Fractal - "Sequitur" Review

Artist/ Band: Fractal
Title: Sequitur
Label: Self release
Year of Release: 2009
Offical Artist/ Band Link

The Review:

Fractal released their second album, Sequitur, in the first half of 2009. The current line-up is Paul Strong (drums), Jim Mallonee (bass, vocals and keyboards), Josh Friedman (guitars, vocals) and Nic Roozeboom (lead guitars, keyboards and loops). Sequitur is the follow-up to their totally instrumental first album Continuum (2003) which I‘ve yet to hear. So to make any comparisons wouldn’t be fair to the band. In some ways you can think of two separate bands. I tend to favor the instrumental tracks on the album, which has a more of a progressive/jam vibe. While the vocal tracks tend to lean more to an alternative side of the rock spectrum.

There’s so much of this album I enjoy such as the dynamics of the instrumentation especially the instrumental tracks. This is truly one of those rare albums that I know I’ll revisit in years to come. There’s a slight King Crimson vibe throughout the album most notably in their own version of soundscapes and some vocal parts. But that’s where the comparison ends, as Fractal is quite an original sounding band and their 2009 release, Sequitur gets my recommendation. The band deserves some global recognition. Hopefully with this album, they will get it.

Reviewed by Ron Fuchs on July 3rd, 2009

Tracks:

01. Ellipsis

02. Aftermath

03. Mantra: Eternal Spring Of Life

04. Giving Tree

05. Coriolis

06. A Fraction Of One

07. 'Pataphysics

08. Mauves

09. The Great Pain

10. The Monkey's Paw

11. Coda: Pentacle

12. Churn - Overture

13. Churn - Part I

14. Churn - Part II

15. Churn - Part III

16. Bellerophon