Miami Nights 1984 - Gunblaze Assault

Review by Karl Magi

Overall Album Impressions

Miami Nights 1984’s Gunblaze Assault carries me away to the days of my youth with a jazz fusion-influenced blast of Japanese-style video game music. This soundtrack to a game that never existed combines a superbly woven atmosphere, ear-pleasing melodies, and a sense of action punctuated by short moments of chilled-out respite. Miami Nights 1984 manages to capture the excitement, joy, and nostalgia of classic mech shooters in a way that I find irresistible.

The first thing that attracts me to Gunblaze Assault is the way in which Miami Nights 1984 skillfully evokes the atmosphere of a classic mech shooter. The types of synths he uses and the sound palette form a compelling picture. I can see the thrilling cutscenes of space battles, envision the shop screen as you upgrade your equipment, and imagine the excitement as the game unfolds and carries the listener away into its world.

Another excellent element of Gunblaze Assault is the melodic content. Miami Nights 1984 captures the jazz fusion-influenced work of many Japanese video game composers and adds his own twist. The melodies create a strongly visual impression of action and emotion, conveying the different states of mind experienced during gameplay. There's a freshness and spontaneity to the melodic composition that keeps me listening and brings me closer to the music.

I also enjoy the way in which the album moves through the different states of gameplay that one might experience. There's the anticipation of the battles to come, the adrenaline-pumping moments when one is fighting those battles, and the short segments in which tranquil melodies and soothing sounds flow to give the player a chance to rest and recover before another blast of excitement and action.

My Favourite Tracks Analyzed

"Loadout" comes to life with a bursting explosion that growls before quickly leaping drums and gnarly bass shift into motion. A ringing, string-like synth carries a drifting melody that hovers with tremulous ease. Trumpeting notes flash as the funky bass interlocks with smoothly shaping drums.

The bass adds an ear-pleasing groove that I enjoy, while sparkling notes cry out with lambent grace. A medium-high synth introduces an urgent pulsation, blending with the throbbing bass and tiny digital sounds that shiver in the background. The string-like synth slips through the music with breezy smoothness, creating a sense of calm.

Bell-like notes flash in the distance as the bass continues its rhythmic pulsation. There's a sense of growing anticipation in the music that draws me further into it. The song ends with the pulsing bass and trembling notes, leaving a resonant impression.

An actively leaping synth with a xylophone-like quality is joined by slap bass and rushing air to commence "Aerial Combat." The funky bass moves alongside an echoing synth flow, joined by brassy notes that flash out in a melody bursting with active motion, capturing the feeling of ripping through space in a freewheeling combat flight.

Effulgent synth notes trickle out in a melody that evokes weightlessness, while vibrant notes intertwine below it. The main melody has a smooth, floating quality as it unwinds, filling me with a sense of freedom. A rounded, twisting synth cries out above the popping slap bass and rises in a whirling dance before tumbling down again. The drums and bass pump onward as the gleaming synth unfolds, twirling through the music with acrobatic elegance before the track ends.

“Big City Air Drop” commences as a spiky synth moves in rapid pulses and the sound of a helicopter shifts in the distance. The drums and bass are a rushing charge as a computerized voice echoes out. The drums and bass become a broken beat as they speed out underneath the open voice and smoothly gliding synth.

The low end is a blur, creating excitement as a jazz-inflected, rounded synth carries a melody that falls and climbs in a rapidly trickling cascade, then whirls outward madly and bends. The low end is joined by funky slap bass as flanging synth notes spin out through the music. In the distance, angular sounds flare outward as the drum and bass beat rattles underneath. String-like synth entangles with luscious luminosity and metallic piano keys add another element of brightness.

I enjoy the way this track generates drama and thrilling emotion as it unfolds. The quickly trembling synth in the distance expands outward with sharp edges and gem-like notes ring out. The low end continues to tap and flick with the slap bass moving before silence falls.

A steadily pulsing, rough-edged synth moves along with a tapping snare drum and rebounding bass to start “Robotics Laboratory.” The exploratory melody comes in on a sonorous, string-like synth as sharp-edged notes glow into the music and slap bass twangs.

Open-sounding, trickling synth dances in a circular pattern, adding motion. Radiant notes cut into the music as the slap bass adds a funky quality, and the low end continues to move with unstoppable energy.

A wandering melody, carried on a bending synth, has a glowing glide to it that draws me in as it twists past and the low end guides the music. Vibrant strings call out as the slap bass pulses, sliding past in a lustrous motion. The track slowly fades away on the bass pulse.

“Fire It Up” begins as a propulsive slap bass pushes the music forward and a minor-key, metallic synth calls out in a dramatic melody. Ghostly voices call out as the driving low end pushes forward, and the enigmatic melody unfurls on the softly shining synth. A xylophone-like synth flickers past, adding speed and subtle light as the haunting notes twist and wriggle.

I am drawn in by the way this track evokes both speed and a feeling of impending danger. The drums and bass glide along as elevated, alien-sounding notes bend past, rising and falling. The tension is wound up as the main melody continues to move in nervous lines and the low end is unstoppable.

A fluting synth cascades through the music with smooth ease, infused with a jazzy feeling as it leaps. The low end and the bassline continue to rush forward as the synth spins wildly before piano-like notes carry the minor-key melody to the end.

The heavy drums collide with irresistible weight as a tightly wound synth spins out and the snare drum ticks rapidly to kick off “Barometric Pressure.” Synth flashes cut into the music as the drums and bass collide and a piano melody—softly touching—skips through the music like a leaf on a breeze. The low end drives forward with dynamic life as a wandering, taut synth swirls through the music to add another level of tension.

Luminescent piano chords move above the skittering drums and pounding bass, further adding to the sense of flight and blurring motion. Now, a medium-high, sharp-edged synth carries a melody that unwinds with twirling liveliness, carrying me along with it as I imagine free flight. The synth solo is intricate and full of whirling energy and the piano twinkles before silence falls.

“Thank You For Playing” starts as tranquil, widely sweeping synth chords echo into open space. A pervasive sense of calm infuses the music as a hi-hat ticks lightly and the rounded synth carries a peacefully hovering melody. Electric guitar twangs into the music and the bass begins to add more energy as the main melody sails out with relaxed sensations pouring from it.

The twanging guitar and pulsing bass move the track forward as the burnished lead melody glides past. An elevated, cleanly cutting synth carries a hopeful melody that expresses a sense of relief above the quickly throbbing bass. The dance guitar adds another element of sharpness as the track washes into silence on a glimmering synth.

Conclusion

Gunblaze Assault is a superb homage to some of the best Japanese video games of the 1990s. It captures their galvanizing dynamism and the jazzy melodic soundscapes created by their soundtracks. Miami Nights 1984 brings together the best elements of those games and creates an exciting and wonderfully nostalgic trip down memory lane for me.

Sonic Cartography

Written by Chris Magdalenski

The Simple Joys of Sonic Cartography:

A Meditation on the Act of Discovery and Where the Road Leads Next

Besides playing guitar or mindlessly noodling on a synth, one of my favorite musical pastimes has become diving the depths of Bandcamp in search of new music. 

This has always been something I've been somewhat lackluster about. I never quite shook off my Gen X experience of corporate media having an outsized influence on what I was listening to at any given time, despite the fact that I know full well that these days one may have to do a little work to find those diamonds hidden in field after field of the rough.

Thanks in no small part to my new role on Absynth's editorial staff, I've made it my focus to become far more proactive in my efforts to discover interesting new music in the darker, grittier genres like metal, postpunk and darkwave, among others.

While this is largely where my own personal tastes lie, it also nods to the future of Absynth itself. The time has come for the platform to expand beyond the synth community, offering content that encompasses work from our dark artist brethren all across the musical landscape.

You might've already read the stories about, (and hopefully listened to), some of our efforts already. Prog metal newcomers Dread Majesty are a find that we are all still banging our heads to, while smaller more personal projects such as "Finite Planetary Possibilities" by Vernal Ecosphere and "A Violent Egress" by Stygian Ruin offer fresh takes on the dark ambient and black metal genres respectively.

Both the act of discovering and getting the word out about these artists is something myself, and the rest of the staff at Absynth love doing. Bandcamp has become my primary excavation ground, and though there are plenty of other sources to tap, it is the one I find myself revisiting over and over. It the place I often start my journeys of musical discovery, or as I know like to call it - my own personal sonic cartography.

I’m not sure what prompted that particular phrase, I might well have picked it up from somewhere else along the way, but I can’t get the concept out of my head. The Sonic Cartographer, studiously charting the ever expanding realms of music in an effort to make what was previously unknown known. To discover exciting new worlds of sound and expression and share our findings with anyone and everyone willing to listen.

To continue drafting the map of our musical adventures so we can always reference where we’ve been and where we are going.

Becoming a Sonic Cartographer has provided me a simple, yet powerful joy in my life. One that I would wholly recommend to anyone no matter what types of music you listen to. 

Won’t you join us on our next journey?

Null-O Band & Jeff Vicario - Tales From The Day After

Review by Karl Magi

Overall Album Impressions

Null-O Band & Jeff Vicario’s Tales From The Day After explores the aftermath of a dystopian digital disaster. The way in which Jeff Vicario’s superb vocal performance mingles with darkly affecting lyrics and a sonic background that seethes and rages, full of lurking danger and imminent destruction, creates a compelling exploration of the dangerous digital brink on which humanity hangs.

Jeff Vicario's performance on Tales From The Day After is a major reason for its success. His vocal range and ability to capture raw emotion, transmitting the intensity of the lyrics, allow the album's messages to permeate fully. The lead singer fills the music with anger or simmering tension, sometimes touching on deeply painful feelings. The end result is a performance that enhances the darkness and desperation filling the music.

In terms of songwriting, Tales From The Day After delves deeply into themes of digital peril, human blindness and the potential dangers of uncontrolled artificial intelligence. The writing is clean, sharp and uncompromising, telling a story while leaving a cautionary message for listeners about the folly of descending too far down a digital rabbit hole. I appreciate how the songs deliver their message with punch and without hesitation.

A mixture of uncomfortable synthesized sounds, ferocious guitar slashing through the music and a pulsing low end creates an environment that emphasizes the shadowy, dystopian nature of the world that Null-O Band has crafted in Tales From The Day After. The soundscape is unsettling and full of rage, ideally complementing the lyrics and vocals that transmit the cautionary tale within the music.

My Favourite Tracks Analyzed

"The Future Is Bright" starts as a nervously twisting synth quickly bends through the music while the drums and bass trip along. The lead synth carries an uncomfortable quality as Jeff Vicario’s voice captures the tension and anger of the lyrics. The battering percussion and rattling, slashing sounds tearing through the music add another layer of discomfort.

Metallic synth ripples in trembling lines as the percussion shatters and vibrates. The haunted vocals call out with ominous emotion, while growling guitar twists in the background. The entire track begins to seethe with rage as Jeff Vicario channels all the subversive emotion in the lyrics.

The track transforms into a roaring storm of guitar and battering percussion. A glimmering synth vaults through the music, emanating wriggling sensations. Grating noises lacerate the soundscape as dramatic lyrics resound, and the low end taps and throbs. The vocals exude an unsettling intensity as the guitar slices in with angry strength, while the pounding drums and bass persist underneath.

Jeff Vicario amplifies the dramatic sensations in the music as a steadily writhing synth pulses, leading to an explosive finale. The song ends with Vicario’s threatening voice as the guitar climbs into bizarre, howling heights.

The storyteller speaks of "another node in the network" which is growing more rapid and louder as the "pile of digital junk" approaches critical mass. He points out that the idea of art is now obsolete because "all you need is content." He mentions seeking shares, likes and follows as people "buy, sell, cheat and rent."

Our narrator states that "the best of the worst are the worst of the best" as they take over the stage. He adds that "the new enlightenment is generated outrage." He goes on to say that the future is bright "because of the fires" and they must "cut down more trees" for the funeral pyres. He speaks of minting new NFTs, adding that the future remains bright because there's fuel for the fires.

The storyteller continues, saying there’s "another jolt in the mainframe," which is getting louder and faster. There is "a jumble of zeros and ones, generating negative sums." He explains that fresh water is needed to cool "rows of CPUs" warning that heat death will follow and no one will escape.

A maelstrom of guitar and steadily throbbing drums kicks off“ Control.” Jeff Vicario’s distorted voice echoes with manic energy, expressing madness and a lack of control. The guitar descends in rapidly charging lines and the drums burst while the bass and drums pop.

There's a hypnotic, chanting quality to the vocals that captures the darkness within the music. The guitar uncurls in jagged motion as the drums pulse and Jeff Vicario’s voice is twisted and full of threat. The massive guitar surges with dangerous energy and a twisting synth wobbles through the music.

The drums are a steady pulse as the guitar tears its way through the music above the relentless bass. Shadows surge as the rough-edged guitar drives through the music and the drums continue to pulse before silence falls.

Our narrator addresses the listener saying, "You might cling to our sense of empathy or let go and simply wallow in misery" because as World War Three begins, "there’s only too much shit to cause you grief." He reflects that if he were to let go, it wouldn’t matter and no one would ever know. When everything is "on the brink of total catastrophe" he says "they got a choice few words for little ol' me."

The storyteller reveals that those words are: "I control the message, I suspend the memes," as they talk about their power over recession and their ability to suspend the populace's disbelief. He continues, "I control the public, I suspend disease” as they assert their control over people’s emptiness and their demand for a suspension of disbelief.

“Our Last Sunset” starts with humming, mechanical sounds moving alongside a ringing, metallic glockenspiel-like tone and the rich vibrations of a hang drum. Wordless female vocals drift with the clicking, ambient sounds as Jeff Vicario’s gently caressing voice evokes melancholy tenderness. Extended, crystalline notes revolve above the gently ticking drums.

Jeff Vicario’s vocals are aching and enveloping, carrying a tentative melody enfolded by the surrounding thumping and ringing. Dangerous-sounding notes echo in the background, mingling with flickering chimes and computerized noises. The spectral vocals trail through the music as the background wriggles and twists. I’m drawn to how this song combines unsettling and fragile sounds, with the hang drum-like synth calling out softly in the background.

The vocals roam through the music with diaphanous light as the slowly shimmering synth weaves through, guided by the steady drums. Sweeping sounds in the distance are touched by ethereal notes floating above them. A darkly rising mood fills the composition while flashing chimes add illumination. The percussion rebounds, metallic sounds ring out and silence falls.

The storyteller discusses the song's subject, saying they are “painting the world while it is burning outside.” He describes the other person painting all the “beauty and horror” as shadows challenge the light. He urges them to “paint it dark in the colors of midnight” and speaks of the prophet’s twisted smile, “draped in shreds of moonlight.”

Our narrator continues, describing an insane prophet dancing in the street, “right on the corner where we used to meet.” As the brushstrokes are finalized, the last sunset fallsand the narrator reflects that the song’s subject “still can’t comprehend the prospect of an endless night.”

Heavily heaving drums and bass move with a trumpeting, gnarled synth that shivers through the music to open “Happy Machine.” The guitar and drums shatter with the colossal bass that smashes into the music as Jeff Vicario chants with great power, capturing every ounce of threatening feeling in the lyrics.

The drums and bass are a raging storm that tears its way through the track. The chugging guitar is angry and full of muscled strength as Jeff Vicario’s voice carries the distorted lyrics, full of ominous life. The synth in the background bends and howls as the grinding guitar rams through the music with rough energy.

Now a rebounding synth adds with surprising delicacy as the drums tick more slowly. Jeff Vicario sings the words with a deadly shadow filling his voice. The guitar is a roaring force that rips through the music as the whole track charges forward with unsettling sounds creaking in the background as the guitar churns to a conclusion.

Our narrator speaks of the "happy machine" that is "biomechanical, maniacal, self-sustaining, irrevocable." It is soaked in a binary stream of data with its "virtual mouth open in silent scream."

The storyteller speaks of this machine as being "simple and clean, lean and mean." He talks about how it will "revoke, reanimate, obliterate," but with its design flaw, it won't "reciprocate."

There is a "flash firestorm, still simmering," which the narrator says will soon give in to a "violent scene." He talks about an AI hallucinating as everything falls apart into "reverse evolution, the final stage."

Now the storyteller talks about how the happy machine will "slash, maimand kill without even sparing a single limb" in an "orgy of blood and gasoline."

“The Last One Standing” begins as gigantic bass rumbles and spectral strings slowly unwind in a melody evoking ancient folk music. The string-like notes flicker as full-sounding, mournful synths roamand a bell rings out. The bass is deep and lush as the fragile strings tenderly caress the music.

Jeff Vicario’s vocals take on the qualities of folk tunes from across the world as floating, haunted synths slip past and metallic percussion calls out. The vocals are pained and emotive as they wend their way through the music with melancholy emotion. I enjoy the expression within Jeff Vicario’s trembling vocals as they tell this tale. Chiming notes flit through the music above a lugubrious bass flow, emphasizing the tragic note in the vocals.

A guitar cries out with an equally emotive melodic line that drifts through the music with a ghostly quality as Jeff Vicario’s voice lingers. An electric guitar moves into the music, carrying a melody that conveys loss and longing, tinged with a minor-key quality. The guitar has more than a hint of the blues before the track ends on the ancient-sounding strings and resonant bells.

The storyteller says that the song's main character knew, in a strange way, that a mysterious "they" would come again that night. The lies that were once told were trueand now "her shrouded past (would be) unveiled, unmasked, reviled."

Our narrator points out that the main character had "the whole world in her sights” for a while. Now it's time for a final stand with her "shotgun in hand." She is "classified, undesirable, redefined, inadmissible" and she's going to make her last stand.

Rapidly swirling, ragged guitar moves along with the angular synth that vibrates behind it to kick off “The Future Is Brighter.” The electric guitar howls with a feral sound, joined by slicing notes and a cruising drumbeat. The guitar is a leaping, intertwining presence, infusing the music with madly driven energy as a robotic voice chants a threatening message.

The guitar arcs, crying out with maniacal vitality, while its vibrations slip through the music with unmoored energy. Behind it, the synth cascades in organ-like notes that provide a contrastingly positive feeling amidst the jagged tension.

As the track progresses, the guitar cries out again in a solo that explodes with unrestrained dynamism. This solo amplifies the feeling of uncontrolled wildness that permeates the music while the drums and bass maintain a steady groove. The track concludes with irrepressible guitar sounds and an angular note pattern that trembles and fades.

The intelligence in the song speaks, saying, “I believe in brighter future...humanoid must not escape....I believe in brighter future....they are just apes, trying to be less apes.”

“The Day After” commences with a portentous wall of shuddering bass and uncomfortable sounds that move alongside Jeff Vicario’s spectral voice, shadowed and full of ache as the sepulchral low end rumbles. An ancient-sounding stringed instrument strums as Jeff Vicario’s ghostly voice shivers through the music and the low end seethes.

The medieval-sounding stringed instrument creates feelings of timeless darkness as hollow percussion popsand Jeff Vicario captures the broken sense of loss in the lyrics. A delicate female voice hovers in the distance as the shaker percussion maintains a steady motion. I appreciate how the organic-sounding instrument mingles with the surging blackness around itand how Jeff Vicario’s voice trails into silence.

Our narrator talks about the disconcerting silence of the empty streets. Nearly everybody is gone and the "poisoned wind tells a story to a pile of bones." He goes on to point out that nobody knows how it began, unsure of who started it - us or them. He concludes with the question, "Would it give us some purpose having someone to blame?”

Conclusion

Tales From The Day After is full of intense anger, lingering fear and images of a world destroyed by human excess and uncontrolled technology. The way in which it manages to be both entertaining and thought-provoking makes it a listening experience that I'll gladly repeat.

Jessy Mach - Beyond The Chains

Review by Karl Magi

Overall Album Impressions

Jessy Mach’s Beyond the Chains tells the tale of a renegade cyborg and the child she's tasked to protect from all the dangers he faces. Jessy Mach weaves together consummately skilled guitar playing, excellent melodic writing and varied synths to strongly evoke mood and atmosphere. The end result is an album that takes listeners on a journey and fully immerses them in the world created within the album's tracks.

As part of this tale’s unfolding, Beyond the Chains highlights Jessy Mach's ability to intermingle a wide variety of synth textures and tones to draw powerful, detailed imagery of the world and the action within that world. Each synth sound is carefully chosen to create a mood or evoke an event. Woven together, they create a richly engaging and vivid world. I enjoy the way in which Jessy Mach pulls me into his storytelling through the use of his synth palette.

Beyond the Chains is also a showcase for Jessy Mach’s high level of guitar mastery. He’s able to rapidly shred or smoothly elicit emotion from his guitar, always with skill and expression. The way in which he incorporates his guitar into the other musical elements allows it to become another tool in his repertoire of musical storytelling techniques. The end result is an album that creates a layered musical journey through the album’s story.

I also have to mention the melodic writing on Beyond the Chains. Jessy Mach’s melodies are intense and beautifully drawn, full of beauty and majesty. There are also moments of extreme power and action that further compel me. As the album unfolds, each melody joins with the others to complete the filmic adventure that moves from track to track and keeps me engaged in what's going on in the story.

My Favourite Tracks Analyzed

“Shattered Wires” comes to life as a fiercely glowing, intertwining synth climbs with strength. Crushing bass rumbles with intense power as the glistening notes slowly fade. The bass trembles and throbs with massive energy, while the flashing sounds above glitter. The drums and bass form a dancing, driving rhythm as the swirling notes above carry a slightly mysterious and dynamic melody.

The brushing synth intertwines with lush light as the pulsing low end presses on. Open, levitating notes play out with smooth elegance as the twisting synth sings. A guitar enters with a noble melody, exuding luminosity and positivity, crying out above the steady low end pulse.

Now, computerized notes rapidly tremble and a bending sound howls, roaming outward as the bass rumbles and the drums thud. A coruscating note pattern twirls rapidly over and over as the guitar leaps back in. Jessy Mach’s guitar solo is minutely detailed and executed with breathtaking skill, while the low end continues to guide the music.

Jessy Mach’s guitar skills are unrivalled as he lets loose, carried by his passion. The towering bass roars again as the roaming synth calls out with energizing liveliness. I enjoy the way in which the guitar remains a beautiful and powerful presence, soaring above the continually throbbing low end before the song concludes.

Calming notes float out into a smoothly drifting space as drums lightly tap to open “Leo's Resolve.” A spacious synth climbs upward in trailing lines as the drums drive an active beat along with a quickly tumbling bassline and rapidly flaring synth. The drums and bass are unstoppable pulses as the trumpeting synth flies outward. Jessy Mach's guitar unfolds in an exciting melody that is full of determination and confidence above the pounding low end.

The guitar brims with action as the brassy synth bursts in sharp linesand the muscled bass is full of grit. An expansive sound moves upward and the guitar cries out again in a passionately expressive melody that speaks of strength and courage while the slower drum beat adds weight. The track explodes into motion again as the guitar twists in intricate lines that shred and growl. I find the guitar performance utterly galvanizing and dynamic.

The drums and bass thunder once more as the radiant synth slashes in piercing lines before the guitar returns. The guitar melody captures a sense of battling to survive against the odds as the low end heaves. Upwardly roaming notes glow above the drums, the percussion slows and the guitar growls as reverent noises fade to silence.

“Echoes of Steel” starts as a heavily falling drum pulse joins sharp-edged bass and a vibrating synth swells with harsh brightness. Xylophone-like sounds trickle through the music in spinning motion as the heavily throbbing low end adds shape. beaming notes climb with intense brightness while the low end continues to heave like a heartbeat.

Ringing notes cry out with profound yearning as Jessy Mach transmits emotion through his skillful fingers. Rapidly twinkling arpeggios flow as the guitar captures a nostalgically pained emotion. The drums slowly rebound as the main melody glides with tender luminosity and elevated notes shimmer off in the distance.

The drum beat’s hard-hitting throb resumes as glassily gleaming notes arc through the music. The guitar flies again, mingling sadness with a more positive feeling of progress. The low end continues to heave as scintillating notes shine through the dark bass. There's a metallic sheen to the lead synth that captures the song’s title well in my mind.

The drums slowly throb once more before the guitar cuts loose, with Jessy Mach wringing every scintilla of feeling from the strings while the unrelenting low end pulses on. There's intricacy and complexity in the cascading guitar as it twirls through the music and the track punches through to the end with thrilling notes sparkling high above the soaring guitar.

“Krel's Dominion" begins with a heavily rolling bassline and drums that urgently rush. The ferociously forceful synth surges forward as computerized-sounding, ringing notes leap in the background. The entire track explodes with rocketing energy as breathy, bright synth calls out in a wriggling pattern. This music is unstoppable as a bursting note pulse moves along with a wildly contorting synth. Glimmering notes urge the track onward, driven by the relentlessly slamming low end.

Spacious-sounding synth now drifts into a section in which a wide-sounding arpeggio twirls and gruff sounds shiver as hollow percussion shapes the music. The track forms an intermingled, slicing cohesiveness as razor-sharp, bending notes dance through the music with lacerating energy. Mechanical, robotic sensations infuse the track in a way that I find compelling.

A coruscating synth emanates active luminosity as the low end snarls and tears into the music. Drums continue to rapidly pulsate and rebound as a jagged synth growls. The track ends with raging power and an angular synth that is full of a sense of danger.

A smoothly slipping synth drifts in laid-back waves as the drums and brilliantly dazzling notes start “Chains of Silence.” A luminous synth carries a melody brimming with hopeful emotion and the drums and bass create a steady heartbeat. The main melody bursts with affection as the tender vocals slide out. The singer's touching voice captures the caring and protective nature of the relationship in the song.

Shimmering notes intertwine and carry the embracing melody above the giant bass that surges below. Illuminating notes glide out and the vocals reach toward the listener with richly emotive expression, carrying a nurturing feeling. A gently unfolding, bending synth solo further deepens the sensations of protective love permeating the music. The majestic main melody returns to swirl above the low end before the song finishes.

The narrator, a high-tier cyborg, tells the story of the friendship she has with the young boy she is designated to protect. She starts by talking about the spark in the darkness of shadowy ruins. Although she's duty-bound, "something leaves its mark," and a tenuous connection forms between her and the child she guards—a link that is "hidden and strange” and like a hopeful spark that nothing can alter.

Our storyteller talks about how the paths between "you, child of night, and I, machine of steel" intertwine in opposition to what they should feel. She says that, for the boy she guards, she'll break "the chains of silence" and begin to, bit by bit, exhibit defiance.

“Destiny's Rebirth” opens with massively rebounding drums and gnarly electric bass intermingling. Sparkling synth frolics with fragile lightness as the heavier low end adds contrast. Incandescent synth undulates through the music with lively positivity before the main melody flows into the music on a glittering synth.

The drums and bass interlock as a sax cries out in a sharply staccato, jazz-inflected melodic line, which adds another level of motion and uplift, the solo full and luscious. Brassy synth whirls and skips through the music with a sense of freedom, while the rebounding low end adds form to the music. The sax cries out again with a full-throated, celebratory quality as it weaves through the music and the funky bass wraps around itself.

The drums pulse as the sax solo moves in a freewheeling line. The brilliantly shining synth illuminates the background as the sax solo spins out. The sense of release and freedom is palpable and ear-pleasing to me as the song comes to an end.

Hard-hitting bass and shaping drums open “Ghost in the Circuit” as an expanding synth echoes out into the openness around it. Haunted notes shift in the distance as the entangling, gem-like synth swirls through the music with a floating, unmoored ease while the drums and bass throb. Metallic, sparkling notes hover as the main melody mingles a dreamy quality with warmer sensations and the slap bass adds an additional sonic element.

The main melody grows more noble and victorious as it moves, but the ominous bass keeps the shadows in the background. A smoothly slipping synth with a bright edge sings out with a melody tinged with melancholy and infused with majesty. Hopeful sensations also shift as the huge bass begins to surge and a worshipful sound rings out.

Flickering synth with a diamantine quality trails through the music before the main melody returns, capturing mixed emotions in a way that touches me. As the track moves towards the end, Jessy Mach lets loose with another intensely interwoven and complex guitar solo, driving home the emotional journey upon which the album has taken us before the track concludes.

Conclusion

Beyond the Chains is a thrilling science fiction journey, combining Jesse Mach’s expressive guitar with many sonic layers, atmospheric compositions and melodic strength. The end result is enjoyable and creates an adventurous listening experience.