Amogh Symphony. This project need no introduction to the underground metalheads, shred-geeks and intelligent students. The founder/guitarist/one-man army Vishal J.Singh is back with his second album called "The Quantum Hack Code". I have been listening to this masterpiece album from the past 3 weeks and what i have realized is - You seriously need these 3 things to listen and enjoy this album - brain, patience and focus . This is probably the deepest record i have ever heard from a progressive metal band or artist...EVER.
It took me a whole week to think "what should i write about this album?" There is a specific reviewer for every goddamn thing on this planet. When we talk about genre like Tech death, Progressive metal, Jazz, Psy-trance, Thrash etc, we know what comes in the mind first. Hence, the review is somewhat a clearer and mixed mirror of the masses and fans. But in this case, it's like writing about something that humanity is unaware of. The "Quantum Hack Code" experience. Let me say, it wasn't an experience.....it was a quest. I completely forgot my existence when i was deep inside this album. The Quantum Hack Code clearly tells how intelligent, versatile and deep Vishal's mind is. This 24 years old Indian man is a pure genius.
The whole album is like a Hollywood movie or fiction attached with the Soundtrack. If you think it's just a sci-fi concept, you are totally wrong. The album consists of narrations by Chela Harper. Now first of all, who is she? Chela is a Canadian born Singer/Guitarist/Composer who is known for her solo project Sarasvati. Her deep and serious voice visualizes the dark and distorted images of the World without Sun, Sky and Air. The background music scores and sound effects behind Chela's possessed-like narration were created by Vishal J.Singh. Extreme post-processing, multi layering and automation of synth fx and sounds followed by symphonic arrangement is something you will never expect in a concept album. Together, they create the darkened atmosphere of machines on human target and Mankind in Coma. And above all, the concept and narrations are written by Vishal himself.
The Quantum Hack Code starts with a 1 minute Intro narration with an extreme low end string sustained. If you don't listen to the words she is saying, you can't understand the fucking album. Yes, i am serious.
I don't want to write a long and boring review on this album because it's pointless. You seriously need to listen to this record for at least 100 times and i am sure that even after 1ooth listen, still you will be fucking clueless like me. You can call this album whatever you want. Post-metal, post-djent, hybrid metal, tech death, experimental metal.....whatever. But this album crossed every boundaries. Oh no....hold on...It's confirmed - This album is "Post" of everything that ever happened in the history of progressive metal. Some of the most creative and unheard guitar chops from Vishal are recorded in the songs. Heavily based on advanced tapping and an unknown technique called "sweep harmonic" that sounds like a cyborg screaming, the guitar riffs in this album will teach all the other metal guitar players an important lesson - "chuggah chuggah" or 'djun djun" is a child's play. If you can make your guitar sound like a machine or a screaming android, you know you are not normal anymore. How do super guitar heroes treat their seven string axes? Vishal will show you. And talking about the chops, the songs also contains soulful flamenco/latin jazz acoustic guitar work along with kinky funk picking. It will be a hilariously understatement if we label Vishal as "Shredder" because he is not just into speed picking. Notorious, guttural sounding and angry overdrived complicated funk slap bass gives a rhythmic quest inside the brain. It sounds like a cyborg is gargling tiny nails in his throat. After a week of observation, i was totally mind-fucked. Couldn't write anything on him. So i ended up everything and finally I came up with this -
Allan Holdsworth's modes + John Frusciante's funk picking hand + Ron Jarjombek's riffing + Paco De Lucia's erotic fingers + John Mayer's blues vibrato + Fredrik Thordendal's composition + Mark King's slapping hands + Aphex Twin's knowledge = Vishal J.Singh in "The Quantum Hack Code".
Drummer Jim Richman's remote hi hat to ride and mad polyrhythm and double bass work in this album made me realized that when you have a monster drummer like him, nothing is impossible. The groove in "Osiris 1" is something that many drummers will shit in their pants before attempting to learn it. Incredible range of dynamics in his playing. I would like to add that the way Vishal kept the dynamics in the drum-mix so natural like a jazz set is impressive as hell. Normally it doesn't work in a metal production, but this is ridiculously awesome. The best way to define Jim is - Tomas Haake's bass drum work + Vinnie Colaiuta's improvisation + Marco Minemann's metronome masturbation + Trilok Gurtu's ride work. This is one drummer after Gene Hoglan who don't need the same old boring hyperblast-beats to sound great. Weird, he sounds like a man with four arms.
The synth layering and arrangement in this album is top class. Shitload of automation, filtering, panning and reverse layering in the synth arrangement. There are electronic percussion grooves as well which gives a duality vision when drummer Jim Richman enters with his inhuman "live" polyrhythmic drum shredding. A fact - Jim also plays Piano. In some songs, Vishal's unique shred chops are totally locked and in-sync with Jim's drum chops and they sound like two men with one common brain and there is absolutely no stupid MIDI Quantization that you normally hear in every "Djent" band or artist. If you are a music programmer or techie dude, you know what i mean. Excellent mix and production by Vishal, "Un-brickwalled" and "Anti-loud" mastering by Aditya Naik from H.E.A.T Studio. Analog meets Digital at it's best.
This album is the future. The Quantum Hack Code is a Code to reveal the creative soul inside you if you are a musician. This is probably the best metal record you will ever hear from India. If you want to have a combined entertainment of a Chris Nolan flick and a Meshuggah record, this album is for you.
Visit them at http://www.soundcloud.com/amoghsymphony
http://www.facebook.com/amoghsymphony
http://www.myspace.com/mohenjadaro
http://www.youtube.com/amoghsymphony
They have posted the direct link for pre-order. Go to http://www.platinumsellingartist.com
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