Originally written by Erik Thomas.
Synopsis:
Recorded in Quebec City, Canada at L’Imperial, Live Progression, although an enjoyable live release, reeks of contractual filler for Galy after the band’s jump to Prosthetic for their up coming The Thin Line Between album.
Review:
Still though, as far as live death metal offerings, thanks to a crisp JF Dagenais mix effort, Live Progression sounds crystal clear and tight, more so than most live death metal releases I’ve heard (which isn’t that many).
All three of the band’s albums are represented here, with 2005’s Trilateral Progression being the most heavily represented with “The Apex”, “A Curative Struggle”, “Thought Adjuster”, “Monitoring the Mind” and crowd favorite “Clarity” being as technical yet melodic as their recorded delivery. My personal favorite album and the album that put Neuraxis on the map, Truth Beyond… is represented with “Fractionized”, superb closer “…Of Divinity” and “Neurasthenic” (for some reason this 35 second track gets in over the album’s fucking magnificent title track, but I digress). Then there is one track each from 1997’s Imagery (“Reasons of Being”) and A Passage Into Forlorn (“The Art of Sadness”) all being delivered with a skill that has made the band one of Canada’s most impressive exports and all being appreciated by the very loud crowd.
Front man Alex LeBlanc keeps his between banter thankfully limited as it’s all in French and he sounds far more monotone and strained without the benefit of a studio, and new drummer Tommy McKinnon replaces Alex Arian (now vocalist for Despised Icon) admirably, but when you are this triggered, it’s hard to notice. Core members Rob Milley (guitars) and Yan Thiel (bass) are the centerpiece of the band and the show, with dexterous and audible skill that a live environment seems to magnify.
With the forthcoming release on the far higher profile Prosthetic Records, I’ll be curious to see if Neuraxis start to get the same recognition outside of Canada as many of their Northern peers, because as this slightly unnecessary release and the band’s underappreciated discography show, this is truly a death metal band to be reckoned with and I’m looking forward to hearing what The Thin Line Between brings to the table of 2008’s already crowed death metal elite.
