Review Summary: An exemplary voyage.
Czech Republic-based group Modern Day Babylon are one of the bands driving that instrumental djent sound forward. They, along with the likes of Periphery were some of the first to make that contemporary djent sound more known. Different from the styles of founders Meshuggah, this djent approach will put more emphasis on a sense of digital sounds, and a futuristic atmosphere. This atmosphere is what makes the sound unique with its ethereal and tranquil melodies. It's that very mechanic sound that appeals to those who enjoy metal that sounds sleek and modern. It could serve as a great soundtrack for an advanced dystopia.
Modern Day Babylon's album
Travelers takes this approach and runs with it; loaded with djenty chugging grooves that are complemented by a lot of digital glitching sounds. These glitching sounds add to the unpredictability of the music and make things more exciting. Not a lot of the album will follow standard song structures and instead opt for something a bit more erratic. With this type of uncertainty, it can lead to the songs feeling a bit aimless, but it works for the album.
These djenty riffs will present the right amount of high tech riffing that's bound to impress fans of this style. The riffs will commonly use a lot of string skipping as they weave in and out of those low open chugging distorted notes. The riffs can feel similarly erratic and it can be exhilarating when the riff will suddenly change in the next measure. It all adds to the thrill and uncertainty, which is what the music is all about.
Probably the main selling point of the album though are those futuristic sounding melodies that transport the listener to a place something similar to the album arts depiction. It's a perfect blending of audio and visuals that work in tandem seamlessly. These melodies can be very uplifting which can be a nice juxtaposition from those powerful djenty grooves. Ethereal guitar melodies will echo off into the background to create more of that immersiveness.
Many combinations between these ethereal guitar leads and djenty grooves can become very hypnotic, and that's where a Meshuggah comparison could come in again. A lot of sections provide a lot of repetition, allowing the listener to settle into the groove. It's this settling where the listener becomes more immersed in the music. It's this type of immersion that really captivates. However, there's a lot more melody here than Meshuggah, which can make things a lot more beautiful and catchy. It's these melodies that are able to get stuck in one's head. They are approached with a serene brightness that is super enticing.
While the production of
Travelers may seem a bit rough for today's standards, there's a certain charm that comes with this "vintage" style of djent. Somehow, that lower-quality production can add to that advanced feel. Something to do with those guitar tones and drum combinations. It sounds almost industrial, which would probably make sense as to why. Industrial metal also has that sort of high-tech quality to as well, and with them sharing that similarity in production, it's the right fit. The album still stands as an exemplary work on how to do instrumental djent tremendously well. Its ethereal atmosphere paired with those djenty guitars provide an excellent choice for fans of both science fiction and metal music.
