Starts off great, but unfortunately does not last...
Boris Kaplun | Reston, VA | 04/07/2007
(3 out of 5 stars)
"Theory in Practice play technical death metal of the melodic kind, laying down a complex and frenetic rhythmic foundation and saturating it with an endless barrage of crushing riffs, throat-ripping vocals, sweeping guitar solos, and guitar/keyboard unisons and duels worthy of the mightiest keyboard metal bands of this day and age. The execution is flawless - guitarist Peter Lake knows what the people want, and he does an exceptional job of twisting his riffs through bizarre meters and making them sound exceedingly heavy. His solos soar above the mayhem in such ways that they might seem more at home on a Andromeda record than anything that's associated with death metal. Keyboardist Mattias Engstrand is apparently there to keep Peter on his toes, as the two often indulge in massive harmonies and occasionally trade off solos that would please even the guys in Dream Theater. Drummer Henrik Ohlsson is what you'd expect from a tech death drummer - irregular foot work, spastic cymbal crashes, and off-time patterns. The bass, as far as I can tell, was not exactly a major concern for this album - because it's basically inaudible. Not that big of a deal, since the focus here is on guitar pyrotechnics.
So, what's the damn problem?
I don't really know. I should love this album. In fact, I should have long since crafted an altar in its name and set up a nightly worship routine, but something consistently gets in my way every time I try. Maybe it's the awful production, or the inability to decide on a solid direction, or the monotonous songwriting... whatever it is, it irritates me to no end to watch a band oozing with such sheer amounts of potential put out an offering that's so painfully mediocre.
The production is... fuzzy. I cannot think of a better word. The drums have zero dynamics and sound utterly lifeless. If you weren't paying attention, you probably wouldn't even be able to tell the difference between snare hits and kick drums... and forget about differentiating kick drums from tom hits. The guitars are mixed in incredibly uneven fashion - the riffs sound reasonably powerful and heavy, but the leads and solos are completely drowned out by the drums (mostly the cymbals, which actually sound decent), and even when the leads are halfway audible they still sound scratchy and thin. This annoys me especially throughout the title track, "Colonizing the Sun", which contains several solos throughout its duration that I can tell would probably really impress me if I could only hear them clearly.
The songwriting on here suffers as the album moves forward. The first two tracks contain plenty of good ideas... interesting riffs at breakneck speeds, striking melodies placed against soul-ripping sonic rage, killer sweep-picked solos, and bizarre time changes. From there, each song seems to become more and more mundane. The riffs begin to grate on the nerves, the drums cease to do anything interesting and merely serve to give you a headache, and the great melodic leads that had originally set this band apart from the legions of other bands doing the exact same thing slowly fade into the mess of indecipherable riffs. To be honest, this might be the result of the dreadful production slowly wearing away at my ears more than anything else.
I have listened through this album from start to finish several times since I first purchased it, but more often than not I find myself listening to the first two songs and then putting something else on. Occasionally I'll listen to the fourth track, "Shapeshifter", as it has some awesome leads throughout, but that's all. I'm simply unable to make it through any of the other tracks without rubbing my temples in frustration.
Perhaps next time around the guys can find a sound engineer who knows how to properly mix instruments."
Theory and practice ? Excellent and amazing!
Ame | 02/04/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This album sound really good. I love their riff and melody. Every song start like an explosion ... its fast and really technical. Just try to listen to one song from them, you'll be amazed.
Cette album est excellent. Les passe de guitares et les mélodies sont exceptionnelles. Les guitaristes de ce groupe sont de vrais professionnels. On s'en rend compte avec les riff plus rapides qui sonnent vraiment bien. Les solos ne sont pas placés n'importe où et contribuent à créer des chansons qui surprennent tellement elle sont bonnes! Bref, pour les amateurs de métal technique et progressif !"
Technical Death Metal Taken To A Whole New Level
Bill Lumbergh | Initech | 09/10/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The technical death metal genre has really grown onto me within the past couple of months. This band is a big reason why I really dig this music. Pater Lake is one of the most talented guitarists I've ever heard. The riffs in this music sound like he's soloing non-stop! Tracks like "Colonizing The Sun" and "Shapeshifter" are definite proof. Be prepared, listeners, Theory In Practice is making an offer you can't refuse on "Colonizing The Sun". Get ready for 9 tracks in the 5 minute range that show this band's talent. Oh, and I almost forgot, the band also uses background keyboards to create more of an atmosphere in their music.
You need this album. If you like technical, progressive or death, you cannot say no to Theory in Practice."
Track Listings (9) - Disc #1