My listening habits move in waves; I have periods where only the most blackened, crusted, and filthy tracks are what I crave and I shy away from the melodic or harmonious. Then, at other times, I can’t stand static, fuzz or noise and what I need are clean vocals, chromatic scales, and crystal clear production. It’s important that I recognize these trends and suit my playlist to fit, otherwise I feel burned out and out of touch. On the flip-side, when something new hits just when the mood is right for it to be received, you can assume I’ll be obsessed with it for the near future. It’s a great feeling, having your internal disposition mirrored in sound, lyrics, and aesthetic.
This is exactly what happened to me with Raiju, a Washington state based band sent my way by the good boys over at A Sense of Gravity. Raiju make a kind of progressive metal that we’ve already seen coming out of the Seattle greater area in the last few years. It’s a kind of progressive metal which takes its influences from Coheed and Cambria (especially on the vocals) and turns up the metalcore influences to eleven. Harsh and clean vocals blend with pretty synths, heavy breakdowns, odd time signatures, weird samples, and straight up furious metal.
“Away With Words”, off of their upcoming album Non Sequitur (a clever little name for a progressive album) and premiering here today, is probably my favorite tracks of theirs, showcasing all of the above and then some. It has a catchy chorus, the lead-up to which should evoke sensations of Astronoid, with their major-key shimmering and burgeoning energy. These are the same kinds of vibes that invoked all over Non Sequitur but married with a heavier edge which adds lots of contrast into the mix. Add to all of this some tasty (super tasty) bass licks, great production, and a lyric video that manages to be not boring (that’s possible, apparently), and you have yourself one doozy of a premiere!
Head on below to indulge in all of the above and don’t forget to pre-order Non Sequitur (and stream three more tracks from it) via the band’s official website!