Aligning in 2021, Canadian quartet Sentiment Dissolve aim to meld the styles of classic/modern tech death along with progressive death metal for their debut album The Orwellian Dream. Although newcomers to the scene in this incarnation, these musicians have experience in other acts like Æpoch, Kavara, and Hell Is Other People – choosing to broaden horizons in this endeavor. After numerous spins through these five songs, evidence suggests a multitude of ideas finely driven through an interesting mix where intricate musical passages set side by side with solid groove-laden sequences so that listeners can grasp these complex compositions easier than most acts in this category.
The juxtaposition of fancier, fluid riffing next to progressive blasting/groove tempos beyond the curveball tranquil parts allows the band to open the playbook so to speak in the various directions they want to deliver. If they wish to be more intense in measured quantities where the vocals of Nathan Ferreiera vary between deadly growls and maniacal screams, you’ll get that within “Transcending the Hierarchy of Knowledge” – while the alluring bass, soft new age/jazz nuances come into focus during the middle instrumental sequence for “Totalitarian Doctrine” before an arpeggio/blast beat fueled transition ramps up the progressive Death meets Gorguts-like proceedings. Every instrument has its place – bassist Spinny always placing his expertise front and center against the cavalcade of riffs pouring out of the hands of Nicholas Luck to make the roller coaster juggernaut of “Omnipotent Panopticon” that much more tantalizing. The construction of the riffs and where they go makes logical sense – even when the advanced progressive interplay or open sequences create seemingly jagged level of chaos, there’s always that connective, circular factor to keep that brain / body movement cooperative. While many could look at the five songs and consider this an EP, the fact that the songs average out around five and a half minutes each provides plenty of musical information to process, plus keep the sheer fatigue factor that can plague many tech/progressive death acts to a minimum.
These gentlemen have a great debut release with The Orwellian Dream – one that should allow Sentiment Dissolve ample room for expansion. It’s hard to balance the right amount of technical prowess and solid songwriting that both musicians and non-musicians can appreciate – that’s what we have here, while we look forward to the next record hopefully in the offing sooner rather than later.