Is a Metal genre defined by the tunes used by the vocals? Of course that answer is no, because there are inner features in the instrumental layers of a specific genre that makes the difference (or anyone would say that the difference between PANTERA of other Thrash Metal acts was solely due Phil's vocals?). But on younger genres and subgenres, things became really hard to differentiate, and a fine work to have a clear insight on such discussion is the recollection of older material of the North American band CONTRARIAN, as heard on "Demos & Oddities 1995-1999". Before all, this material was recorded during the years the band as known as MANIC in the years between 1995 and 1999 (as the name of the release makes clear), and it's important to say that these songs aren't available of the band's Demo Tape "Recollection of What Never Was..." (released originally on 1996).

Here, the most curious thing: the songs are all instrumental, without vocals! And as told in the first paragraph, only on some extreme parts (due the guitars' distortion) one can have the idea of dealing with a Progressive extreme Metal act (the band plays Progressive Death Metal), with all those influences of Jazz, Blues and Progressive Rock. This recollection was mixed and mastered by Doug White at Watchmen Studios, Lockport, NY, and it sounds with a very good sonority, keeping things clean and defined, but always in a way that the hearers can feel the weight of a Metal band, but honestly: it really sounds with Progressive Metal band, but without the vocals, it's hard to point to what kind of Progressive Metal subgenre one is dealing with. Unfortunately, the tunes of some guitars parts could be better.

Musically, what is expressed on songs as "Loss of Phase" (the arpeggios and Jazz-like elements are sounding really great, with technical shifts of tempos, showing a complex and solid work on bass guitar and drums), "Sine Wave Trails" (another technical song full of excellent arrangements on guitars), "Equilibrium" (very good introspective parts with clean guitars arrangements), and "Infinite Derivatives", but the whole album is a very good experience for those used to instrumental songs and Progressive Metal voyages.

Again, if you're into any Progressive Metal genre, "Demos & Oddities 1995-1999" is an album for you. And if you still don't know CONTRARIAN's music, it's a very good opportunity for it.