Review: Turbulence – Frontal

Style: Traditional Prog Metal (mixed vocals)
Review by: Nick
Country: Lebanon
Release date: March 12, 2021

I’d like to start off this review off by saying hello to everybody! I have been frequenting this site for a while now and I’m ecstatic to have the opportunity to write here! Honestly I don’t think I could have picked a better first album than I did because wow.

Very rarely does a band making traditional progressive metal manage to find their own sound. In a genre full of imitators, be them intentional or not, it has proven almost impossible to bring your own sound to the table. This is something that Turbulence does with ease. Upon first listen you may pick up pieces of Dream Theater or Haken, but the deeper you listen the more you realize that they don’t actually sound like anybody. They have, instead, managed to carve out their own style in a truly astonishing feat.

Lyrically, Frontal is a concept album based on a true story about a construction worker who survives an accident in which an iron rod punctures his skull and destroys his frontal lobe (hence the title). The result of the damage is an entire read in and of itself, but the band does a great job giving you a peek at the insanity that came from the accident. The fight for control over one’s own brain makes for a wonderfully creative concept and my god do they pull it off.

This battle for memory and consciousness isn’t just told through words. The concept itself offers up an excuse for chaotic songwriting and this is something that they take full advantage of. For a perfect example look no further than lead single “Madness Unforeseen”. This track starts off with an absolutely filthy djent intro that dissolves into a chaotic percussion driven verse. From there we hit an explosive chorus, a reserved verse, a hectic build into a wanking jazz guitar solo and then what else but a dubstep breakdown? Few bands are able to write compositions like this and have it feel like more than a collection of ideas. Turbulence pulls that off and then some, leaving you wanting more even after an already respectable 65 minutes.

Of course lyrics and songwriting mean nothing if the production is garbage, and luckily the band seems to understand that. You can tell that they have meticulously thought out every single section’s dynamics and have altered the production to cater to each change. Instruments jump forwards in the mix as needed and fall back when another takes the stage. This carefully crafted choreography acts almost like a tour guide through the album, leading you to the highlights without ignoring the intricacies. A great example of this is throughout “Ignite”. At one point there is a Genesis-esque jazzy keyboard breakdown followed by a shredding solo that would make even John Petrucci blush. Although these sections should be jarring placed side to side, the masterful production keeps them in check.

Stand up comedy has been described as dodging laser beams, and I believe the same applies to progressive metal. There are so many factors that can knock an album down from being a masterpiece. Cheesiness, over self-indulgence, a lack of focus, just to name a few. Yet somehow, against all odds, Turbulence has managed to dodge every single laser beam and come out unscathed with an absolutely magnificent work of art.

Please, I’m begging you, don’t sleep on this album. It will absolutely floor you.

Recommended tracks: Inside the Gage, A Place I Go to Hide
Recommended for fans of: Haken, Dream Theater, Circus Maximus
Final verdict: 9/10

Related links: Spotify | Official Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Metal-Archives page

Label: Frontiers Records – Website | Facebook

Turbulence is:
– Omar El Hajj (vocals)
– Alain Ibrahim (guitars/vocals)
– Sayed Gereige (drums)
– Anthony Atwe (bass)
– Mood Yassin (keyboards)