Syzygy - Prominence (2000)

We tend to toss genre names around a bit these days. One of the genres of metal that is the hardest to truly define is Progressive metal, and it is certainly open to vast degrees of personal interpretation. Prog Metal bands have some generally recognisable charactistics, and since this is the first review of a clearly definable prog band, allow me the indulgence of attempting to put them into some form of cohesive list:

Progmetal bands have:

1. a tendency to create long songs with lengthy instrumental passages, and often with a more obvious complexity than more contempory forms of Metal. Attention to detail and the feel of "telling a tale" or crafting a journey rather than thrashing away is another Progmetal characteristic. Lyrics frequently stray far from the traditional Metal lyrics content driven by the darker aspects of life, and can be uplifting, mystical and even fantastic in nature.
   
   
2. leanings towards creating songs that consist of different parts or movements more like classical rather than structured verse/chorous style. The classical influence shows in the choice of notes, chord structuring and tempo also, but more than anything in the almost arbitrary use of keyboards, which are generally used to spectactular effect.
   
   
3. a love of experimentation in the use of diverse and/or complicated rhythms, or an abundance of changes. Despite this, changes in songs seem to be written with an organic flow rather than jarring changes.
   
   
4. a high standard of musicianship when compared to other genres, possibly because the need for instrumental clarity prevents sloppiness being lost in the mix. The fact is, many virtuosos and musican geniuses tend to use prog metal as their vehicle to display their talents, driving the bar ever higher. Vocals are another facet of this, with most prog bands having singers of absurd vocal ability and range, albeit normally in a much less abrasive or heavy capicity as the vocals of the heavier genres.
   
   
5. a lack of cooperation with any set of strictures governing Metal as a music form. There is no adherance to heaviness for a start, leaving many to question the blurred boundry between progrock and progmetal. Is is not uncommon for Progmetal bands to borrow and explore music from non-metal genres and even take inspiration from the sounds of ethnic and religious groups.

Using these guidelines to define progressive Metal, I would say that "Prominence" by Syzygy is about as Progmetal as a band can be.

Syzygy as a live entity was a very, very tight band, and this translates onto the CD flawlessly. Not a particularly heavy band or album, they are labelled as a metal band because that is the closest way to decribe their music, which is a strange and sort of dreamy melange of sounds with an underlying heavy edge to it. This sort of music is going to reach everyone a bit differently, to me it sounds like the music playing in the background of an undersea documentary, or the soundtrack of a sci-fi Manga cartoon. Not dominated by any particular instrument, "Prominence" is 40 minutes of constantly shifting, morphing, regenerating and yet somehow flowing material. Even in a genre that defines itself by nonconformity, Syzygy go further by dispensing with vocals altogether and making every song an instrumental, a move guaranteed to make them even less commercial and harder to mentally get your head around. "Prominence" sounds to my ears like a heavier version of an album by Toto or Asia from the early 80s without the vocals, and since they were superbands formed from masters of their individual instruments that comparison is rather apt, as musician-wise, Syzygy may have been one of the most talented bands Perth has spawned.

The guitars flail around with the extremely precise fingerwork and slick leads that you would expect, single note hyper-accurate picking and mathmatical efficiency. Andro and Jarred skate down that line between galloping rhythms, classical epic-ness and cheesy licks, it's a rare sounding music like a cross between Vivaldi and Annihilator. Frequently dropping the distortion and softening the abrasive tone of the guitar with the use of reverb and other effects, the guitars are stripped of much of their heaviness but still inspiring and polished to a sheen. In song 5 "Atmosphere" the guitars take on a more dominant role in the music and there are some moments that border on brilliance.

Keyboards are doubly clever in that they not only played extremely well, but used also to provide the basswork of the CD, because I could be wrong but I don't remember Syzygy having a bassist. Mili faces the limitation this places on him by recklessly darting between holding the song together with chords and making the keys the dominant force. One of the few keyboard players I have ever found worthy of studying as he performed, he plays with an accuracy that I have never mastered, and never will.

Drums are precision perfect, and played with an eye to supporting the instruments rather than just hammering away at breakneck speed. We all know what Damo can do behind a kit, so it is somewhat suprising that on this CD he is fairly sedate, giving only what is needed and showing a restraint that few drummers seem to be able to achieve. When he does unload, there are majestic passages of fericious footwork like at the start of song 6 "flight 537", but he proves on this CD that drums don't have to be 9 million beats a minute to sound cool, displaying a modesty that many young drummers have to learn.

I found it a bit hard to process this CD, I had to get through the entire album 4 times before my brain stopped waiting for the singing that would never come, but once I got used to it I found myself glad, I would prefer NO vocals to some of the munted high-pitched catawauling on many progmetal albums that I have heard. I also had to shut down my "angry chip", which is never easy for me, but again after the fourth time through I was able to get past it a bit. Those of you who are fortunate enough to lack this personality flaw should have no trouble getting into this CD.

Those of you who missed seeing Syzygy live may yet get another chance one day, there have been rumours of reunion shows. In the years since it's release, bands like Kamelot, Dream Theatre and Symphony X were to give such music as this some true recognition, but in Perth in 2000 "Providence" was still some pretty groundbreaking stuff and is still well worth grabbing a copy if you can find one.

Review by Jez.