opening lines, only transformed and much more energetic.
The rest of the album goes many, many places. Hinging on ambiance-filled passages, its structure might some obtuse or needlessly complex on the first few listens. However, once the ear has accustomed itself to how this album works and what it means, it suddenly becomes much more than that, with reoccurring themes presenting themselves to the listener. The album also goes much more towards post-metal at one point, with the growls on “Faint Existence” for example giving it a much needed turn towards the heavier side of the creation.
All in all, you should get on this as quickly as possible. If the “A” in the name is any indication, we can hope to hear more work from these guys in the near future. In the meantime, give your ear some time with this album. You’ll be more than rewarded for your effort.
-EK