A very well made and played album.
There’s not much info out there on Implosion, a progressive metal band from Greece who have spent two years making this, their oddly titled debut. They certainly live up to the twin ideas of ‘progressive’ and ‘metal’, though, unleashing long songs full of introspective, poetic lyrics held together by chugging guitars and meandering instrumentals. All this culminates in the final track ‘Redemption’, a seventeen minute epic that makes absolutely no sense at all in the time honoured prog tradition.
The main drawback with this album is the vocals, provided by keyboard player Tasos. You feel that the weighty lyrics need someone with a bit more gravitas, and Tasos has a voice that is only just up to the job. He’s not a bad singer by any means, but I just wasn’t gripped by his delivery. There really is a lot to be proud of here, mainly the beautiful instrumental sections that throw Tasos’ keyboards to the fore to duel with the punchy guitars. It’s here that Implosion reminded me of a more metal version of IQ, which is not a bad thing at all. ‘Lucidity In Quietus’ is a very well made and played album that should find a home in the heart of anyone who likes their prog to have a big set of metal balls tacked onto it.
Alan Holloway