Thankfully there are still bands around that refuse to be defined by any one genre. On Habitual Levitations (Instilling Words With Tones), Intronaut proves that they are defiantly one of those bands. Despite mixing genres effortlessly with some metal here, classic rock there, jazz over there, and a little prog for good measure here, Intronaut’s music never sees the band being anything if not consistent.
Opening with “Killing Birds With Stones” and a killer riff that menaces immediately Intronaut quickly establishes that with this band, nothing is as it ever seems as they time change and morph “Killing…” into a completely different song barely a few minutes in. It’s this kind of dynamic that makes it easy to see why Intronaut have toured with everyone from Tool and Helmet to Mastodon and Meshuggah. Speaking of the math metal titans, if there was ever a doubt that the LA natives didn’t belong on that tour then one listen to the syncopated madness of “The Welding” would easily dispel any doubt.
Think of each Intronaut composition as its own musical journey and Dunable, Timnick, Lester, and Walker as your esteemed storytellers. Joe Lester and Danny Walker weave these intense bass and drum tales (“Steps”) while Sacha Dunable and Dave Timnick craft these fine guitar sounds that pummel your ears one moment only to pleasure them the next (“Milk Leg”).
If you’re a heavy music fan with a broad range of tastes then Intronaut is a a band you need to know about. For the already informed, Habitual Levitations is a mystical and magical aural experience that will stay with you long after the last note has faded away.
Habitual Levitations is out on March 19th through Century Media. Order yours here.
Grade: A