Swedish newbies Letters From The Colony may be relatively inexperienced, with just two EPs under their belt going into their debut LP, but Vignette’s textural complexity is intuitively put together by a group with a penchant for both djent and prog.
One could almost call the album experimental in sound, but the quintet don’t so much break genre boundaries as they do nudge them into slightly more progressive realms, crafting a style that reminds of other, more well-known artists whilst still retaining a distinct air of originality. The group’s layered metal most frequently calls to mind the likes of Meshuggah and Vildhjarta, but also reminds of Opeth and even Textures as it seamlessly switches between complex but bludgeoning polyrhythms, intricate math-metal and cut-throat death metal.
The result is a style that feels both meticulously crafted and chaotic, bolstered by glistening prog flourishes that aid in giving the release a more expansive quality. At times, as on instrumental number ‘This Creature Will Haunt Us Forever’, they reach dreamlike realms of near tranquillity, but chugging guitars and the raw guttural growls of frontman Alexander Backlund are never too far off.
Unique but with clear nods to their forbearers, Letters From The Colony’s debut full-length is a textured released lined with highlights and thrills sure to quench even the most insatiable thirst for tight grooves, hard-hitting riffs and complex rhythms.
Vignette is out now via Nuclear Blast. Purchase here.
Words: George Parr
