Deep Limbic System, meaning: one of the oldest parts of the mammalian brain, was formed in Mexico in 2012 and two years later the band released their debut EP The Embryo. Their new release called Katharsi features eight new tracks highlighting obvious influences from bands like Riverside, Anathema, Porcupine Tree and even Pink Floyd, as the music is very intense, aggressive, dark, melancholic, and atmospheric indeed. Katharsi starts with the short opening track Days, which has a gentle melody filled with acoustic, melancholic guitar playing, but also with very dark lyrics. Follow up Regression is a completely different story as it features some spacy guitar solos, reminding me of Eloy and Pink Floyd, but also some heavy riffs which remind me of Riverside and Porcupine Tree in their early days. Furthermore, this song, just as the rest of the album, is based on heavy keys and complex rhythm structures, making it particularly challenging for the listeners to like it at first hearing. Umbral, the longest track of the album, is also the most ambitious track of Katharsi, as the evoking tempos make your head spin, while the intro of this song is 100% cinematic, psychedelic rock indeed, the song evolves into a Riverside-like epic with even jazz/blues-like elements and the flute passage is truly wonderful here. Umbral, which is Spanish for Threshold, by the way, is THE highlight of this album, a real prog rock experience indeed. The album ends with Omega, another progressive rock epic, however, for me, the too long acoustic middle section and the rather out of place saxophone solo "spoil" this song a bit ... Overall, I can say that Deep Limbic System has made a great album, an album that grows with each listen and Katharsi is definitely a must for fans of classic progressive rock (Genesis, Pink Floyd, King Crimson) as well as fans of Steven Wilson's work, Opeth and Riverside. Listening tip: The Chaotic Frenzy Of The Mind. **** Martien Koolen (edited by Tracy van Os van den Abeelen) Where to buy? |
