Oftentimes, when musical luminaries converge, egos can derail all the good intentions…or they can potentiate all the good qualities. The latter is on full display here…well mostly. Featuring a who’s who of Metal elites, including members from bands like Alestorm, Nekrogoblikon, Gloryhammer, and Æther Realm, ‘Hypercube Necrodimensions’ (HN) is not just an album; it is an experience.
Beautifully melding Black, Power, Symphonic, and a bit of Prog Metal into a Lovecraft-inspired journey through hyperspace and Euclidean realities, ‘HN’ is brash, bombastic, and a bit overwhelming at times. More than a few listens are indicated here. Layers upon layers of majestic keyboards and soaring guitar work are aligned with impossibly tight rhythms. The clean and harsh vocals along with the interwoven narration are in a perfect alliance and all are quite compelling.
Each song is epic and grandiose, has its own personality, and is presented at breakneck speed. And that is the only real downfall; each song is pretty much at the same tempo. Fast! A few lulls here and there, but all in all, not many valleys between the peaks. Had some moments been allowed to breathe a bit more, this album would be untouchable. But that is just me. Hopefully, this is not a one-off venture. I look forward to seeing what they come up with next.
