Galapagos Momentum

For their first album for avant-prog stable Cuneiform, Upsilon Acrux have toned done their metal/brutal edge and honed their skills even more, if that's possible. Hence, Galapagos Momentum sounds like a slightly meaner (and faster) version of Forever Einstein's music — similar wit and humor (reflected in the track titles), same feeling of a band running full speed ahead on a tightrope, constantly on the verge of tumbling down. "Who's Running S**t (Son of Destiny's Child)" is a stunning example of both virtuosity and clever composition: guitar parts are interlaced and full of intricacies, while the drums take on a modular approach, with a new pattern every four bars. It's quite a head rush. "Expiration Date (Alaska, My Darkness)" and "Touched by God (Inappropriately)" are also just as dense and masterful. "Hiking Up Feel Good Mountain (Further Than Ever Before)," the longest track of the set at a few seconds under eight minutes, showcases a softer side to the band, with cyclical guitar motives evoking Heldon and an overall more serene outlook on the group's brutal prog stylings. However, singling out a few cuts does no justice to this amazing, and amazingly consistent, album. And here, the group strikes a convincing balance between the aggressiveness of bands like Ruins and the Flying Luttenbachers, and the lighter feel of Miriodor and Forever Einstein. Galapagos Momentum will hold a special place in Upsilon Acrux's discography, if only for the fact that it's their first album to get wider distribution. How fitting that it turns out to be their best and (relatively) most accessible release to date. ~ François Couture, Rovi