Source - Totality (2019)

We first got to know the Americans in Source back in 2016 with their debut "Return To Nothing", a progressive metal band that instantly impressed with their delicate song writing and sense of atmosphere. Even if that album had a lot of Tool comparisons to it, you could still see a talented band that was just getting started, a group that have hopes of making music that is meaningful. So now that the sophomore effort "Totality" is here, let us ask the ultimate question, is the band on the verge of breaking out, or do we get another collection of Tool clones that might make the wait for that ever elusive follow up to "10,000 days" a little less painful, but also shows that Source is not capable of much more?

So the first thing you will notice while going through the track list in "Totality" is that the length of the songs are far shorter than those on "Return To Nothing", which is an obvious sign that the music is not gonna be the same, something the album later confirms when that play button is pressed. It is still that type of floaty progressive metal with some crunchy riffs added that we first heard from the band, but the Tool influence is not as present this time around, with the band being more grounded in reality instead of that trippy kaleidoscope realm.

You can see that the band has been hard at work trying to create its own identity, and the work seem to have paid off, with added influences coming from bands such as Opeth, Mastodon and Leprous. These influences makes "Totality" a more versatile album that does not flat line anywhere throughout its run time. Most of the music in here has that smooth surface that flows through your ear holes like a spring river, but the group has learned to roughen up their sound as well, adding some nice, heavy bits to give the music a bit of a more complex texture.

The strength is still when the band finds the zone, where the music phases the listener to a different state of mind, one that only contains bliss. Mesmerizing songs like "Sinking" and "Intimacy" are just a wonder to behold, two prime examples of how moving music can be. It is however a musical style that does not do all to well when you listen to it repeatedly in a short amount of time, gets pretty tiresome after a while, so the life expectancy of "Totality" will only be long if you restrain yourself a little. Another issue I have is that while Ben Gleason is a fine vocalist, he does tend to be kind of monotone in this record, not getting through all of the emotions. Nothing that bothers me all that much, but it does keep "Totality" from being a home run hit.

As far as a sophomore effort goes, "Totality" is just what you would want to hear. It has the spirit of the debut, while also adding new ideas and keeps on experimenting to create that perfect metal brew that will hopefully turn into a successful career. Source certainly has the chops to make it, and this record definitely shows that they are more than just a simple Tool copy. Lovers of atmospheric prog should not miss out on this one.

Songs worthy of recognition: Sinking, Benjamin, Intimacy, Unsure

Rating: 7,5/10 Philiacs

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More reviews of Source
Return To Nothing