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Time Grid: Time Grid
Geminy The Prophecy Review

Time Grid: Time Grid

Progressive Metal
4.5/5.0

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Unsigned / Self-released
by Craig Hartranft,  03.05.2013

Little is known about Time Grid, a progressive metal band made up of Swiss and French musicians. I was given no biography and no history, nor album art or band photo. Perhaps the band doesn't actually exist. Not true, friends. They have a Facebook page, and because they're on the Internet we know they're real. (Laughter.) There you can find a band photo, album art and, if you can read French (I can't), a biography. What I did get is rather impressive and sophisticated progressive metal from some diversely talented musicians.

Perhaps the biggest surprise, next to the grand character of the arrangements, is the vocal arrangements provided by a male and female vocal pair. While that's hardly novel, what is unique is that this is not a case of some wildly operatic female lead paired with some moron doing dirty death vocals. No, these are shared lead vocals, sometimes in duet, and clearly clean. I might guess that both Mathias Reusser and Laetitia Fontannaz have classical training. However, I must admit early on, with the very first song Deceit, I wasn't convinced that I liked his sound or their paired arrangement. Some of this is because there's a strong mournfulness to Reusser's timbre. But, in the end, both have grown upon these ears.

Mostly, it's the music that charmed my ears. Again, this is rather sophisticated stuff. Sometimes I felt like Time Grid was merely being as prog as possible to convince the listener that they can do progressive metal. In other words, doing prog merely for prog's sake without offering some sense of accessibility. Yet, listening to the two longer pieces, Emptiness and Escape, you get intrigue, exceptional musicianship, and familiarity for your ears. Alternatively, you could get the 'prog for prog's sake' from the instrumental Premices (spelling?), but even this song offers a audible accessible groove.

Taking another turn to the musicianship, there is some stand out guitar work here from Steve Huber, who also contributes to the composition. Also, Raphael Sudan offers some well-arranged and good sounding keyboard layers, but sounds especially impressive when he turns to classic piano. All in all, except for the minor caveats mentioned above, Time Grid's debut album delivers timeless and impressive, sophisticated and entertaining, classic melodic progressive metal. Strongly recommended.


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In Short

Time Grid's debut album delivers timeless and impressive, sophisticated and entertaining, classic melodic progressive metal. Strongly recommended.

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