Sometimes you just can’t catch a break. SMBH has one of the most pain in the ass names to have to repeatedly type, and I’ll probably say it several times. The new album, “shortly” titled Calculations of the Ancients, was just released this past April 29th, and has started to decimate ear tubes across the world. Super Massive Black Holes (SMBH) is a heavy progressive metal band from Calgary, Alberta, and formed under the pretense of “play anything” band. This holds true, as they play several differing styles under the banner of “play anything,’ and it is done in an extremely professional manner. Their new album, Calculations of the Ancients, clocks in at less than 40 minutes, and manages to cram Jazz, jamming, metal, progressive scale composition, and just plain badassery into every corner. A quick description would be Primus smashing uglies with Between the Buried and Me, while Candiria furiously writes out masturbatory scientific love ballads, buts that’s just to my ear.
If you’re looking for a track you kind of test the waters, can’t really go wrong with “Dyatlov Pass Incident”, as it covers just about every angle they can throw at you. It has the soft playing full of fret jumping and tapping that progressive metal is known for, then jumps into the BTBAM heavy thump and speed coupled with a very gravelly, death metalesque voice. It seems that SMBH has drank deep from that well, and it sets them apart from all the hipster-ish prog bands of now, who seek to sound clean in a heavy way. Bleh. Another song that might be just a bit better for a great listen is the instrumental, “Mathematics of Emotion.” This song is an impressive display of musical prowess, and they throw a lot of stuff your way. This is probably my favorite of the album, and I really wish it was longer than a paltry 3 minutes.
Again, this being a progressive band, and I realize i throw that out a lot but this really is a great band for that header, you’re not going to find a singular playing style, so a bit of trial and error is appropriate. There is nothing to “get,” and that’s what makes these guys shine. You have technically impressive songs that have some freaking complex scientifically debased titles, which fits with the sometimes chaotic music. Its a spectacular blend of chaos theory and intelligent design, put into sine waves. If you’re a fan of Between the Buried and Me, Candiria, Tidal Arms, or any technical death band, these guys will not disappont you.
