Review Summary: Corelia has crafted a masterful debut. It isn't every day that a release this near-perfect comes along. This is one of the crowning achievement of the burgeoning djent genre.
Though it is early in the year, Nostalgia by progressive metal group Corelia is in the running for release of the year. This is an especially bold statement seeing as Nostalgia is a seven-song, 31-minute, debut EP. The old adage “Quality over quantity” comes to mind when discussing this stunning release.
Corelia is a five-piece band from San Diego, CA. They posted their first music online a little over a year ago and have been touring and writing for Nostalgia ever since. Clearly, they are a very young band, but you wouldn’t know it by listening to their material.
Nostalgia is an incredible record from beginning to end. It opens strong with “Treetops”, a song featuring the soaring vocals of Spencer Sotelo from progressive metal/djent peers Periphery; the listener must remain vigilant, however, because lead singer Ryan Devlin and Sotelo sound quite a bit alike, which is great for harmony and meshing, but detracts a bit from the guest spot since it doesn’t stand out quite as much as guest vocals should. “Treetops” is also notable for the sudden jazz piano break that comes out of nowhere. While such an abrupt transition could be considered jarring to some, Corelia pull it off in a way that makes it one of the most pleasant moments on the record, mainly because the guitars pick up the piano melody only a measure later; this is no small feat, as piano melodies do not translate well into guitar, and vice versa. This track sets the precedent for the rest of the album with its brimming technicality, speed, and groove, all while keeping itself in check and not sacrificing songwriting for the sake of any other element. For such a young band, it is incredible how Corelia understands the importance of songwriting over all other aspects of music.
As for the style of the aforementioned songwriting, Corelia dabbles in many genres, making them difficult to pinpoint. Progressive elements abound, while jazz in chords, drumming, bass playing, and song progressions is a common theme; metal is evident in the occasional growled/screamed vocals and the double bass drumming; the subgenre djent (a genre pioneered by famous Swedish metal group Meshuggah) also makes appearances in the grooves that keep the songs moving and the ambient textures of the music itself. Of course, all of this needs competent musicians to pull it off, and Corelia has talent in spades.
Devlin’s vocals throughout the album are consistently impressive both for his range, his harsh (yet intelligible) scream, and his varied intonations, which really add dynamics too seldom seen in music anymore. He particularly shines in “Glass Faces”, “Red Sky Harbor”, and epic album closer “Blood Petals”. Devlin’s lyrics range from topics such as the human condition, reflecting on what one has accomplished, the meaning of life, loneliness, the beauty of nature, and revenge, all of which are presented tastefully and poetically with very little cursing. The lyrics are filled with gems such as “Could you ever/express your mind in a phrase?/Tell me, my friend, what would it say?” The twin guitar attack of Chris Dower and Ryan Borrell are technical enough to impress even the most jaded technical death metal fan, yet they realize they must rein in their talent for the betterment of the band as a whole. This shouldn’t suggest that they don’t melt faces on the album; the scorching solos on “Glass Faces” and “Blood Petals” show they have immense talent. Dower and Borrell also bring groove to the table occasionally, particularly halfway through “Red Sky Harbor”, which is so important in djent-styled metal.
Speaking of groove, it is always a welcome surprise to be able to hear bass in a metal release, and thanks to the perfect production (more on that later), Adrian Alperstein can be heard slapping, popping, and grooving throughout Nostalgia. His shining moments appear in instrumental “Mute Swan” and the previously highlighted rhythm break in “Red Sky Harbor”.
Finally, Clayton Pratt’s drumming is impressive not only for his technicality (which is definitely impressive), but for his shifting dynamics. He knows when to go all out, incorporating ridiculous double bass and blast beats that would be more common in death metal, and when to slow down and play a jazzy rhythm with the cymbals and toms (see, again, “Red Sky Harbor” and “Blood Petals”).
Of course, songwriting, lyrics, and talent are only three-fourths of the musical pie. Production is extremely important, for if it is bad, the entire album suffers, and the songwriting, talent, and lyrics are that much harder to hear/understand/appreciate. Fortunately for Corelia, the production on Nostalgia is crystal clear. Every aspect of the band can be heard at all times, and the dynamics that are so important to their sound are highlighted. The guitar and bass tones are perfect throughout and evoke an almost spacey atmosphere. Devlin’s vocals sound natural, genuine, and certainly not overproduced, a problem that plagues most music of today. The bass drum could use a bit more “oomph” to it, but its current tone fits the music perfectly. The drums could also sound a bit more organic, but this is probably due to the machine-like precision of Pratt’s drumming. The most impressive part of the production is the fact that Corelia self-produced the EP, besides the mastering, which was done by Luke Martin.
The only gripes to be had about Nostalgia are arguable. Ryan Devlin’s varied delivery and high-pitched vocals may not be for everybody, and may even sound awkward to some upon first listen, particularly on “Red Sky Harbor” and the tail end of “Blood Petals”. The length of the recording is a bit short, and it always seems to end too soon, but it is an EP, so this cannot easily be held against the band.
Corelia has crafted a masterpiece of a debut that all fans of music, and certainly all musicians (due to the high-level song craft) should not miss this release, especially since it is currently being streamed for free at
http://corelia.bandcamp.com. Metal fans, jazz fans, and progressive rock fans will find something to like in Nostalgia, an achievement that will surely be near the top of this reviewer’s Best of 2011 list.
Recommended tracks: All due to the short length; “Glass Faces”, “Red Sky Harbor”, “Blood Petals”
RIYL: Protest the Hero, SikTh, Periphery, Eric Johnson (based on the guitar tone and the similarities of "Mute Swan" to the famous "Cliffs of Dover"), Awesome Music
