Valley of Smoke

Wow, am I the first to review this a year after its release? Stranger things have been known to happen I guess...

Anyway, this is the third full-length release by the Los Angeles prog/post-metal band Intronaut and follow-up to 2008's excellent Prehistoricisms. I'm not going to try to fully describe the band's sound here, but instead I'll compare Valley of Smoke to the aforementioned previous record. On the surface it has quite a few similarities with its predecessor, but that by no means is an indication that the band is running out of ideas. In fact, there a quite a few progressions this time around, which makes this an improvement in nearly every way.

The first track Elegy starts things off hard 'n' heavy, with an catchy yet crushing post-metal riff (Kind of like The Literal Black Cloud on Prehistoricisms). However, after a few minutes something new comes up. The clean guitar passages are often accompanied by clean vocals as well, a feature absent from Intronaut's music until now. While some may find them a bit jarring or annoying, it is my opinion that they contribute to the mellower atmosphere quite well. The clean vocals show up in just about every song, and in one song even (Core Relations) replace harsh vocals entirely. Fans of brutality should not despair, however, since there are still plenty of harsh screams throughout the album.

Another (slightly less obvious) improvement comes in the songwriting department. The songs feel more cohesive here, always to the point and without any "why did they just do that" bits. Some may find parts a bit meander-y at times (Above and the title track, perhaps), but I don't believe that to be the case. The band does throw quite a few curveballs in the mix to keep things interesting, and many of the tracks contain hidden little gems that aren't obvious at first, keeping the record interesting for multiple listens. Although I wouldn't call it a grower per se, there are many things waiting to be discovered here.

Standout songs (for me, anyway) would have to be Elegy, Miasma, and Sunderance. Each has an excellent blend of heavy riffage and clean excursions which take you on an awesome journey. The title track is also great, with its double-tracked drums and bass.

All this to say, Intronaut have made a mighty impressive progressive/post-metal album, and one of my very favorite records of 2010. Every element is done exceedingly well, the guitars, the drums (Danny Walker is a god!), the bass (Joe Lester is a god!), etc. It's still one of my favorite albums, and has something new every time I listen to it. If Intronaut can keep up this streak, they'll be giants pretty soon. Buy it!