Search - Butterfly Effect :: Imago

World Class - Melodic and Powerful

Gordon Kyd | Sydney, NSW Australia | 08/29/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"'Imago' is a moment of artistic clarity for The Butterfly Effect. Every great band has that moment at least once in their career yet somehow I feel that these guys are just getting warmed up.



A fine balance of rhythmically heavy tracks verses more ambient and spacious songs, 'Imago' reminds me very much of A Perfect Circle's 'Thirteenth Step' in texture however the comparison between the two bands should end there.



Although 'Imago' is clearly a more commercial and radio friendly release than their debut album of 2003 - 'Begins Here'- it is through a solid performance, complex yet clever arrangements and a faultless production that makes it more assessable without losing any of their heavy and potent edge. With a display of world class musicianship, each member of The Butterfly Effect has their moment to stand up and be counted as the glorious mix allows each to be clearly audable and display the proficency of their craft. 'Imago' is devoid of repetition and formula which has tainted the creativity of most rock album in recent years.



The most outstanding aspect of 'Imago' is the presence of one of the greatest vocalists to come out of Australia. Clint Boge instantly impresses with his vocal control, emotion, range and tone. Totally original, his choice of vocal melodies and phrasing is just stunning. Particularly his more gentle moments, it is the subtle vibrato at the end of vocal lines and his perfect pitch that never fails to inspire. It is this performance which should immortalise him as a vocal champion, however he may have to settle for a more underground and less mainstream appreciation depending the success of this album. The rest of the band also rise to the occasion, with melody dripping off every progression. Guitarist Kurt Goledhart switches effertlessly between crunching dropped tuned distortion to rich chords in clean tones which allows the weight of Glenn Esmond's bass to carve his low end grooves magnificently. It has to be said that the bass tone on this album is one of the biggest, most powerful, lowest yet clearly defined I have heard on probably any album. Hats off to the engineer for achieving what so few seem to never get: a huge bass tone that sits perfectly in the mix.



The intro track which is the album title, is a melodic, gentle ditty which build up dynamics with a sweeping string arrangement as it's backbone. Just as you would expect the song to explode into riffs and mayhem it drops into almost nothing and then the second track begins. 'Aisles Of White' starts so delecately and beautifully spacious, just vocals and a few reverbed notes on guitar, that you wonder if this really is a rock album. However the weight of this song slowly builds and the main hook "Waiting for something, waiting for someone" draws you into the mood of the album. As if woken from a pleasant dream, "Gone" hammers and pounds out brutal, heavy chords that you'd come to expect from The Butterfly Effect. Yet somehow in the the churning sea of low end guitars and bass, Clint delivers a most melodic and, dare I say, sweet vocal melody for the verse and chorus rather than the harsh bark you'd expect from any other metal band playing such a heavy riff. Track 4, 'A Slow Decent, the first single off this album, is an instant catch with a perfect mix of rock and groove. Surprisingly, it is probably the heaviest vocal song on the album. Choosing it as a first single is a no brainer as it just appeals right of the bat.



In short 'Imago' is a well crafted album in a similar vain of style such as bands like 'A Perfect Circle' and 'Tool' with a polished progressive metal feel. Definitely my favourite release this year so far. I will be very surprised if The Butterfly Effect do not make headway in the US and Europe based on the strength of this album."

Simply stunning...

Nathan Hindmarsh | QLD, Australia | 06/28/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"That is what thes album is, stunning. Begins Here was a very good album but it pales in comparison to Imago. Putting it simply, Imago is a rock masterpiece. Every track has melodies and vocals that just soar out of this world. Clint Boge has to be the best vocalist I have ever heard, and his lyrics are incredible as well. This album will rightly catapult TBE into international stardom, and I would fully recommend it to any rock fans out there."

Nothing like TOOL but ....

drawesome | Salt Lake City, UT | 12/11/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I first heard of TBE through a list on Amazon about other bands of interest for TOOL fans. "Wow an unknown rock band similar to TOOL from Australia called TBE?!" I thought with glee. I was crushed when I listened to it for the first time. What a disappointment! If you read all the TBE reviews on this site there's at least 10 references to TOOL and many to A Perfect Circle which they also don't sound like. On the other hand they are pretty good. You could very well hear them on an alternative rock station, nod your head, and tap the dashboard, but probably have no idea who they are. All of their songs could be radio hits. With a good music video, extensive marketing, and a well timed entrance into our saturated emo era they would go platinum easy. Their lead singer has great vocal range. TBE is a band worth checking out and I will hold on to their cd. However with all of that being said they're really nothing special and again nothing like TOOL."