Out of the depths of the Metro Detroit area, accompanied by fire and several small explosions, came IMMINENT SONIC DESTRUCTION. The band has been described as “Progressive Super Metal,” which seems to fit nicely among the 53,426 sub genres currently in circulation. 2025 will see the release of their fourth album, which features further explorations into the nooks and crannies of progressive metal songwriting. These guys love pushing themselves, and they HATE robots. "Floodgate" is the idea that after a significant event in life, artists and musicians alike tend to open up the floodgate of creativity, and let it all out. This album is a celebration of that floodgate opening up.”

The album has eight songs, and the title track is first. The entrance is dirty, heavy, even somewhat greasy or grungy, and the groove is simple, but catchy. Those vocal harmonies in the chorus shine brightly however, like a new penny. From what I know about the band in the past, they are on a path of reinvention. “Memento Mori” is next, and also has a heavy, binding structure but is not without melody. The vocal harmonies remind me of some of the Seattle bands of the early 1990’s…those drawn out and somewhat somber ones. The guitar solo is very melodic and emotional, and it fits the song quite well.

“No One” has a similar pace as the previous two songs, but with the addition of keyboards to the Sludgy Prog. But, the fog lifts, and the vocals are done with clean guitars in the first part of the verse, followed by that sledgehammer riffing on the album so far. Vocal harmonies cut through the dense overgrowth, and the two styles seem to clash throughout. “The Game” has a darker entrance, similar to what the title denotes. We all play games…some of them have big consequences however. For me, the song sounds like someone who is fed up with these games. The music swells and retreats at just the right times, reflecting these feelings.

“Find Center” is really the first song that dials back that heavy, filthy sound. A little. The bass notes are as thick as fast-drying concrete, and the riffs are punishing, grungy offerings, but the vocal harmonies rise above all of that, providing the listener with a golden rope to escape the pit. “The Light at the End of the Tunnel” begins with clean tones and melancholy vocals, but you know that massive hammer is coming. It make a direct hit, but harmonies carry through stronger. Layers begin to build, and as they approach the horizon, they fall like lead with a crashing crescendo. “The Weight” has a groovier approach to it, and gone is the filthy weight, replaced by poignant emotion. They make a bridge to the past album with this song.

The lengthy “Floodgate II” is the final song. It eases in slowly with clean vocals and piano, but that heavy sound drops as well. It grows steadily more nasty and angry. Both the guitar and keyboard solos add some seasoning to the song as well, and it ends on a more melodic note. Progressive music demands that one never stands still, or re-creates a sound of the past, and that is the case here. It’s the extremes on the album that get me most…they are miles apart. The muddy, murky, grungy, and massive bottom end is as nasty as anything I have heard this year, but the bright vocal harmonies keep you from being swallowed by them. They seem to have a way with balancing these two things quite well on the album.