Source - Return To Nothing (2016)

Are you just like me, sick of waiting for the new Tool album? Then you better go check out Source, the ultimate medicine for metal heads who suffer from Tool abstinence. This new band from Boulder, Colorado comes out of nowhere and delivers some prime progressive metal goodness, all in the mysterious spirit of Tool. "Return To Nothing" is the band's debut record, and it knocked me out completely with its keen sense of fine song writing and delicate, yet challenging, instrumentation.

Now, you could easily go out and say that this album does not have a chance to match the quality that Tool has, and you would be right, because Source is still in the early stages of their career. This is the first step for these guys, and it is most certainly an impressive one. The instrumentation is extremely delicate and precise, delivering sweet riffs and groovy beats that makes the whole album very enjoyable. I especially love the fact that the bass is high in the mix, really giving the sound more depth.

The thing that really defines "Return To Nothing" though is spirituality. It is mind cleansing music that is flowing really well, especially thanks to the singer Ben Gleason, who utilizes his vocals in just the right way, transferring the listener almost to a hypnotic state. It is just a great feeling to listen to his angelic voice, and the rest of the band (bassist Dan Crisafulli and drummer Georges Octobous) help enhancing it even more.

The only real criticism I can give "Return To Nothing" is on its consistency. It is way too much of it. The album is one, really dense blob of the same emotions and sounds, and it does not really help that close to every song are over 8 minutes long. The variation is there, but it is so subtle that it can easily be missed. Fortunately though, most of the music here is of high quality, and most songs are very strong on their own. "The Essence" is a real favourite of mine, with its technicality and catchy melodies. Other real standouts are the title track, "Forgiveness", and "The Serpent", but there is really no weak track on this records, which makes this debut even more impressive.

"Return To Nothing" is a very interesting debut record, and the perfect antidote for those who have Tool abstinence. It captures the emotions in a very cool and interesting way, and while the comparisons to Tool are all too obvious, it still does not take away the fact that this band has a good future ahead of them if they play their cards right. They still have some growing to do, but this is a great first step into making a full fledged career. 2016 is more and more becoming an amazing year, and the good amount of great debut records really solidifies that statement.

Songs worthy of recognition: The Essence, Foregiveness, The Serpent

Rating: 8/10 Quadrants

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