CEPHEIDAE VARIABLE is a progressive metal artist hailing from BC, Canada. Their music consists of technical riff based writing, with melodic leads, odd time signatures, orchestral arrangements, and evocative soundscapes. Each song aims to tell a story through instrumentation. Their debut album "Primordial Reverie" developed from a concept of establishing different biomes and acts with the absence of lyrics. This gives each song its own unique feel, while retaining established motifs throughout for a cohesive experience. Each track builds upon the previous, growing in impact.

The album has nine songs, and "Overture" is first. The tones that enter out of the gate are warm, melodic, and smooth, mostly created by keyboards. "Carving a Dragon" has heavier and darker tones, but melody and guitar harmonies are still the primary focus of the song. You can hum along to the main melody line, even though there are no vocals. "Zephyr of Ouroboros" uses strings as part of its repertoire. They are solemn at times, and bright at others, and the song builds a smooth atmosphere for the listener. There are meaty bass notes, and passages of lead guitar breaks. "Encounter" has weighted, Djent tones, and is bursting with a fiery energy that is hard to deny. In the background, keyboards play in support, to give the song a full, rich quality.

"The Conduit" has some bouncy rhythms and a groove that runs through it. The guitar work is excellent…Ryan hits every passage and every turn with accuracy. There is also a nice balance between weight and melody. "Chromatic Haven" has brighter tones as the title suggests. There is still a good deal of heaviness, but the swirling and shifting keyboards keep things moving fast and hasty. Some of the rhythms are choppy, and they also give the song a hardened edge. "Entropic Harvester" has darker tones, some of them from the super heavy and meaty bass notes that lead off the song. The guitars rhythms are weighted, but again, there is a good balance of melody here.

"Singularity" is the final offering, and the lead breaks are smoking, sparkling over a bed of heavy rhythms with Progressive elements in tow. This was a solid album to listen to. Without vocals, the artist has to work harder to convey his feelings and emotions in his music, and Ryan did that well. Many of the melodies you can hum or sing along with, and that's a testament to the instrumental album.