Progressive death metal is a niche genre in the grand scheme of things but its effect on the greater pantheon of music is undeniable as it helped bridge the gap between some of the most technically demanding and experimental genres in music: death metal, jazz and so much more. The Aggressive Progressive tour is the showcase of where the genre began with the likes of Cynic and how it evolved and inspired modern acts like Daath, Beyond Creation and Rivers of Nihil who came together to create an astonishing bill.
Daath was the first band on the lineup and they leaned more towards melodic death metal than all the others on the lineup but that doesn’t mean they weren’t complex and heavy. Their sound can be described as a sort of death metal Dimmu Borgir with symphonic elements peppered throughout their set.
The guitar work from Rafael Trujilo is absolutely stellar with tracks like ‘No Rest No End’ showing a melodic yet technically impressive side of the band made up of gigantic sweeps and percussive picking that could be heard on the opposite side of the room. There’s a clear black metal influence on tracks like ‘Unwelcome Return,’ a track that features that classic black metal style tremolo picking riffing albeit with a much cleaner approach.
Daath were one of the most energetic bands of the night and focused more on creating a lively atmosphere as frontman Sean Zatorsky patrolled the stage making Meshuggah faces and even starting mosh pits towards the end of the set. There’s a distinct difference between Daath and the rest of the bill, they opt for a swift punch in the face as opposed to the prog approach of death by a thousand cuts.
Beyond Creation came next, and there was a much bigger emphasis on progressive songwriting as opposed to the technical precision of Daath’s set. The songs were much longer, with a 30-minute set containing just four songs, but you could tell that these arrangements were slaved over in the writing process. The rehearsals were gruelling because Beyond Creation were air tight.
The opening tapping riffs of ‘Algorythm’ displayed a band at the peak of their abilities as musicians and the ability to recreate it so faithfully from the album so cleanly is nothing short of miraculous, it’s a constantly evolving monster of a song. The fretless bass is a brilliant instrument that takes skill to play well and bassist, Hugo Doyon Karout, does a brilliant job during the more atmospheric borderline shoegaze segments but of course this is assisted by an amazing mix.
Back in 2014, ‘The Aura’ was one of my go-to tech death albums with tracks like ‘The Deported’ getting regular listens as I admired the brilliant musicianship as I’d only just recently begun my journey as a guitar player. It was a full circle moment hearing ‘Coexistence’ and ‘Omnipresent Perception’ in a live setting surrounded by others who also greatly appreciated just how impressive all of this was. The evolution of these songs was unpredictable upon first listen and seeing just how technical these tracks were inspired me to continue to be a better musician once again.
Next up was the blueprint for all technical death metal and a true titan of extreme metal, Cynic. Every single band on this lineup can consider Cynic’s debut album, Focus, an influence because it’s where all of this started. They’re a band that I’ve been desperate to experience live for many years but it was a bit of a Monkey’s Paw wish for me.
Vocalist/guitarist Paul Masvidal had been experiencing trouble with his vocals due to long-standing health problems and opted to perform a largely instrumental set. This made for a unique set as Masvidal explained “the notes tell the story too”, the jazz fusion-themed drumming of Nunc Fluens from the incredibly talented Matt Lynch led into the gorgeous chord phrasing and clean guitar work of ‘The Space for This’ and it becomes abundantly clear what he means.
Despite the jazz fusion background, ‘Everything’ feels intentional and purposeful and you can tell that all of this music means a great deal to each individual member of the band. You’d expect Cynic to be a stoic and reserved band the fact that Masvidal got on his knees Guitar Hero style during the intense solo from ‘Infinite Shapes’ and the trade-off segments of ‘In a Multiverse Where Atoms Sing’ feature trade-off solos from Masvidal and Max Phelps which are just as intricate and impressive.
It would have been nice to have heard more from Focus, the exclusion of ‘How Could I’ feels like borderline heresy, but Manchester still got to experience ‘Textures’ in all its serene glory. It’s a hypnotic track that undulates and shifts like an infinite ocean (see what I did there?). There may not be many more chances to experience Cynic in Manchester but if this was the only possible instance, then it was totally worth the wait. The band finished with the ominous chords and jaw-dropping alternate-picked attack of ‘Evolutionary Sleeper’. Fortunately, there were still some clean vocals meaning Manchester could experience the iconic vocoder effects if only for a little while.
Cynic left the stage rather quietly and after a short break, Rivers of Nihil entered the stage in their dashing suits and began a brilliant assault in the form of ‘Sub Orbital Blues’ which has this ethereal tone which has this oppressively dark tone which is made all the more abrasive with its crushing chugs and mid-tempo stomping riffs. It’s hard to properly define how a Rivers of Nihil track feels but once you feel it, it’s euphoric.
The show continued with even more crushing riffs surrounded by a sense of impending doom in the form of ‘This Silent Life’. The slow chugging leads into the first appearance of saxophone player, Patrick Corona, who really adds a lot to the Rivers of Nihil sound and helps make them stand out amongst the legions of other tech death bands that sing about their place in the universe. You can argue that it’s a gimmick but even so, it’s a damn good gimmick.
It’s strange to say that a band in a live setting can give you this otherworldly feeling when you’re in such a grounded and deliberate place. Tracks like ‘Episode’ feel like they would fit perfectly being played over a loudspeaker on the streets of Silent Hill. There’s an unmistakable darkness and sense of dread that permeates through these tracks that sticks with you and the low moody lighting certainly helps with that tone.
While the doom-laden tone is present throughout, there’s still time for true death metal insanity with the grinding riffs of ‘Hellbirds’ and the utterly monstrous vocals from Adam Biggs on ‘Home,’ which acts as a true demonstration of the power of progressive death metal. ‘Home’ features guitar solos that sound like they were performed on a Hammond Organ or some other 70s prog rock staple keyboard as well as absurd bass tapping from vocalist Adam Biggs which speaks to just how talented he is. If you can perform any of this while singing, you must be a master at your instrument.
The set ended with ‘Where Owls Know My Name,’ the title track from one of the most important extreme metal albums of the 2010s. It’s very easy to understand why this album was groundbreaking, there’s really nothing quite like it, it’s a slow burn that takes some time to properly kick in but it’s so easy to get lost in. The same can be said about the encore track, ‘Clean,’ which features a surprisingly catchy hook that devolves into pure animalistic chaos. It’s like a siren song leading ships to their annihilation, a beautiful melody that leads to utter destruction and devastation.
The show ended with the audience having experienced every note conceivable by the human ear in just a short amount of time as well as witnessing some of the best touring musicians in the world, for the cost of a fairly affordable ticket too. A bill like this shows off so much talent in just one evening so it’s not surprising that shows like this are starting to become more common in smaller genres like our beloved progressive death metal. Please continue to support the scene so we can have more like this in the future.
