London, Ontario's TRILATERAL is a Progressive Metal trio, located in Canada just north of Lake Erie in the States. As far as I can tell, "Elliptic Orbits" is the band's sophomore release, following "Vimana" in 2013. From their Facebook page, the describe themselves as "A cyclone of influences fused as one through a trio centrifuge of unique musical minds; A culmination of varying genres creating a fresh, new sound of metal that offers something different for each listener. Songs are themed to create a story that the listener can experience not only musically, but lyrically as well." "Elliptic Orbits" contains twelve songs or varying lengths. Let's get to some of the highlights. "Dividers of Infinity" leads us off here. Death vocals lurk overtop of a punchy rhythmic section with some dissonant chord progressions. It's Prog music for sure, but hard to make a specific comparison with any other bands. It's heavy, technical and unique. "Cloud Forest" is the longest song on the album, at six-and-a-half minutes. The opening guitar sequence is melodious but soon the weighted and fierce sound returns. One thing is for sure-the trio has impeccable timing, as Jacob holds the pace with a variety of techniques. The rhythms displayed here are very diverse. Throw out your metronome, as it has no use here.

"Celestial Bodies" has some really diverse guitar work, and moments of melody that grab your attention. That instrumental section is just great-an almost Jazzy affair that is completely different from the toughness of the beginning of the track. "Fountainhead" is a wonderful song that opens with soft acoustic guitars before unleashing the bombast of tight, forceful rhythms that rattle your senses. "Nomad" is a trippy little instrumental with sounds of the desert in the background. I am not totally sure what he is drumming on but it fits. The technical display of musicianship on "Blessed Protagonist" is pretty amazing. The polyrhytmic changes happen so quickly that it is hard for your mind to follow them. It's sterile and cold though, emotionless like a machine. It gets your blood pumping but does not raise your temperament. "Charon," however, lets the melody shine from the start with a sweetness that lingers on your tongue. It's definitely something any music lover can connect with.

"Arbitrarium" is another showcase in science and math. The Death vocals are harsh and bitter, and the potent rhythms are once again the backbone of the song. They close with the two-minute comely "Convergence." It is delicate and accessible, and also a little sad sounding. The lead guitars softly weep over the main riff, with a bluesy acquaintance. It takes a pretty deep understanding of music and theory to be able to compose some of the tracks on this album. Their musicianship and synergy as a trio is noteworthy. Fans of the heavier side of Progressive music will surely be impressed with the structures presented here. However the one area that I would have liked to have heard just a little more of would be melodies that you can reach out and grab. Still, a very skillfully crafted album.