Hats off to the Monsterworks lads for broad-siding the current album versus singles conundrum that infests all corners of the music business. Rather than pimping an entire full-length to the masses, the Brits have chopped up their proposed Album of Man into three parts. Three mini releases…not a bad way to go, especially if you’re a fresh-faced bunch like these guys. The second installment, Man::Intrinsic picks up where its Man::Instincts predecessor left off, seeing the quartet unfurl a distinct brand of progressive-tinged metal that if you look hard enough, resembles Believer when they’re at their best. Just subtract the whole religious aspect and the two are close in more ways than one, especially in terms of their melding of quirky riffs and sideswiping melodies. This is particularly evident on opener “Unconditional Lie,” where the confluence of progressive metal and vocalist Jon’s well-placed clean vocal screech make the song an instant charmer. The same bodes for “Taste of Doom” where again, Jon’s distinct vocal attack hits the target in the chorus. A band ready to blossom into bigger and better things, Monsterworks has a laugh at their own expense on their Facebook page, which goes to the show that the bands who don’t take themselves seriously are the ones who are easiest to align with. An album partially complex, yet entirely digestible,Man::Intrinsic is tough to knock, too.
(This content originally appeared on Blistering.com)