Artist of the Day: The Contortionist

It's no secret that The Contortionist is tearing the very fabric of progressive metal as we speak. In fact, the group's upcoming full-length Intrinsic has been causing quite the stir, for being incredibly opposite of its predecessor.

Intrinsic is coming out July 17th, and yes, the artwork is pretty as hell.

The Contortionist first broke onto the deathcore scene with their versatile debut titled Exoplanet, and it's remarkable to see how much the band has developed since those days. Back then there existed only gentle plodding into progressive terrain, while the band's "core" elements were fleshed out. This caused a bit of a backlash at those wanting something a bit more cerebral, those tired of the same old process of rinse and repeat, breakdown and recycle. There were hints at evolved songwriting between the bombshells - "Axiom" was one such example of mature composition, a lull to soothe those uncomfortable with the deathcore elements common in the other tracks. Overall, though, the group's music has always been tastefully done. While I won't claim that the group's influences in their earlier days were terribly creative ones, The Contortionist at least found a way to pull off prescribed heaviness with a touch of refreshing charisma.

The charisma is even more evident on Intrinsic, one of the more anticipated releases of 2012 for progressive junkies such as myself. I'll keep my lips sealed now in terms of specifics, but it's safe to say that the group has evolved in refreshing ways.