Ever since I discovered Intronaut on their jaunt supporting Mastodon in May 2009, I have become quite a fan. Their previous record Prehistoricisms was a complex post metal record that was one of the best records of the last decade. On Valley Of Smoke, Intronaut continues to make complex post metal thats kicks a whole lot of ass.Valley Of Smoke is one of those rare records that is progressive and gorgeous, but is also heavy and crushing. The perfect example of the two sides of Intronaut blending together is album opener "Elegy". "Elegy" starts off with a groovy riff and descends into a really pretty mid section, then back to ear-crushing heaviness. Valley Of Smoke is full of seamless transistions that really add a complex layer to things.
Valley Of Smoke as a whole is more progressive than previous Intronaut records. I think this a great move by Intronaut. Their progressive sections are truly gorgeous. Along with these progressive sections, come more clean vocals. The clean vocals do take a couple of listens to get used to, but they fit perfectly with the music and I commend them for using more of them. Yet another winning element of Valley Of Smoke, is the enhanced focus on the rhythm section. Intronaut has always had great bass and drum work and its great to see that come even further into the forefront on this record. The instrumental title track is one hell of an accomplishment with the bass and drums being so promient and creating such a killer groove.
Valley Of Smoke is a progressive metal wonder. Intronaut, once again proves they are prog/post metal behemoths. This is a mighty beast of a record that is equal parts progessive and heavy. Intronaut has this type of metal down to a science and its such a pleasure to listen to their records. I don't know if Valley Of Smoke is on par with Prehistoricisms quite yet, still it's one hell of a record. Valley Of Smoke is a must-listen for any prog metal fan and Intronaut is a band that needs to be more well known.
4.5/5 Stars
Standout Tracks
1.Elegy
2.Core Releations
3.Valley Of Smoke
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