After three critically acclaimed albums, progressive metal band AEONS returns with the band's most challenging and accomplished recording yet; The single-track, 23 minute-long monster that is “6EQUJ5”. AEONS are known for their complex, heavy-prog, laden with brutal grooves and haunting atmospheric melodies. This EP showcases everything the band is known for, but also expanding that very notion along the way. 6EQUJ5 speaks of our world alone, a lonely voyager within the cosmos, wrapped up in our own machinations, our myths and our religions. Haunted by our own failures and scrabbling to survive the future, we get a glimpse of something greater – something out there – and we realize with equal parts fascination and horror that we are – in fact – not alone. Through a radio wave from the depths of space comes a message that redefines who we are, what we could become, and our place in the universe…

The EP has but one song, a shared title with the EP itself. Spacey keyboards lead off the song, together with some bluesy, emotional lead guitar breaks. It sounds absolutely magnanimous. Segueing into clean guitars, it has a bit of a somber feeling at first, and the vocals are smooth. I get a bit of PINK FLOYD in the opening bars, and it is quite pleasing. Suddenly, it takes a darker turn, and heavy bass thuds and keys carry the sound, with some nifty drum fills and meaty guitar riffs. Harsh vocals follow, and it’s almost as if there are two separate songs compressed into one, yet the transitions make sense to me.  From there, some shameless Progressive leanings emerge, and why not?

If you have the chops, and they clearly do, let them shine. The path they enter onto that follows seems circuitous, but make no mistake, they know where they are headed. Rounding the halfway mark, a chorus makes an appearance, and they draw it out like any good one, with plenty of melodies. The structures are firmer from there, are also tinged with darkness once again. The journey that the band takes you on throughout the song is arduous, but like any journey, the end justifies the means. Headed towards the finish line, you can feel the tale beginning to come to a close, and the music crescendos. The final sequence hears the music return to the smooth tones in the beginning once again…those FLOYD tones.

When I think the possibilities of alien life, it always excites me, and the Fermi Paradox comes to mind. I maintain that given the trillions of starts in our galaxy, and the trillions of galaxies in the universe, alien life is a mathematical certainty. The album’s journey reflects these themes, together with sophisticated songwriting, outstanding musicianship, and complexity. Perhaps its greatest strength however is how well the band ties these things together, into a cohesive whole, that the listener can reach out and grab.