One moment harsh and heavy, the next soft and melodic, "The Blueprint Dives" is certainly an ambitious record - and one that's difficult to define. A massive collision between prog rock, folk, and extreme metal would be one way. An ambitions, complex, yet accessible album that refuses to be categorised would be another. But whatever genre you try and shoehorn in into, the latest album from this Norwegian fivesome is really rather good.
"Soul Deprived" is one of the more vicious tracks on the album - kicking off with death metal influenced guitars, and vocals that threaten to strip the paint from your walls. But, thanks to limited use of cleaner singing, it's also pretty on the ear. Together with the more progressive elements that crop up in other songs, comparisons with the masters of prog-death - Opeth - are inevitable (indeed, Extol have toured as their support act). But Extol's short, snappy songs and unique approach to the genre mean that they aren't simply a copycat act, and their singing style has more in common with post-hardcore “shouty” vocals than it does Prog Metal (but don’t let that put you off).
Things slow down a bit with "Lost in Dismay" - a predominantly acoustic track that showcases the talents of guitarists Ole Halvard Sween and Tor Glidje in a more understated way. Thanks in part to the vocals; the song sounds like Muse's more understated work, as well as having an almost folky vibe. It's slightly overshadowed by the attention-grabbing metal tracks, but definitely worthy of extra attention.
Tracks such as "Essence" capture the, well...essence of Extol - the song opens with a towering guitar riff, and some well-executed harsh vocals, then, half a minute in, the singing changes to a cleaner style. This switch doesn't make the song sound disjointed, however - the guitars hold everything together, occupying as they do the middle ground between the two. Unfortunately, what's shaping up to be an excellent song takes a bit of a nosedive around half way through, thanks to some vocal work that comes dangerously close to “rap”. Even on a progressive metal album, in 2005, the putrid corpse of nu metal raises its mouldering head....
The album closes with "The Death Sedative" (although there is also the obligatory bonus track) - it fades in menacingly, with whispery vocals and barely audible guitars gradually building up to a crescendo almost halfway through the song. This all helps to create a powerful, suitably definitive song - an effective conclusion to what's generally a damn good album. After hearing this, I was soon reaching for the "play" button again - the complexity of this album is such that I felt it warranted another listen almost immediately.
But "The Blueprint Dives" is only that - a good album. While most of the tracks will have you nodding your head, none of them are likely to blow your mind. It's missing that magical something, that indefinable secret ingredient. It's a CD that makes demands of the listener - you have to listen closely and carefully to really appreciate it – but it doesn’t necessarily reward as much as you’d hope. However, the variety of the songs, coupled with the undeniable skill of the musicians, have resulted in an album that's certainly worth a shot if you're after something a bit different.
Standout Tracks: Soul Deprived, The Things I Found, The Death Sedative.
Overall Score: 7 /10
