What is this, smart guy Metal? This Spanish band has, I'm assuming, taken its name from physicist Christian Doppler and his famous effect. Heck, they named weather radar after the man so it stands to reason that he was a pretty big deal.

Overall, "Apophenia: Type I Error" is a fairly solid mass of chunky, roughage riffing. MESHUGGAH, VOIVOD and PANTERA would be the main touchstones here. While the first five songs on the album stay in the four to five minute range, the final three songs make up a trilogy.

Opener "Pareidolia" is a marching track where riffs seem to stack through the four minutes. Though the drummer sticks to a slow, deliberate pace, the guitars rarely stay with the same progression for more than a verse. And, honestly, the next four songs follow this blueprint fairly close. Electronic sounds open "Asynchronous Forms" and the track includes a few more of these flourishes than the opener. That said, there is a lurching riff that starts right after the three minute mark that may be the most memorable part of the album.

"Eyes Attending to Detail" begins by adding a little muscle to the mix with thick vocals and a sturdy riff. Even so, the song ends up covering a lot of ground. An open section that would sound at home on a CONVERGE record mixes with keyboard sections and even more muscular guitar parts. "Internal Sensorial Reality" is the most traditional, and subsequently most aggressive, track on the album. Straightforward speed sections guarantee the song has fewer jagged angles than others on the album. That said, the final minute is made up of a robotic riff that is unique and welcomed. As if in response to this diversity, "The Delivery and The Giant" moves back to rough guitars and angular metal.

When it comes to the "Falling" trilogy, part one is a three-and-a-half minute mini song and part two is all guitar riff. Part three is a seven minute track with an experimental opening that obviously showcases a heavy TOOL influence. But, after just a minute, the thick screams and stop-start guitar reappear. Though the tempo and sounds may vary, this gruff approach sticks until the end of the track.

While there are a few snappy riffs to be found here, the album doesn't explore undiscovered territory or bring anything new to the table. Over the years, MESHUGGAH has not spawned a legion imitators, so maybe selecting this sound was a smart move. Still, if these guys were that smart, they would have skipped Metal and become engineers. Seriously, I hear engineers make that mad money.