Canvas Solaris

Cortical Tectonics

Sensory 2007

Georgia's instrumental, progressive genius's return with their third full length of spaced out tech metal.  With some bands you feel like something is missing when there is no vocalist present but not so with Canvas Solaris.  A futuristic lounge-jazz style permeates Sinusoid Mirage as the song lazily, but with mechanical precision surges forward becoming progressively more intense yet remaining laid back and enticing.  Somewhat a contradiction in imagery yet it remains true, as I never feel hurried or too blinded by the technical wizardry of these musical masters.  My favorite track, Interface, pulls me in with space-aged tribal drumming patterns and beautiful guitar work that is simple and yet skillfully profound within the same breath.  It echoes with Latin American rhythms and emotions.  Gamma Knife however evokes a feeling of stumbling forward while losing one's equilibrium and is a flurry of manic guitars and drums which dazzle the ears and the mind.  The album closes with a 17-minute epic, Reticular Consciousness.  A repetitive yet catchy main riff brackets explosions of instrumental brilliance.  The distorted guitar work at the 3-minute mark is a stroke of genius.  Canvas Solaris have been compared to Spiral Architect, however they are much less bass guitar oriented in my view.  A more accurate vision would be Cynic minus the death metal overtones.  Canvas Solaris displays intelligence and technical wizardry with a penchant for entertaining and beautiful songwriting.  Yet they never play down the ends of their noses at their audience which can be the case with some of these musical magicians who are playing only to the peers.  If you want to be blown away by amazing musicianship yet don't want to be intimidated at the same time then Canvas Solaris is for you.