You never know what to expect with Progressive bands. I guess that's why they're called progressive. The trick is to go into the record with a completely open mind, with only the knowledge that a good progressive album is supposed to be reasonably technical without compromising musical sensibility and reasonably poetic without compromising functionality. Progressive albums are supposed to serve as a soundtrack to life because of how bizarre yet coherent it is. The songs are supposed to remind you of inner turmoil and worldly concepts at the same time. Pure experimentation that works, though, is still hard to come by.

With their new release "Laws of Motion", OPPOSING MOTION have something to prove to the more mainstream subgenres and their larger audiences, but the band also has to answer to their underground following. How do they handle the pressure? Why, by opening the album with a sure-fire deal-sealer of an intro, "Deus Ex Machina". It started and sounded exactly as I would've wanted it to. Aside from satisfying my selfish demands, the song really managed to capture the essence of what the band hoped to achieve in the first track itself. Alas, it was only a simple intro track which I really hoped could've expanded into a full-fledged 10-minute Progressive Metal fiesta.

The second track, "Forever's Edge" had this great old quality about it, which reminded me a lot of NWOBHM. I thought this was really cool as it showcased the band's purity in keeping with all sorts of inspirations, making the experience truly progressive. In terms of the vocal work, Ludo Desa has a very old school voice that is great with melody and soaring effects. He has one of those classic voices that thrive with classic rock music. Of course now, he has to work with progressive metal, and he managed to keep everything focused and on point. "The musical aspects of "Laws of Motion" stem from varied influences from the Heavy / Prog Metal genres but always focus first and foremost on melodies, then layering more creative, technical breaks and sections to take the listener through an exciting and intriguing journey", said the band's promo script. Well, this is very true. The band's talent lies with their skill in crafting melodies and layering the technical breakdowns in between. That being said, the technical aspect wasn't really obvious, as the melody often took over and outshined other experimentation they tried to bring in.

The dynamics are rather strong, with the band having a tendency to start sweetly and soar throughout. The title track was very wistful, almost circus-like, and almost pop. Yet the orchestra lingering in the background of most of their songs brings much needed darkness the songs, amplifying the band's experimental side and cementing their metal roots. It was a rather intriguing listen, with the music of each song aching to tell a melancholy story. I could see the album's concept being made into a movie, actually. Very entertaining, at times moving, sometimes rather bizarre, but I guess that's progressive.