Somewhere deep in suburban Canberra lies the very talented Taliesin, waiting to be discovered. The band consists of Reuben Durham (Guitar), Wayne Bateup (Drums), Richard Mosely (Guitar/Keyboard/Vocals), Chris Turk (Bass) and Dave Howe (Lead Vocals).
Their new release, Disciple, has nine progressive metal masterpieces detailed in dark thoughts and actions from a narrative perspective.
From the start to the end of Disciple, the guitaring is very much the star accompanied by machine-like drumming. The diversity and technicality from melodic riffage to shredding remind me a little of Symphony X but only instrumentally speaking.
The very epic, Disciple a whopping 8.50mins, and the atmospheric start soon evaporates into a cotorsion of brittleness.
Loaded with messiah-like harmonies mesmerizing to the ear, a welcomed and pleasant feature that is apparent to be a focal point as we listen on.
C.O.T.E., unapologetically a sucker punch to the face, some pretty fucking heavy-sounding riffage happening here, ramming us rather than driving us along with some intense and skilled footwork from Wayne. Another thing to note is Dave’s vocals, which are quite unique for this particular style of music. Similar to that of Ozzy Osbourne, opting to be less dominant sitting further back in the overall mix.
Custom of the Sea, percussive madness a terror maze of perpetual unpredictability. A soaring guitar solo flirting with melodic synths, I’m carried away to the sea.
God Damn Lies, fooled by the slower clean guitaring at the beginning, it doesn’t stay tame for long I’m thrust forward into a world of endless possibilities. I’m amazed at just how much depth and movement can be packed into one song. Magnificent!
Everytime I Close My Eyes, A symbiotic organism that takes on a life all on its own, where surreal synths mingle with the hooky lyric an iconic display of Taliesin’s essence.
Contemplative feelings of turmoil build up to a percussive crescendo, cascading into an abstract abyss of arpeggiation as we are swept into Frustration.
Blindfold, we are connected with a softer Taliesin as an emotional piano draws us in with its simplistic yet beautiful richness.
Haunting yet stunning to the ears, Burnt draws our attention to the big contrast of atmospheric soundscapes to the almost disjointed breakups. Not a favorite as I don’t think it was quite as well executed as some of the songs heard earlier on this album.
The Road, we’re moving again. Taliesin definitely has this feeling of movement nailed. Again, we hear that Messiah like mysterious vocal quality shine through. Some beautiful melodic harmonies, both vocally and instrumentally. Evident that Taliesin is equally skilled in both writing and producing technical music of this high caliber.
Standout tracks for me on this Album were Custom of the Sea, God Damn Lies and The Road.
Easily one of the best Prog Albums I’ve reviewed this year. High on my recommendation list.
Taliesin: Facebook
Release Year: 2023
Label: self-released
Category: Album
Country: Australia
Reviewed by GG Baf
