PROTOTYPE — Catalyst (review)

PROTOTYPE — Catalyst album cover Album · 2012 · Progressive Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
4.5/5 ·
Time Signature
The chosen ones...

Genre: melodic thrash metal with progressive tendencies

Having never heard prototype before, this is my acquaintance with the band, so I do not know what their previous releases sound like. The band is slated as a progressive metal band, and the music on "Catalyst" is definitely progressively oriented, but it strikes me as being more of a melodic power-thrash metal album than a vanilla progressive metal album.

Anyway, genres aside, "Catalyst" is definitely a very good album, I think, featuring catchy vocal melodies on top of aggressive and groovy guitar riffs. The progressive tendencies of Prototype are primarily reflected in dynamic song structures that juxtapose melodic clean-guitared sections and thrashy sections as well as changes in time signature - with some passages being odd-metered. The guitar leads are melodic and technically advanced, but, other than that, we are not dealing with technical thrash metal. Still, the songs on this album are sophisticated and could easily fit into a progressive metal-themed playlist featuring music from Dream theater, Fates Warning, Queensrÿche,, Psychotic Waltz and all those bands.

Vince Levalois' voice is slightly reminiscent of Chris Astley from Xentrix, but with a more melodic sensibility. The musicianship is top notch, and this is a band who really understand the power of melody and the power of the riff.

If you liked Terramaze's "Anhedonia", Anoxia's "A Lapdance for the Devil" or Charred Walls of the Damned's "Charred Walls of the Damned" as well as the two last Xentrix albums, then - if you do not mind this sort of music with a progressive twist - you are likely to enjoy Prototype's "Catalyst" as well.
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