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| Song Title | Time | Price | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Play | 1. Old Days Born Anew | 5:37 | $0.99 |  |
| Play | 2. Sun's Architect | 5:16 | $0.99 | |
| Play | 3. Awake | 4:14 | $0.99 | |
| Play | 4. Laments Of An Icarus | 4:12 | $0.99 | |
| Play | 5. One Eye For A Thousand | 6:14 | $0.99 | |
| Play | 6. State Of Disobediance | 4:10 | $0.99 | |
| Play | 7. Storm Warning | 5:46 | $0.99 | |
| Play | 8. Messengers | 5:09 | $0.99 | |
| Play | 9. To Erase A Lifetime | 6:53 | $0.99 | |
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Textures seem to attract a good amount of hate for drawing influence from Meshuggah - a musical trait which appears to be enough in and of itself to condemn a band these days, for reasons which make little sense to me - and yet more hate for distilling that influence with crazy and never before heard things like atmospherics, melodies, and dynamics that move beyond the binary approach of "loud" and "slightly less loud". In a world where Cynic's Traced in Air is being hailed as the best death metal album of the millennium (what?), where Dream Theater is down to producing rehashed garbage that's being swallowed whole by fans who still consider them to be the greatest progressive metal band in existence, and where expressive bands like Unexpect are being spat on as the worst thing to ever happen to music... I am honestly not surprised. I suppose my tastes don't fall in line quite straight enough to write Textures off as just another casualty of the modern metal travesty, as it were.
The basic sound of textures isn't difficult to describe. One guitar plays a reasonably heavy and chugging riff, usually odd-timed, while another guitar either mimics the first throughout some of the heavier passages or soars overhead with airy, haunting, reverb and delay-laden melodic lines. There are keyboards, but there's no trace of any sort of keyboard lead - instead, the instrument is used to maintain an uncanny atmosphere which often borders on a feeling of bleak dystopia. As far as I can recall, the bass has never had much independence in this band, and that hasn't changed much on this album - it's still back there, doing its thing in line with the guitars and providing a deep bottom end. The drumming is beyond solid, as you would likely expect from any band that's even remotely associated with Meshuggah. However, it really needs to be said that Stef Broks has matured past simply mimicking the snare/bass polymetric style of Tomas Haake. His drumming is not nearly as mechanical or regimented, nor is it anywhere near as minimalistic or predictable. Stef's style of drumming is expectedly filled with myriad metric shifts and odd beats played at dizzying speeds with supreme accuracy, but the sense of sheer fury and conviction with which he slams his drums, his acute ear for dynamics, and his ability to craft an exciting atmosphere on account of his instrument alone are all things which help make this album, and this band, stand out from the legions of other Meshuggah imitators out there. The vocals are all over the place - most are done in a mid-range hardcore yell, though there are frequent episodes of melodic crooning and occasional lapses into low growls and high-pitched shrieks.
Instrumental work aside, the songwriting on this album can be hit or miss. The transition from raging sonic fury to soft-spoken melodic calm can be difficult to pull off successfully; the layering of these elements atop one another even more so - and this is where the band ultimately earns their moniker. There are, undeniably, moments of harsh failure on this album. "Awake" is more or less an awful song that starts off sounding like classic Devin Townsend, and then showcases exactly how not to do an extreme shift in dynamics and sort of just spirals downward from there until its unremarkable conclusion. The three songs which immediately follow "Awake" aren't bad, per se, but somewhat forgettable. Nothing particularly interesting happens, and in some ways they remind me of material off of the band's debut album Polars, only without the terrible vocals and with the musical ideas expanded to a degree - especially "Laments of an Icarus". I've never been a fan of Polars due to its rather generic and straightforward nature, so those songs didn't do much for me.
The remainder of the album more than makes up, however. The two songs which open the album, "Old Days Born Anew" and "The Sun's Architect" are both stellar pieces of music with interesting melodic interactions, frenzied rhythmic structures, some of the heaviest and most inventive guitars heard on a Textures track to date, and huge dynamic shifts which actually *work*. The latter half of "Old Days Born Anew" especially contains an excellent passage of slithering guitars, atmospheric keyboards, and shifting drums as vocalist Erik Kalsbeek softly sings - 'So long, my serenity - lost in a conversation - build these towers upside down - lost in this constellation' - and on the last his voice transforms into a pained yell as the music descends back into mechanized, metallic austerity. An awesome moment of music if I've ever heard one. "The Sun's Architect" reminds me a bit of The Ocean with its huge, chunky riffs, and crushing closing sequence. "Storm Warning", found somewhere towards the end of the album, brings to light the dichotomy of a slightly above average first half, and an extremely inspired and moving second half which could easily qualify as the best minutes of material on this entire disc. The vocal buildup, the surreal keyboards, the desolate guitars gently ringing against a frenetic wall of unbridled percussion... this song alone might be worth the price of admission, for me. Closing songs "Messengers" and "To Erase a Life Time" hold their own as well, with the former serving as a calm prelude to the explosive and frantic nature of the latter, which also contains some remarkable drum work.
All in all, Silhouettes is a mixed bag. There's definitely some filler material here, as well as some poorly put together material that could have been safely omitted altogether. However, there are more than a few moments of sweet clarity on this album where Textures put down music which, if fully realized and expanded upon, could turn them into one of the more interesting bands in modern metal.
I'll be looking forward to what they put out in the future.
The basic sound of textures isn't difficult to describe. One guitar plays a reasonably heavy and chugging riff, usually odd-timed, while another guitar either mimics the first throughout some of the heavier passages or soars overhead with airy, haunting, reverb and delay-laden melodic lines. There are keyboards, but there's no trace of any sort of keyboard lead - instead, the instrument is used to maintain an uncanny atmosphere which often borders on a feeling of bleak dystopia. As far as I can recall, the bass has never had much independence in this band, and that hasn't changed much on this album - it's still back there, doing its thing in line with the guitars and providing a deep bottom end. The drumming is beyond solid, as you would likely expect from any band that's even remotely associated with Meshuggah. However, it really needs to be said that Stef Broks has matured past simply mimicking the snare/bass polymetric style of Tomas Haake. His drumming is not nearly as mechanical or regimented, nor is it anywhere near as minimalistic or predictable. Stef's style of drumming is expectedly filled with myriad metric shifts and odd beats played at dizzying speeds with supreme accuracy, but the sense of sheer fury and conviction with which he slams his drums, his acute ear for dynamics, and his ability to craft an exciting atmosphere on account of his instrument alone are all things which help make this album, and this band, stand out from the legions of other Meshuggah imitators out there. The vocals are all over the place - most are done in a mid-range hardcore yell, though there are frequent episodes of melodic crooning and occasional lapses into low growls and high-pitched shrieks.
Instrumental work aside, the songwriting on this album can be hit or miss. The transition from raging sonic fury to soft-spoken melodic calm can be difficult to pull off successfully; the layering of these elements atop one another even more so - and this is where the band ultimately earns their moniker. There are, undeniably, moments of harsh failure on this album. "Awake" is more or less an awful song that starts off sounding like classic Devin Townsend, and then showcases exactly how not to do an extreme shift in dynamics and sort of just spirals downward from there until its unremarkable conclusion. The three songs which immediately follow "Awake" aren't bad, per se, but somewhat forgettable. Nothing particularly interesting happens, and in some ways they remind me of material off of the band's debut album Polars, only without the terrible vocals and with the musical ideas expanded to a degree - especially "Laments of an Icarus". I've never been a fan of Polars due to its rather generic and straightforward nature, so those songs didn't do much for me.
The remainder of the album more than makes up, however. The two songs which open the album, "Old Days Born Anew" and "The Sun's Architect" are both stellar pieces of music with interesting melodic interactions, frenzied rhythmic structures, some of the heaviest and most inventive guitars heard on a Textures track to date, and huge dynamic shifts which actually *work*. The latter half of "Old Days Born Anew" especially contains an excellent passage of slithering guitars, atmospheric keyboards, and shifting drums as vocalist Erik Kalsbeek softly sings - 'So long, my serenity - lost in a conversation - build these towers upside down - lost in this constellation' - and on the last his voice transforms into a pained yell as the music descends back into mechanized, metallic austerity. An awesome moment of music if I've ever heard one. "The Sun's Architect" reminds me a bit of The Ocean with its huge, chunky riffs, and crushing closing sequence. "Storm Warning", found somewhere towards the end of the album, brings to light the dichotomy of a slightly above average first half, and an extremely inspired and moving second half which could easily qualify as the best minutes of material on this entire disc. The vocal buildup, the surreal keyboards, the desolate guitars gently ringing against a frenetic wall of unbridled percussion... this song alone might be worth the price of admission, for me. Closing songs "Messengers" and "To Erase a Life Time" hold their own as well, with the former serving as a calm prelude to the explosive and frantic nature of the latter, which also contains some remarkable drum work.
All in all, Silhouettes is a mixed bag. There's definitely some filler material here, as well as some poorly put together material that could have been safely omitted altogether. However, there are more than a few moments of sweet clarity on this album where Textures put down music which, if fully realized and expanded upon, could turn them into one of the more interesting bands in modern metal.
I'll be looking forward to what they put out in the future.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Textures is one of those bands that has the uncanny ability of blending multiple styles to create a hybrid sound that is all their own. Sure, when listening to their latest offering 'Silhouettes' one can certainly pick out their influences or possibly even bands that the members of Textures are obsessed with (i.e Meshuggah, Strapping Young Lad, some Mike Patton etc), but no matter where they take their inspiration from one thing is sure, Textures are an amazing band that have proven three times now that they can write solid material.
Honestly, its really hard to classify 'Silhouettes', which is a rich tapestry of a variety of genres blended into one cohesive sound. One could try to classify it as Math Metal, since most of the compositions incorporate odd time signatures (not unlike Meshuggah and Gojira), but at the same time there are moments of serene vocals, atmospheric breakdowns, pop metal passages, prog rock sentiments, and even Pantera-like moments. 'Silhouettes' is both a rocker and a thinking man's album, in that there are enough metal moments to satisfy the hardest of headbanging mosh-pit loving fools, but also enough deep and intricate moments to satisfy the music geek as well.
Across the board, the music is stunning. Thunderous, epic and complex drum patterns lay the foundation while guitars chug along (in most cases in a very Meshuggah-like way) in complex riffage. Tracks like 'Old Days Born Anew' and 'The Sun's Architect' reek of complex guitar
Behind it all likes some great atmospherics reminiscent of Strapping Young Lad) that rise to the surface from time to time to provide breaks in the heaviness. I would preferred it if the bass guitar was featured more prominently, as in most songs its really hard to hear.
The vocals are probably the main thing that irritate me. While I truly love the clean vocals (which can emulate Mike Patton and Devin Townsend in a single song), the screams are a little too Pantera/Slipknot for me, though they are growing on me. One thing is for sure, the vocalist has range. His clean vocals are absolutely amazing; this boy can croon with the best of them, and every clean sung moment is a treasure.
As much as I do compare bands, I really hate to do it since most bands try to be original, but its undeniably clear that Textures LOVE Meshuggah. The guitar and drum compositions prove this more than anything. I almost picture Textures as a softer, more cohesive and less boring Meshuggah, with more variety, atmosphere and the occasional clean sung vocals, but make no mistake, Textures certainly hold their own and are fully capable of crafting epic tunes that bear their own signature, as well as some nods to some of Metals most influential bands.
Honestly, its really hard to classify 'Silhouettes', which is a rich tapestry of a variety of genres blended into one cohesive sound. One could try to classify it as Math Metal, since most of the compositions incorporate odd time signatures (not unlike Meshuggah and Gojira), but at the same time there are moments of serene vocals, atmospheric breakdowns, pop metal passages, prog rock sentiments, and even Pantera-like moments. 'Silhouettes' is both a rocker and a thinking man's album, in that there are enough metal moments to satisfy the hardest of headbanging mosh-pit loving fools, but also enough deep and intricate moments to satisfy the music geek as well.
Across the board, the music is stunning. Thunderous, epic and complex drum patterns lay the foundation while guitars chug along (in most cases in a very Meshuggah-like way) in complex riffage. Tracks like 'Old Days Born Anew' and 'The Sun's Architect' reek of complex guitar
Behind it all likes some great atmospherics reminiscent of Strapping Young Lad) that rise to the surface from time to time to provide breaks in the heaviness. I would preferred it if the bass guitar was featured more prominently, as in most songs its really hard to hear.
The vocals are probably the main thing that irritate me. While I truly love the clean vocals (which can emulate Mike Patton and Devin Townsend in a single song), the screams are a little too Pantera/Slipknot for me, though they are growing on me. One thing is for sure, the vocalist has range. His clean vocals are absolutely amazing; this boy can croon with the best of them, and every clean sung moment is a treasure.
As much as I do compare bands, I really hate to do it since most bands try to be original, but its undeniably clear that Textures LOVE Meshuggah. The guitar and drum compositions prove this more than anything. I almost picture Textures as a softer, more cohesive and less boring Meshuggah, with more variety, atmosphere and the occasional clean sung vocals, but make no mistake, Textures certainly hold their own and are fully capable of crafting epic tunes that bear their own signature, as well as some nods to some of Metals most influential bands.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
First of all, I'd like to acknowledge Boris for writing an excellent critique of this album of which I would've found agreeable when I first heard this album. Having listened to this album since its overseas release, though, it has grown on me to the extent of a 5-star rating (though it didn't take long for it to do as such).
Off the bat, I have to say my least favorite songs are, "One Eye for a Thousand" and, "State of Disobedience." I absolutely agree with Boris in that these songs have somewhat of a generic feel that serve as filler, but I suppose that opinion depends on how familiar you are with this band and with the genre in general. Both songs have passages in them that are quite worthy, but it's difficult for me not to tune the songs out or hit the fast-forward button while awaiting to hear those parts. These aren't bad songs, they just seem a bit generic.
That being said, I absolutely love this album as a whole. It doesn't seem to flow quite as well as Drawing Circles did, but that's alright. There are some days where I just want to listen to, "Awake," "Messengers," and, "To Erase a Lifetime" since they're the most mellow of the bunch (though they do have their heavy passages as well).
I would have to say this album is an even further progression towards time-aware song composition. Nothing comes off as experimental on this album, but rather, refined. These guys definitely solidify themselves as their own element with this album, though I feel they did as such with Drawing Circles. Production is excellent on this album and the vocalist has definitely grown in technique and matured as a singer. When listening to this album for a while and going back to Drawing Circles, you definitely notice the growth in his vocals and production.
This album is absolutely a mixed bag and there is no comparison necessary to any other band. This album definitely has something for everyone. In regards to composition and feel, I would have to say my favorite song is, "Messengers." By far. That song is so powerful to me in emotional context, composition, and meaning. All-in-all, buy this album. You won't be disappointed!
Off the bat, I have to say my least favorite songs are, "One Eye for a Thousand" and, "State of Disobedience." I absolutely agree with Boris in that these songs have somewhat of a generic feel that serve as filler, but I suppose that opinion depends on how familiar you are with this band and with the genre in general. Both songs have passages in them that are quite worthy, but it's difficult for me not to tune the songs out or hit the fast-forward button while awaiting to hear those parts. These aren't bad songs, they just seem a bit generic.
That being said, I absolutely love this album as a whole. It doesn't seem to flow quite as well as Drawing Circles did, but that's alright. There are some days where I just want to listen to, "Awake," "Messengers," and, "To Erase a Lifetime" since they're the most mellow of the bunch (though they do have their heavy passages as well).
I would have to say this album is an even further progression towards time-aware song composition. Nothing comes off as experimental on this album, but rather, refined. These guys definitely solidify themselves as their own element with this album, though I feel they did as such with Drawing Circles. Production is excellent on this album and the vocalist has definitely grown in technique and matured as a singer. When listening to this album for a while and going back to Drawing Circles, you definitely notice the growth in his vocals and production.
This album is absolutely a mixed bag and there is no comparison necessary to any other band. This album definitely has something for everyone. In regards to composition and feel, I would have to say my favorite song is, "Messengers." By far. That song is so powerful to me in emotional context, composition, and meaning. All-in-all, buy this album. You won't be disappointed!
Most Recent Customer Reviews
textures=value for money
a very nice record from textures, a record that needs some listening time until you reach the decision that there are no fillers here, only killer stuff. Read more
Published 9 months ago by the_flashbulb
Textures' Silhouettes cd
I got this for my brother- he's a hardcore fan of this band and says he highly recommends this for any fans of progressive metal.
Published 12 months ago by mortal118
Technical metal with subtleties
I find a lot of technical metal pretentious. The compositions and performances often exist for the sole purpose of showcasing just how talented the band members are. Read more
Published on March 5, 2010 by Jamie
Decent for a technical metal album (3.5/5 Stars)
Textures likes to explore a path that was started by Meshuggah and further explored or defined by the works of bands like Gojira, Cynic, and Soilwork. Read more
Published on September 21, 2009 by Mike
Outstanding, progressive, heavy!
What a great album! The song writing is beautiful and emotive and there is no imbalance in the mix or contributions from each band member. Read more
Published on September 18, 2009 by James W. Matson
5-Stars for Every Outlet of This Album
Since this album has 2 different paths of being obtained, I wanted to rate it 5-stars here as I did with my actual review which can be found here:... Read more
Published on March 5, 2009 by Stephen
Potentially the best album I've ever heard!
If your like your music one dimensional then Textures aren't for you.
What we have here is a skillful exploration in modern progressive metal, striking the perfect balance... Read more
What we have here is a skillful exploration in modern progressive metal, striking the perfect balance... Read more
Published on August 5, 2008 by D. Hargreaves
Textures delivers on their promises
Textures is, unfortunately, a band that must be taken in context of all their previous efforts. Each subsequent release is an evolution or refinement of their core sound; "Polars"... Read more
Published on April 28, 2008 by Evan Butler
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