Of all of the bands I have covered so far, none has had as long of a career as Intronaut. This progressive-metal act has been at it since 2004, consistently releasing albums and touring with other metal giants, such as Tool, Mastodon, and Helmet. It has been a long five-year wait since their last album, The Direction of Last Things, but Intronaut is back in explosive fashion with Fluid Existential Inversions releasing February 28th, 2020.

The first thing I realized upon receiving this album is that every single song, save for the opener, is at least five minutes long. This is to be expected in the world of progressive music, but is nonetheless impressive, as the genre’s songs tend to never drag or be too drawn-out. Of the band’s sound, guitarist/vocalist mentioned: “I love bands like Motörheadand AC/DC that give you the same thing over and over, but Intronaut is all about trying to break whatever mold exists – especially for ourselves – and give you something you haven’t heard before.”

“Procurement of the Victuals” kicks off Fluid Existential Inversions, with a sample of what’s to come; an odd time signature accompanied by dissonant guitar notes. The album’s leading single, “Cubensis”, follows, with a shredding riff right out of the gate. Immediately, several small sections of the track stand out within its complex structure, like the mid-bridge bass sounding as prominent as the guitar, or the post-bridge delay pedal guitar run.

“The Cull” hits next, with more vicious vocals and a darker tone than the previous song. It is evident in this track’s verses that the band’s exemplary use of layering makes it so that when you focus in on one instrument, you’ll be rewarded just as much as listening to the cohesive unit. “Contrapasso” emanates some heavy Opeth vibes with the vocal harmonies and guitar solo near the end. The heavier parts work in tandem with the softer segues beautifully.

“Speaking of Orbs” brings the synthesizer into the mix in its intro, a welcome addition to the instrumentals. The double-bass usage throughout this song’s duration is sure to get heads banging. The vocals in “Tripolar” get more emphasis, without taking away from the chugging riff in the post-chorus that segues into a jazzy bridge with very intricate drumming. At this point of my listen of the album, I have sat through five straight long songs and haven’t lost my investment in the slightest.

“Check Your Misfortune” has one of the more endearing guitar riffs right after the intro, leading into a thick verse. This song’s fadeout gives ample closure and is a great touch. The album’s second single, “Pangloss”, comes next, and hits with the lyrics “And if we never find the things we want, at least we’ll be with something new“, and has my favorite moment of the album at 2:54 with the most infectious bridge yet. The final song, “Sour Everythings”, is the album’s longest, and incorporates more varied experimentation, with blast beats, stranger time signatures, and ghost notes.

Intronaut has not missed a beat in their half-decade absence. Fluid Existential Inversions is peak trial-and-error, all of which pays off with the risks taken. An interesting insight into the development of this record is that “Some of this music was written within a week of the last record being released.” The much-needed rest was taken, and the fruits of the band’s labor is to bear on the 28th. Fluid Existential Inversions will be a worthwhile venture to listeners that can handle a 50+-minute delve into a different state of mind.

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