Superball

There are few bands named as appropriately as this five-piece prog-metal ensemble from Manchester. Built on the wall-of-sound principle with guitar, more guitar, more guitar, generous synthesizers, and then some more guitar, the compositions rarely run less than six minutes long, and all aim for climactic peaks that convey release and pain at the same time. Lead singer Mike Vennart explores dark and emotional topics with his clear but muscular tenor, somehow expressing the anger of a punk frontman without ever losing the melodic thread of his soaring vocal lines. Lead guitarist Gambler has a signature style that’s not unlike Edge in double-time, ringing the strings in alternating patterns for a loud music box effect that keeps the beat as Mark Heron explores more time signatures than you can shake a baton at. This latest effort’s compositions are more straightforward than the sublime experimentation of Effloresce, but less pop-bound than the sophomore effort of Everyone Into Position. It’s music that will appeal equally to fans of Marillion or Tool, and especially touch the pleasure center of those who like operatic levels of drama in their ear-bleeding metal.

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