Driftglass - All That Remains

Driftglass 

All That Remains
self-released; 2014

3.5 out of 5

By Jamie Funk

After the four years in the making Driftglass was able to release their debut full-length entitled All That Remains. The band plays music they describe as progressive metal but in many ways has elements of math rock, ‘80s metal and a number of subgenres underneath that. To be honest the first bands I thought about when listening to All That Remains was Yes and Rush. In fact if you took both those bands and you added more metal tendencies then you would have something resembling Driftglass. 

All That Remains is an album that seems to have no regard for what year it is. The music often feels like it was released in the late ‘80s. It’s a combination of the production aesthetics with what's actually being played. To clarify it’s not like they are referencing that era in some pretentious-too cool for school hipster-type of way. They tackle the music with an earnest sincerity that is appealing and authentic. 

The album starts with “Insect In A Jar,” which establishes that all the respective members of the band can play their instruments like pros. A whirling organ combines with a distorted guitar, bass and great drumming. The transitions are swift and come at you quick. At around the halfway point the band starts to go off. Your ears get treated to a shredding guitar solo.

Driftglass likes to write epic songs. A testament to that is the eight-plus-minute “Devil Of My Dreams.” The band rocks hard here, implements inventive time changes and keeps it engaging. If you were looking for the track that would knock you back regarding technical skill this would be a good starting point. “My Last Lament” starts off thematic but ends up being the hardest hitting song on the album. The album closes strong with “The Unfolding” and “All That Remains,” which are the longest tracks in the batch. Neither of the tracks is as heavy as some of the other tracks on the album but they do display some more versatility from the band.

All That Remains will appeal to a selective audience. The appeal lies in the technical mastery and speed while the hooks usually aren't as relevant. Fans of Yes, Rush, Mastodon and ‘80s metal in general will want to give this a spin.

official website

Tweet