It's a different kind of adrenaline rush I get when I see a band cite a philosophical work at the bottom of a lyric sheet. holotrophic has returned to the extreme progressive metal game with their new album "individual," ending an eleven-year break. "individual" was released yesterday, so I sadly missed it during my New Music Friday scanning because this band is yet to be added to Metallum! Someone better go ahead and do that for me because I have no idea how. A fun little fact before I begin, this Slovakian quintet received some heartwarming support for this release, as the Slovak Arts Council provided them with public funding. How lovely.

"D'Filer" opens with tribal drumming, a blend of soaring clean vocals and solid gutturals, and an infectious groove that strongly emits the attitude of alternative metal. They are aware of their alternative sensibilities, but their time signature switcheroos will always have you on the edge of your seat. This track was a single, and if I heard this before diving into the full project, I'd be annoyingly impatient for release day."Al(l)one" is brutal in both instrumental density and lyrical content. When the saxophone debuts during the jazz passage, thanks to Stanislav Baranec, I can't help but nod in approval. holotropic proves that they're both metal and intellectual. "fRiction," pummels riff after riff in a pleasantly extreme manner for progressive metal. Vladimir's singing is hellish yet understandable here, which goes miles for the average listener. While the lyrics may go over their heads, and they did go over mine, they don't feel pretentious. "fRiction" bleeds into "out-with-in," a short ambient song filled with (I believe) a Middle Eastern string instrument. This bleeds further into-

-A three-track suite, which I'll call "in_dividual." "Part I: Animal" was released as another single, which is a bit confusing, as I'm pretty sure it's supposed to be listened to with the other parts. It hits hard like usual, so there's nothing to complain about. This part deals with moral dilemmas, and while that's probably the layman's analysis, I got the gist. "Part II: Lamina" is the shortest part, but one of the most enjoyable due to the saxophone's return. It's riffage, along with the chunky bass and guitars, of course, culminates in one of the most upbeat and enjoyable moments of the whole album. "Part III: Anima" is fully ambient with philosophical samples from Alan Watts. I know of this philosopher, as I played "Everything," a video game in which he's a key figure. Hearing his voice again is wonderful.

This is the second 9/10 score I've given in a row, and I'm not sure if I'm becoming too soft or if I'm listening to too many great albums in a row. First world problems, am I right? holotropic's "individual" is simply a great extreme progressive metal release that will scratch any eclectic itch. Get these guys on Metallum STAT!