JohnnyB
From the very beginning of “Hypnagogia” Turbulence prove to be a trip through the unexpected, while still maintaining elements of progressive rock and metal that will allow fans of the genre to love them. In one moment the band can show master craftsmanship in carving out very beautiful music, and in the next they can be doing something completely off the wall. With that said let me say that if you dig Dream Theater then you will probably love Turbulence.
The primary musical minds behind the band, Alain Ibrahim on guitar and Mood Yassin on keyboards manage to make a great use of flying guitars and symphonic keyboards to build suspense, as can be heard in the second track “Richardson’s Nightmare”, and Yassin does a good job handling piano runs on “Never Let Me Go”. Although ballad, that track also features what Ibrahim is capable of as it features guitar solos that fit the song perfectly.
Owmar El Hage’s voice is a musical instrument and many times he adds fantastically to the album when blending so thoroughly with the music, but there are certainly moments where I wished he stood out a bit more. Despite this, I’d say Owmar does a very good job throughout the record, especially on longer held notes in which he maintains power in a very nice way.
The final track, “Disequilibrium” showcases both Turbulence’s ability to write longer, diverse, and ever changing songs and their ability to simply create musical excellence. Although the entire thirteen minutes of the track is amazing the chorus stands out to me as the highlight of the album. It’s also amazing how well the final lines of the verses merge themselves perfectly into the chorus. After all the beauty that is the first eight or so minutes of the song it’s amazing how well the band can transition into crazy and then later back into something softer and soothing. And although this song may be the best example of it there is evidence of it all around the album.
Musically this album is a complete gem, and come the end of the year I doubt I’ll find a new act with a debut album as promising as this one. From a production standpoint, I’d say the album sounds great. If you live in Lebanon and have a chance to see these guys, you should, and if you live anywhere in the world you should buy this album.