Realising was a lengthy prog album, I decided the best tactic was to sit back and absorb it. I think that was the right thing to do. This ten track album, the second by this band from the United Arab Emirates, is divided into two “sequences”, each comprising five tracks. I didn’t consciously notice the divide as even by prog metal standards, “All is Not for All” is a substantial affair. In fact its multitude of rhythms and patterns and styles are so overwhelming that it might be a case of “more is less”. From calm openings, it breaks out into Opeth style prog metal, classic prog, harsh elements and even mild suggestions of symphony and ethnic elements. But most of all this has the emotional depth charge of a Dream Theater production and artists of their ilk.
The intensity comes through when the vocalist sings of “tectonic exposure” on the opening track “Mineral”. The track itself is laid back and calming. It is one of my favourites but it is also different from the tracks which follow. After the more urgent “Full Agonist”, “Humanoid” has real energy and flamboyance. Every drop of emotional juice is extracted as you would hope of a prog album. “Depolarized” is constructed of subtle and dynamic patterns but not to the extent that it’s self-indulgent. The track moves and flows and displays a melodic heaviness, which is very welcome. Anuryzm know to construct tracks in interesting ways, inserting a sample, a bit of subtle synth and a rich but not overstated guitar line into “Depolarized” before returning to the main melody. And so the album drives on with “The Challenger”, a track which highlights the kaleidoscopic nature of Anuryzm’s music. Melodic metal and flamboyant rhythms meet harshness – a bit like Mercenary but more expansive to the point where it’s bursting at the seams with progressively musical ideas.
The lush and mellow acoustic deliberations of “Oceans Apart” follow, then after a suggestively dark and symphonic start the title track gets going with a return to powerful and harsh battering metal, then hits power metal territory. It’s a good track and followed by the intensely proggy “199x” – technically it’s fine but it wanders too much without point for me. But my pleasure was soon restored with “Impermanence”, a rolling and grooving power-prog treat with the flow and all the technical subtleties and niceties which make this album so good. All that was left was “Perispirit” which starts in downbeat mode and steadily takes over the senses with its technical riff and all the extra icing: the growls, the synth intrusions, the guitar solo and the quieter reflective passage which all put in an appearance before the upbeat and colourful end which this multi-faceted album needed.
This is definitely one of those albums where the more times you listen to it, the more you hear. It’s a lot to take in, too intense maybe to be able to highlight and appreciate the key moments. There’s so much going on that there’s a risk of being left in the headlights. It’s also like walk through a sweet shop, such is the colour and variety on offer. Without doubt, this is a work of high quality.
(8/10 Andrew Doherty)
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