TesseracT

[romdrums]

Honestly, I think Dan did better work with Skyharbor.  It's too bad he couldn't make it work with them.

He probably could have. My guess is the Tesseract name, and increased $$ from them being able to tour more was a big lure.

Yep.  Can't blame Dan for doing what's best for his family.

[Mebert78]

I got into Tesseract with Altered State. I just can't get into Tompkins' stuff. I bought One, it was OK, and I didn't really like Polaris. It wasn't bad per se, but there is a quality to Ashe's voice that Tompkins just doesn't have. I haven't listened to the new song yet, but after being disappointed by Polaris, I am not sure I will. 

For me, it's more than just the voice.  Ashe also crafts better lyrics and better melodic vocal passages over the music he is given, in my opinion.  That's just my take in comparing Dan's work on One and Polaris to Ashe's work on Altered State and his new band Voices From the Fuselage.  That said, I totally get that some people prefer Dan over Ashe, and that's cool. 

[Samsara]

Honestly, I think Dan did better work with Skyharbor.  It's too bad he couldn't make it work with them.

He probably could have. My guess is the Tesseract name, and increased $$ from them being able to tour more was a big lure.

Yep.  Can't blame Dan for doing what's best for his family.

Not at all. I think pretty much anyone would have done the same if in his shoes.

For me, it's more than just the voice.  Ashe also crafts better lyrics and better melodic vocal passages over the music he is given, in my opinion.  That's just my take in comparing Dan's work on One and Polaris to Ashe's work on Altered State and his new band Voices From the Fuselage.  That said, I totally get that some people prefer Dan over Ashe, and that's cool. 

Agreed on the lyrics and better melodies. Dan absolutely has earned his fans. He's got his own style, which I respect for sure. Just not as fond of it as I am Ashe's. 

[YtseJamittaja]

Band posted video on their IG where were part of Smile. They have remade the song a lot heavier with screams and it sounded a lot better in the clip than the single. 

[BlackInk]

The album version is also longer than the single version that we’ve heard. I hope they did some work on Smile because the single version is their weakest production yet. But the other songs released have sounded better so I’m hopeful.

But yeah, that clip was really cool.

[comment]

The Sonder album songs are great!  I’ve always loved Dans stuff, except for Tesseract.  Times a’ changing.  Hope he doesn’t over scream and keeps the screams ... ehh musical.   

[Samsara]

I got the promo of Sonder yesterday. Listened once. Natural evolution from Polaris. A little less emphasis on djent too.

[BlackInk]

So the album is out. Having familiarized myself with it for a few days I’d say that most of it ranges from ’okay’ to ’pretty good’, but ’Beneath My Skin / Mirror Image’ is pretty damn wonderful.

[Train of Naught]

First listen thoughts:

It's good. Nothing more, nothing less. Was really hyped after Smile and Luminary but the album doesn't really top those. The only exception being the new version of Smile, some vocal melodies took a bit of getting used to since I played the demo to death. Now, I consider Smile to be one of the most complete TesseracT songs (besides Altered State ofc) ever. Has everything I love about the band.

The 'epic, has plenty of good moments but lacks the dynamic I look for in songs of this length, some of those moments are definitely highlights though. Also I think it's a bit disappointing that we got 3 singles while the full album only has 7 tracks.

Haven't seen anyone mention The Arrow on the sites I check, but I think it's wonderful, might be my favourite TesseracT album closer, and considering I anticipated it to be like a 2 minute ambient outro this is even more rewarding

[jakepriest]

Haven't seen anyone mention The Arrow on the sites I check, but I think it's wonderful, might be my favourite TesseracT album closer, and considering I anticipated it to be like a 2 minute ambient outro this is even more rewarding

Best album closer?
But... Of Energy - Embers? 

Anyhoo, this album feels like a mix between Altered State and One, which makes it pretty damn good in my book. I'm glad they went into a heavier direction after Polaris, which I wasn't a fan of. 
Why is it so damn short though? We basically got 20 minutes of music if you don't count the tracks that were released as singles.

[mikeyd23]

I forgot this was coming out, I'll check this out today for sure.

[Train of Naught]

Yeah, The Arrow > Embers. It's not just album closers, but I've always felt that TesseracT albums aren't as good near the end as in the beginning/middle.

But even though I really like the album, Altered State is probably my least favourite of theirs. Ashe simply doesn't sound like as good of a good fit for the band as Daniel in my opinion

[Samsara]

But even though I really like the album, Altered State is probably my least favourite of theirs. Ashe simply doesn't sound like as good of a good fit for the band as Daniel in my opinion

We have the complete opposite opinion.  Gotta love it.

[mikeyd23]

First impression of the new record is generally positive, I'm not blown away, but I like what I hear.

[Samsara]

First impression of the new record is generally positive, I'm not blown away, but I like what I hear.

I am going to listen again this morning. If it is good, will  buy the 2 CD edition.

[romdrums]

After a few listens, I can say that it has its moments, but it is way too short and Acle's songwriting is really starting to piss me off.  They need to learn how to arrange things to achieve a better emotional payoff.  They had it in their earlier material, but it's not there in their new material.

[fadetoblackdude7]

I just finished my first listen, and I really like it a lot! King was probably the standout track for me, and Beneath My Skin/Mirror Image is good too. The only bad thing is its short length which bothers me. But I can’t wait to see them next month for sure!

[Samsara]

Glad I decided to re-listen. On my fourth spin today (it is short, 37 minutes). I really like it.

[Crow]

it sounds like a generic alternative metal band inserting random time signature changes into their music
i got like halfway through the long track and had felt absolutely nothing from the album up to that point so i just, stopped
this does not sound like a band on their fourth album

[Samsara]

it sounds like a generic alternative metal band inserting random time signature changes into their music
i got like halfway through the long track and had felt absolutely nothing from the album up to that point so i just, stopped
this does not sound like a band on their fourth album

I wouldn't use the term "generic," because they are far from it. But I do think that it sounds like an alternative metal band using time changes to make things interesting. And I don't really find that as a turn-off.

I will always think Ashe is superior to Dan in every regard (and I respect them both). But I can't fault TesseracT for trying to broaden their audience a bit. 10 Years (another alt-metal band) did the same thing with their last record, How to live as ghosts. My guess is, both bands will get a little heavier again on the next record. But I find both releases (the new TesseracT and the newest 10 Years) to be pretty darn good.

[YtseJamittaja]

Smile is much more now. Damn I love that album version.

Juno's intro sounds really similar with Periphery's The Event.

Two spins yesterday in a long car drive and first impression was that it's now their best but definitely not their weakest album.

[lonestar]

Got a few spins under the belt, and while I am enjoying the album, it feels a notch below the rest of their output. There's a mailed in feel to it for me, as if they hurried through the process just to put something out there. It's not nearly as complete piece of awesomeness as One or Altered States, seems more like a Polaris light to me. Still cranking it loud as fuck though...

[jakepriest]

Premature ranking:
1. King
2. Smile
3. Juno
4. The Arrow
5. Beneath My Skin / Mirror Image
6. Luminary
7. Orbital

Album ranking:
1. One
2. Altered State
3. Sonder
4. Polaris

[goo-goo]

I'm loving all the hooks and riffs. Seems like the album is a concept since there's some recurring themes on the album. My only complaint is the length. Maybe an extra song or two would have made it feel more complete.

Have you guys checked out the binaural mix?

[Samsara]

Have you guys checked out the binaural mix?

Not yet. I likely will at some point in the evening this week.

[ariich]

Very solid album, concise and powerful. Nowhere near the majesty of Altered State, but roughly on a par with Polaris, maybe slightly better.

[Lethean]

I think Sonder is a beautiful album.

[fadetoblackdude7]

I wish Orbital were longer. Such a cool track

[Lethean]

I wish Orbital were longer. Such a cool track

Yes!!  I do too.  Just another minute or two....

[goo-goo]

Saw them last night in San Antonio. They totally blew the place off. Plini was the 2nd act and he kicked ass as well. Don't miss this tour. Tesseract's playing was tight and top notch.

[romdrums]

I've been able to give it some more listens, and I'm definitely starting to come around on this record now.  The mix is probably their best yet, and I love the fact that Amos Williams' bass is given the space it deserves.  Although, it still bugs me that a guy who is responsible for a signficant amount of the shape of the album (Aidan O'Brien) isn't even in the band. 

[BlackInk]

Yeah I'm beginning to notice a trend with how I appreciate TesseracT albums. They seem to consistantly not blow me away initially, instead getting better and better over time.

[Train of Naught]

Same here guys, Sonder is growing on me big time. Starting to love it, especially King and Juno were big growers.

[Big Hath]

Plini was the 2nd act and he kicked ass

Plini was awesome

[lonestar]

Just left the show. Enjoyed both Astronoid and Plini, but they pale in comparison to the mighty Tesseract. Holy fuck were they solid, and the new songs take on a whole other level live. With a few shows from them under my belt I can confidently say that they are one of my favorite live bands.

I recorded some video that should be pretty tight, I'll post it tomorrow.