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Turbulence: Frontal
Turbulence - Frontal Album Art

Turbulence: Frontal

Progressive Metal
4.5/5.0

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Frontiers Music
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 10.03.2021 | Released: 12.03.2021

As most of us know, the Middle East and North Africa is fertile ground for rising heavy metal bands. While it seems that doom, death, thrash, and more extreme metal is more pervasive in the region, there are a few progressive metal bands. There's Myrath for one and the internationally known Orphaned Land. Now, we introduce from Lebanon, Turbulence and their second studio album Frontal on the Frontiers Music label.

Turbulence - Click For Larger Image

Turbulence

Founded in 2013 by guitarist Alain Ibrahim and keyboardist Mood Yassin, fans of traditional progressive metal will find Turbulence both challenging and entertaining in the technicality of their songwriting and the skillfulness of their musicianship. Their song arrangements abound with tempo changes and twisting time signatures while rising with fine guitar and keyboard solos throughout. Turbulence is also adept at offering listeners a contrast of metal heaviness with segues of calm which often raise the vocals or introduce a fine solo or solos (often riding along an auspicious bass line as within Perpetuity. I would even suggest that within songs like Ignite or Inside The Gage, Turbulence fuses some jazz-like nuances to their compositions, where rhythm and groove add enthusiasm to the complexity. Yet, their take on progressive metal can have some subtle modern nuances like intense and dense riffage, a rhythm section that rumbles and thunders, and some occasional harsh vocals (Ignite). But all these things are sufficiently combined in a creative (and ambitious) way to keep their listeners anticipating what's next, and then being intrigued by what follows. In this sense, Turbulence's music might be considering "thinking man's" prog. It's not something you listen to while on a road trip; it would give distracted driving a new definition. Rather Turbulence's Frontal and progressive metal should be contemplated over several spins to enjoy the spirited complexity of the songs and exceptional musicianship of the players. Easily recommended.




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The Bottom Line

Turbulence's Frontal and progressive metal should be contemplated over several spins to enjoy the spirited complexity of the songs and exceptional musicianship of the players. Easily recommended.

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