QUINTA ESSENTIA „“Neutrality for Defined Chaos””

Music: Black metal/Thrash/Death Metal
Country: United States
Web Site: www.quintaessentia.net


Cool Songs: Hidden Constellation (A Journey Through the Missing Masses), Quintessential Holocaust

QUINTA ESSENTIA hails from the bible belt of America, Alabama, so the band’s everyday surroundings are sure to provide inspiration for their hateful, blasphemous creation known as “Neutrality for Defined Chaos.” The said album is full of many of the aspects commonly found in the modern black metal scene: a rough production, constant pummeling drums, sickening charred vocal screams, and guitar riffs seemingly lit from the fires of Hell. However, QUINTA ESSENTIA differentiates their band from the spiked and painted hordes by paying a great amount of detail to progression, guitar solos, and other technical features not normally associated with this kind of music.

The band as a whole stands out for their musicianship, but Thom Matthews’ guitar playing is the most remarkable. Readers might be more familiar with Matthews for his playing in the long-lived thrash band HALLOWS EVE. Matthews orchestrates flesh-ripping solo after solo. His solo work adds a dimension of expert guitar playing. The notes he plays also serve to further shade the dark vibe persistent throughout the album.

Two of the album’s better tracks include “Hidden Constellation (A Journey Through the Missing Masses)” and “Quintessential Holocaust.” A summary of the later track includes abysmal-dropping notes, a constant double bass drum beat, tremolo riffing, a Middle Eastern melody, climbing guitar notes and a bass solo to introduce a lengthy session of back-and-forth soloing. “Hidden Constellation” incorporates many of the same ideas as the other track mentioned, but also shows the band’s death metal side. Many of the guitar riffs are akin to the style played by THE CHASM, those being dissonant, low rhythms.

QUINTA ESSENSIA’s music is quite progressive for a black metal band. “Nuetrality for Defined Chaos” is filled with dynamic breaks, complicated solos, clean and extreme vocals, and the occasional keyboard passage. It can’t be called avant-garde due to it lacking the genre-crossing instrumentation of bands like ARCTURUS and ULVER. However, “Neutrality for Defined Chaos” should appeal to a wide range of listeners due to its eclectic mixture of guitar heroics and black metal wickedness. Due to Thom Matthews’ departure from the band for his solo effort, it will be interesting to see if the group retains the stellar playing on the next album. I expect a rawer, more conventional black metal album next time around with Pest of Gorgoroth handling vocal duties.

note: 8/10

Tracklist

1. Introduction: Gathering of the First Cause
2. The Destiny of Pity is Destruction
3. Intuitive Path of Strength and Will
4. Quintessential Holocaust
5. Interlude: Conquered and Swept Away
6. Hidden Constellation (A Journey Through the Missing Masses)
7. Guided by Polaris Through the Night
8. Outro: Wandering the Path to Mortal Transition

Line-up

Jason Flippo~Vocals-Lead and Rhythm Guitars-Bass
Matt Barnes~Lead and Rhythm Guitars
Matt Odom~Bass
Lee Hurst~Drums
*This is the new lineup. Information for the reviewed album is unavailable