Review of Canvas Solaris - Cortical Tectonics

How did Canvas Solaris equal, if not top, 2006’s Penumbra Diffuse? They didn’t change a thing! Yes, only a year and a half after the instrumental mindbender Penumbra Diffuse dropped, these Georgians offer their third full-length in the form of Cortical Tectonics, which will gratify fans of its predecessor. Even so, maybe Canvas Solaris should begin to pace themselves at this point.

With that said, CT is another helping of technical, progressive metal that remains stylistically in tune with output from fellow prog-oriented troupes Spiral Architect, Gordian Knot, Twisted into Form, et al. At 46 minutes, there’s quite a bit of variation in song length like on Penumbra Diffuse. Specifically, though, the stop/start “Berserker Hypothesis” will jerk you around for all of its four minutes, while afterwards Canvas Solaris ease into the seven-minute “Sinusoid Mirage,” which is laidback for a couple minutes until the group kicks it into high gear once again, dashing the lazy river feeling against the rocks. Of course, “Interface” reinforces the fact that keyboards play a significant role on the record, like always, but dissimilar to previous encounters, “Interface” is easygoing for its entire stint. “Gamma Knife,” at eight minutes, tosses listeners back into the intricate fray, however, which is naturally riddled with head-spinning time changes and adroit musical performances. Skipping the heavy/light blend known as “Rhizome” – not that anyone should – leads to the monstrous, 17-minute closer that occupies more than a third of the disc, namely “Reticular Consciousness.” And as expected, it does indeed travel the gamut of CS expression, and also possesses sparkling, recurring passages that never overstay their welcome.

So in sum, Cortical Tectonics is another win for this Sensory signee. Yet, I must also admit that it’s difficult to get excited about an album that is more or less the same as one that was unleashed a mere year and a half ago. Because, as they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder. Or is it out of sight, out of mind?

Release Details

Canvas Solaris

Cortical Tectonics

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