Album Review: Calyces - Fleshy Waves of Probability
Reviewed by Dan Barnes
Athenian progressive rock/heavy metal band, Calyces, belatedly follow up their 2020 debut, Impulse to Soar, with this sophomore collection. Fleshy Waves of Probability is a grandiose title for a collection of eight competently solid, if at times unspectacular, tunes.
The overt Mastodon influence is heard loud and clear in the opening bars of Swirling Towards the Light, which whole-heartedly recapture the manic vibes of Leviathan opener, Blood and Thunder, down to the discordant riffing and frenzied drums. Even the vocals of ex-Override and Lunatic Medlar guitarist, Manthos Stergiou, have an unmistakeable Troy Sanders feel.
But, if you’re going to take inspiration from an artist, then Mastodon has proved itself to be a more than adequate mentor; the use of a modern progressive sludge sound is writ-large across the bulk of this record. Voices in the Gray borrow the Atlantan’s staccato, grooving riffs to fine affect.
That’s not to say Calyces is wholly inspired by Mastodon; rather they readapt aspect of that band’s sound into their own. Boneshatter might have a few Hinds/ Kelliher runs, but it’s opening is pure NWoBHM and the wistful solo could take inspiration from any Seventies prog album worth its salt.
Flowing Through Storm picks up those anachronistic elements and modernises them through some impressive world-building and unabashed noodling. Here, as elsewhere on Flesh Waves…, an acknowledgement of Gojira’s idiosyncratic vocal approach can be heard and, if you’re looking to do a take on modern progressive rock or metal, then, again, Gojira are a good a place to begin as any.
Calyces started to lose me a little as Flesh Waves… moved into its second quarter. Both Wastelands and Lost in Phrase feel too ambitious for their own good and try to cram too many elements into too short a run time. Wastelands is the least offender in this, with some choppy guitar work and choral-style vocals; but at times Lost in Phrase tries to be too adventurous and feels like a bit of a mish-mash.
However, it’s commendable that Calyces made the attempt and while Lost in Phrase didn’t quite work, the epic finale of Lethargy, the seven-and-a-half minute closer in which all the creativity of the band comes to its natural conclusion.
Lush guitar lines give it a 70s feel and when the heavier aspects of the tune arrive they do so in an organic manner. Harsh riffs and reflective prog passages make comfortable bed-fellows - think Opeth – orchestral moments add shade to the piece as it becomes a full-blown progressive metal epic. It even seems there are some Genesis or early Marillion keyboard additions before the bass leads us through a heavy, grooving outro.
Any criticism I have of Flesh Waves of Probability could very well be down to Calyces’ five-year break between records and them just finding their feel again. There’s more than enough here is suggest any future albums from this band will be more than worthy of being mentioned with the likes of Mastodon, Gojira and Opeth when the book of progressive metal is finally written.
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