Spiritech

I remember discussing about it once, but it won't hurt to remind you once again - great bands are recognized by their ability to set new paths without hesitation, while at the same time remaining themselves and difficult to imitate. Alchemist was one of such exceptional cases. After the totally crazy and breaking new barriers, although still extreme avant-garde "Lunasphere", Adam Agius' band decided that they had reached a wall - they had to try other means of expression, abandoning the death metal element. However, ideas for the next step in (r)evolution appeared immediately - only two years later. In 1997, Alchemists revealed themselves for the third time as a phenomenal band, going beyond ordinary divisions and totally innovative. The most interesting thing is that on that "Spiritech" they presented themselves even better and more interestingly than their bold predecessors, despite the fact that their third longplay is no longer connected with death metal.

If the previous albums were about moving peaks, what the hell am I supposed to say now, huh? A brilliant album for the third time - there's no doubt about it. "Spiritech" convinces that reaching for the impossible and rising to absurdly high levels came completely naturally to Alchemist, without any problems, and when it seemed that it was impossible to rise any higher, these talented guys proved that it was possible. And the best thing is that they didn't lose any of their own identity! Okay, on "Spiritech" the band abandoned blast beats, death metal heaviness or cave-like growling, although the quartet didn't get rid of their earlier madness, crazy climates and experimenting on many different, sometimes extreme levels. On their third full-length, Alchemist has entered a very unconventional and atmospheric progressive metal with a very sandy-like sound (in more sludge metal vibe) and a degree of visionary that exceeds the madness of the previous two albums several times over.

The genius that Alchemist had at their disposal in the times of "Spiritech" simply exploded on this release. Progressive structures, diverse forms, unpredictability, unique atmosphere, flights into space, oriental flavors and at the same time a lot of energy, considerable catchiness and coherence of so many means interact here at every step (although they are constantly surprising), and also make you want to have contact with "Spiritech" only more and more. The third album of Alchemist is a dose of music to work out and enjoy for many years - like a recipe for the best moonshine.

As if that wasn't enough, new elements were also added to "Spiritech". I mentioned the more strongly marked cosmos and orientalisms, although Adam's vocals have clearly changed (chanting-like and frightening squeals predominate - surprisingly, very successful), while keyboard inserts (sometimes also with solos), much calmer fragments, gradually building tension or surprisingly, lively rhythms are things that were previously outlined symbolically, and here they often take over the foreground. Have a listen to "Dancing To Life", "Spiritechnology", "Staying Conscious" or "Road To Ubar", in which despite a greater number of moderate tempos, they are still abundant in various twists of action, the instrumentation is mixed in all possible ways (but this cannot be classified as senseless show-offs) and these songs build a mystical atmosphere brilliantly. Apart from that, it's impossible to point out any worse tracks on "Spiritech". The above-mentioned and unmentioned ones make you salivate, but the most-the-most feeling is caused by the album's clasp, i.e. "Chinese Whispers" and "Figments". They are the essence of crazy, enigmatic yet intelligent progressive metal, which could only and exclusively be attributed to Alchemist.

After two sensational albums, the Australians from Alchemist have proven that they still have an idea for themselves, they know which direction they want to go and that they are capable of creating an album even better than the previous ones. You have to admit, it's a rare phenomenon when a band records outstanding releases and then jumps over an extremely high bar with such an awesome record. In the context of Alchemist, it was absolutely possible and - what is best and strangest - abandoning the death metal element.

Originally on A bit of subjectivism...in metal

Alchemist is one of Australia’s best kept open secrets. They’re avant-garde for people who aren’t into avant-garde, progressive death for those who embrace the progressive, and have so many worldly elements that they become otherworldly. Their music creates journeys, taking you somewhere you never knew you wanted to be with its blend of metal and the unknown. While not a successful melding right out the gate, years of honing their writing and identity on each subsequent album yielded their most complete vision up to that point - Spiritech. This was to be the first (and longest) album that signified what Alchemist were as a musical force and why they were the best at this particular brand of, well, whatever the hell they did.

The stimulating juices of latter Alchemist grew from an era marked by traditional, if crazed, OSDM. By 1997, Adam Agius had already been around for at least a decade in the scene, tapping like-minded, imaginative individuals to aid his purpose. He and company evolved year after year, transforming into a blend of progressive, avant-garde extreme metal. At its core, they had brutality (which softened as time went on) mixed with spacey psychedelics, mellow breaks, and tribal music. The Middle Eastern influences in the leads and non-metal instrumentation / experimentation are easily recognizable, but it’s not the only draw.

The atmosphere here feels part of the same spiritual, ambient wavelength as Steve Roach's Dreamtime Return or Biosphere’s Substrata. It’s a totally different breed of dark, enigmatic energy that’s far removed from the typical lure of death metal. These niche idiosyncrasies were held by other bands like Sadist on the zany Tribe, but it wasn’t the closest to what Spiritech or Alchemist’s later evolutions were. In fact, Killing Joke’s Democracy and especially Pandemonium (right down to the cover art) feel like direct inspirations, with some subliminal ‘80s Hawkwind constructs underneath. Both aforementioned Killing Joke albums have similar lengthy compositional scope, harsh yell / growl and ghostly cleans combination, and mystical qualities shaping the aesthetics and soundscape.

Spiritech doesn’t have straightforward gratification like future Alchemist does. Each song feels like a heavy undertaking, revealing itself one cryptic arrangement after another. The opener, “Chinese Whispers”, takes you on one of these quests through thick waves of guitar chords, melodic Middle-Eastern inspired leads as a guiding hand, and dense bass playing that stays rhythmically inclined instead of noodling around. Agius commands the first half with his tailored form of aggression, roaring and employing crazed screams at the head of a charged first half. Then it goes an entirely different direction in the second half; a lengthy instrumental break consisting of calm tribal-like percussion, nonchalant melodies and exotic flavor.

Alchemist would play with these ideas throughout their career, opening doors to the past in ways few other metal bands did. One of the keys that made their strategy so effective was Rodney Holder, one of my favorite drummers purely for what he was able to accomplish with Alchemist. The man was a drum fill fiend with his unconventional catchiness. He went from death metal blaster into progressive metal master in the span of a couple of albums; expert of drum beats, master of drum fills. Holder’s uses of toms like on the jungle-like “Beyond Genesis” or the bopping “Spiritechnology” make it clear that it’s his looser style that is equally irreplaceable as the lead and riff craft. Riffs, by the way, that are still slightly muffled and buried. Spiritech was the first to start sounding like a properly produced album instead of a rawer-edged, incomplete vision. The riffs blurred together a bit but those bass drums sure kick pretty hard.

Spiritech is an album that lets itself breathe, setting it apart from the two that came before it. Its flexible design enables it to contort, distort, warp, and pervert the normal. It’s the point when the band really transitioned away from their chaotic earlier iterations and into one more comfortable and forthright. It led to even greater works bearing the Alchemist name, each with their own unorthodox charm. Listening makes me feel like only Australians could have pulled this off so well.

Probably the best progressive death metal band you've never even heard of. I mean seriously it's mind-fucking-boggling. How does a band this good slip under pretty much everyone's collective radar?? Australia, what the heck have you been doing? These guys were ripping out classic album after classic album back in the late 90s, for crying out loud! I just don't get it. Anyways onto the review.

Let's get one thing straight; these guys truly define (or rather redefine) progressive metal. Unlike a lot of prog music today beginning to fall into a rut and sounding too similar to the giants of the genre, these guys are very reminiscent of old-school Opeth in that way, using the guitar as the prime instrument for creating progressions in their music almost giving off a 70s era prog rock vibe. Listen to "Road To Ubar" and "Beyond Genesis" to see what I mean. Fantastic stuff. There are hints of Orchid era Opeth scattered across the album, especially when it comes to the vocals and guitar interludes, though obviously Alchemist are different in their own way. Truly a lost classic of progressive death metal.

Kick-starting the album with the most progressive song "Chinese Whispers", this is 9 and a half minutes of a ferocious exotic death metal journey, the likes of which are rare indeed. The mystical echo-laden guitars just take you to another primordial world and the haunting psychedelic breakdown midway only serves to reinforce that fact. One heck of a trippy song and a cracker of an album opener to boot. "Staying Conscious" is another scorcher and that section at 2:45 where the haunting clean vocals come in is just fucking epic in every sense of the word. Probably the most accessible song on the album.

Even the spoken vocals at the beginning of "Spiritechnology" only add to the ethereal element of the album talking about mankind in general and the existence of aliens. Do read the lyrics if you can. "Inertia" has an authentic tribal feel to it conjuring up unexplored landscapes and the vastness of the Australian outback. The last song "Figments" is the most interesting song of the lot, using a soothing yet haunting atmosphere and ambience to the fullest to give in to the metallic chaos around the 2 minute mark only to lead you back into the soothing ambience at 6:24 with the dread factor slowly creeping in as you marvel at these guys skills at manipulating and mastering atmosphere as well as ponder over the mysteries of the universe. Yeah, if it's one thing this album does well, it's that it just transports you to another plane of existence making you think about stuff way beyond planet Earth. I am truly floored. Just a head-up: there aren't many metal albums like that around these days, so kindly do the math and the needful.

Undoubtedly the guitars are the standout in this album. Most other bands would use keys or piano to enhance and layer the music with different textures, but not these guys, which just goes to show how talented they are. Very middle-eastern sounding riffs and clean guitar interludes with a lot of delay, bends and scorching leads. Like most classic albums out there, this album is best experienced when listened to as a whole rather than scattered songs, as that unfortunately would lead you to miss out on the sheer spectacular charm of Spiritech. And the traditional percussion in some songs just sounds majestic to the core adding to the monolithical and immersive atmosphere of the album. I mean seriously who needs any drugs when you've got this? I would highly recommend this album to any open-minded metal fan as the diverse elements might throw off hardcore metallers. Either way, prepare yourself for one hell of a journey. I mean seriously, just take a look at that cover.

Standout tracks: All, but anyways - Chinese Whispers, Road To Ubar, Staying Conscious, Inertia and Dancing To Life.

Exhibiting a level of creativity that goes far beyond what’s expected in metal, Alchemist’s sound is unmistakable. With Middle Eastern and Aboriginal folk elements liberally sprinkled throughout, these Aussies deliver a listening experience you can’t find anywhere else. Their third album, Spiritech, by melding trippy, psychedelic atmosphere with metal rhythms, seems like the perfect soundtrack to a shrooms-fueled journey.

What makes this album so successful and so mindblowing is how seamlessly it blends meditative world music with metal aggression. Throughout Spiritech's entire runtime, elements you've never heard in the same place before are brought together and somehow never seem awkward, forced, or gimmicky. Acoustic guitars, usually playing hypnotic Middle Eastern phrases, Aboriginal percussion, and sometimes vibraslaps come together to form some enthralling atmospheric segments. These sections aren't just there to fill up space between full-blown metal passages either. That's what a lesser band would do. Instead, Alchemist layers these psychedelic ideas over metal guitars and drums to form a seamless, textured soundscape.

Spiritech's production and musicianship are expertly realized. There's no bombast here or even any noteworthy individual performances here. Instead, the musicians keep the big picture in mind at all times, making sure their various parts come together to produce a powerful whole, like the smaller robots that combine to form Voltron. Nobody ever gets overindulgent and the performances are restrained most of the time, with each member doing his share while relying on the others to back them up, which produces stronger and more interesting music than they'd ever be capable of if anyone was trying too hard to be the center of attention.

Excellent basswork thrums away in numerous sections, with the low-pitched notes forming a thick, noticeable tapestry beneath the drums and guitars. The vocals alternate between the slightly harsh shouting you'd hear in a Baroness or a newer Mastodon release and spiritual chanting without ever giving the impression that the album is mechanically switching between approaches. And the parts that bring in acoustic guitars and Aboriginal percussion sound spacey and primordial, an effect that is somehow not diminished when coupled with metal riffs. John Hresc and DW Norton, the guys who produced this, are clearly wizards, having miraculously found out how to play light and heavy music at the same time without either mood seeming to take precedence most of the time.

With so many seemingly contradictory ideas inhabiting the same space, there's plenty that could have gone wrong on this album. Luckily, meticulous songcraft won out and the result is a brilliantly executed collection of songs as balanced as they are adventurous. For those of you who feel like you've heard it all, Spiritech might be that dose of something different you've been craving.

Where to start...Alchemist are an awesome band. Spiritech is an awesome album.

Alchemist are a band that do just what they want and are unique because of it. Nothing completely special or wildly outrageous sets Alchemist apart, only the music. External influences such as Middle Eastern and tribal music can be plainly seen in this album. Their subject matter seems to have a lot to do with aliens existing, which is odd, but cool, and their songs are diverse, epic and original.

Alchemist fuse acoustic and distorted guitars with mesmerizing keyboards, Middle Eastern, and tribal influences, death metal growls, deep rumbles and high pitched screams and epic structure to form an album that you listen to and get caught up in, an album that just takes you on a journey through its music, something almost no albums can do (at least to me). Songs like Staying Concious and Hermaphroditis represent the heavier side of the album, while the odd naturistic instrumental Inertia and Beyond Genesis represent the softer side (although not too soft, really). The rest of the album is a mix, and a wonderful, perfectly linked and constructed one at that.

Highly reccommended for anyone searching for something new and mindblowing.