review: Immortal Guardian -- prog power from the U.S./Canada

Immortal Guardian

Psychosomatic

M-Theory Audio

12 February 2021

Immortal Guardian, says Metal Archives, did demos in 2010 and 2011, EPs in 2012, 2013 and 2014. In 2018 the debut album was called Age of Revolution (48:30), and is available for streaming in its entirety on Bandcamp. This is the second album. It looks like in the early days they were a Lone Star State band, but now the members are scattered throughout the U.S. and Canada. Immortal Guardian is new-style, genre-mixing prog power that reaches into different areas and takes elements from there. The debut album showed percussion that uses extreme metal speeds and traits; a certain neoclassical, shreddy feel; neoclassical, shreddy keyboards; strong vocal lines designed to be remembered; a chorus-happy style, and with plenty of air raid screams. In terms of genres, we can say that prog, djent, melodic thrash, melodic extreme metal, shred, a bit of a certain 1980s vibe might be detectable. There might be some video gamey things going on, too. Their lyrics and themes seem existentialist, philosophical, historical, and big-picture topics. In short, it is that newer, a bit wilder, bouncy prog power. All these things are true on the second album, too. It is memorable, not too proggy prog power. Credit to them for keeping the prog (egos) in check, and for remembering the songs. Not that we are trying to prove it, but we would say that the new album seems slightly less speedy, but more melodic, catchier, with fuller choruses and things like that. Now, they also seem to have gotten djentier or groovier or chuggier, if you will, showing more elements from post-2010 core/groove, the kind that chugs a bit more. The bass guitar seems not very prominent, but after a bit the listener will perhaps imperceptibly feel that thumping bottom line running right under, anchoring the foundation. The drum sound is the normal sound in metal, which means that it is too soft, plastic and clinically perfect, and is not the sound of real drums by a live human being banging away in the studio.

Psychosomatic by Immortal Guardian