Screetus is a progressive metal outfit born out of the green city of Bengaluru, India, all set to redefine standards in the Indian prog metal scene, with their haunting melodies, and expert storytelling. Drawing inspiration from genre-defining bands like Tool, Opeth, just to name a few, they set a new high bar for themselves on their latest album, “Into The Ether”– keep reading for my thoughts!
You say the names Tool and Opeth in one sentence, and you have my attention; having grown up with these two bands, it sure did strike me the right way when I read about it– quite a bar to be setting for themselves, I thought, and the apprehension all seemed to go away when I gave the album a spin. My, what an intro in “Slipstream”. Filled with sections that walk the delicate line between power and complexity, this track is filled with clean vocals, complex meter changes, and Screetus’ distinctive melodic sound; and sets the stage excellently well for the rest of the album.
In typical progressive rock fashion, the songs on this album do not shy away from being opa over 7 minutes long each, save for the closer, still a solid four minutes and change long, with the longest number being “A Beckoning, Pt. II: Into The Ether”, the title track of sorts, coming in at an epic-length 10 plus minutes. In typical Tool fashion, each of these songs is a journey through myriad emotions each expressed so strongly that it seems to make time fly by– and I mean that as one of the best compliments an artist can ever receive.
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“Alone”, the second track from “Into The Ether”, leans on its use of the basses and the acoustic guitar, with the gentle crunch guitars in the background in the elaborate, meticulous instrumental sections; with Abhishek Sikdar coming in with his great vocals, and a solo that I struggle to describe as anything but evocative, emotionally powerful, and expertly executed; while the third track, “Torn”, starts out with a slow, building drum part that gradually expands into the whole ensemble of instruments, creating a warm blanket of sound that envelops you in just the right ways.
“A Beckoning, Pt.I: Through The Mirror” introduces Amy Khazadoor on guest vocals, with some rather groundbreaking work happening in the percussion department courtesy of Vishnu Venugopal on the drums, with the choices of instrument reminding me of Danny Carey on “Fear Inoculum”– and the rest of the ensemble keeps up, and keeps up excellently.
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The production work on the album is, in one word, masterful– with the seamless chemistry between the vocals, the guitars, the basses, and the drums translating into a product in “Into The Ether” that once listened to, will never get put away into back catalog; this is the kind of album that one keeps coming back to– and it is an album I’ll keep coming back to, like I still do on “Lateralus”, 13 years after I first listened to it. Master class, really! Bravo, Screetus 🙂
Check out “Into The Ether” by Screetus here:
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