Boasting some great vocal work, wrecking-ball guitars and a gleaming production, Dublin progressive metal 5 piece Sectile have made an impressive first LP. Formed in late 2016, the band have a professional and polished sound that would give the impression they’ve been together years.
First efforts can generally be poorly produced, with bands needing to tweak certain elements before getting it right. This is not the case with Sectile, who’ve upped their production game to dizzying heights, complementing talented song writing abilities at play. Consisting of four tracks, the EP gives us a pulverizing slice of the band’s modus operandi.
Sectile describe their music as progressive metal, but the opening track “A fools Reward” could be better described as groove metal, accompanied with some crushing Mark Morton style riffs. The song is an exhilarating introduction to the band, and sports their catchiest, hookiest chorus of the bunch. Vocalist Gabriel Gaba’s multi-octave vocals stand out instantly, almost reminiscent of Chris Cornell á-la ‘Jesus Christ Pose’.
The band’s self-proclaimed influences of Gojira and Mastodon are evident in ‘Invisible Threads’ with its relentless rhythm section and time-changes decorated with rapid-fire drumming. The song highlights the band’s technical talents when playing in a genre that has a reputation for sometimes sounding repetitive. The weakest song on the LP “Silver Moon”, brags a catchy riff but falls slightly under generic mediocrity. “Comes with the rain” is a more sombre and atmospheric piece that gives vocalist Gabriel Gaba the opportunity to show his chops.
Sectile’s debut is as promising as it is impressive. The band have produced a refined piece that isn’t without its flaws, but still leaves you wanting to hear more.