The Contortionist - Language (2014)

Ladies and gents, I present to you 2014's best prog album. The addition to the band of Mike Lessard from Last Chance to Reason gave The Contortionist a chance to both reimagine and improve their sound. They started out as good progressive metalcore band on "Exoplanet," moving to a great band on "Intrinsic," as they incorporated more prog-rock elements. Here on "Language" they've once again upped their game and delivered something that prove them as a force to be reckoned with.

The thing that stuck out to me the most on my first was just how integrated and seamless this album feels. "Intrinsic" is a collection of great songs, but this album has a narrative quality that makes it all the more cohesive and impressive. But the single-best element here are the crystal clear, jaw-dropping vocal performance given by Lessard. The end of "Ebb and Flow," "Intuition"...I could go on and on about all the memorable vocal lines here.

The instrumentation is top-notch too. The futuristic, cosmic vibe is reminiscent of Cynic, Scale the Summit, and post-rock. The riffs can be a bit too staccato at times, but as this is a vocal-oriented album, they don't stray too far from the main plot. The play-off between heavy and light keeps things extremely dynamic, and it doesn't feel at all forced.  

"Language" is an incredible accomplishment for this young band. Much more than their previous two albums, this one emotionally resonates with me in a way that few prog metal albums have. With Lessard at the helm and the band's forward-thinking musical vision, things are looking very bright indeed for the next Contortionist album.

9.5/10