Review: Sanguine Glacialis – Maladaptive Daydreaming

Style: Progressive Metal, Symphonic Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Eclectic Metal (mixed vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Seven Spires, Wilderun, UnexpecT, Fleshgod Apocalypse
Review by: Ian [Editor’s note: this is his first review, welcome Ian!]
Country: Canada (Quebec)
Release date: 18 August 2023

One of my favorite styles of progressive music has always been the “kitchen sink” approach, in which an artist consciously ignores the shackles of their chosen genre and tosses in sprinkles of whatever sonic palette their intrusive thoughts happen to demand. However, while this approach can lead to some riotously varied, entertaining, and unique results, it is not without its dangers. If an artist forgets the core tenets of songcraft- the basics of hooks and structure- the result can be a garish, unlistenable mess, with “quirky” clashes of contrasting soundscapes and rhythms plastering over any actual semblance of a song like a cake that’s eighty percent frosting. This question, then, looms large over Montreal prog-melodeath ensemble Sanguine Glacialis as they seek to follow up 2018’s entertaining yet scattershot Hadopelagic. This time, is there a method to the madness unfolding, or have they kept simply throwing musical ideas at the wall to see what sticks?

Well, there certainly are a lot of ideas being thrown about here. On a first listen one gets the sense that the band is dedicated to throwing in a new musical left turn every thirty seconds to prevent listeners from ever becoming bored. Bandleader Maude Théberge is an absolute one-woman army on vocals, switching from smooth yet commanding cleans to vicious rasps to some surprisingly piercing operatic soprano notes with ease. The rhythms underpinning each song shift abruptly in turn, with drummer Jérémy Racine going from rapid-fire blastbeats to a relaxed, jazzy waltz and back again at the drop of a hat. Speaking of jazzy waltzes, opener “Welcome” features a smooth sax solo that wouldn’t sound out of place from a swing combo playing in some smoky coffeehouse. The sax isn’t the most left-field musical element here, however; that honor goes to mid-album standout “Resilience”, which bursts out of the gate with a klezmer clarinet leading the charge as a choir sings the chorus hook over some deliciously wonky rhythms. And I haven’t even gotten into the lush, ever-present layers of orchestration, or the piano and cello sections, or…

Alright, so there’s a lot going on. But the question still remains- do these songs succeed at being, well, songs? Happily, the answer to that is a resounding “hell yes”. At its core, Maladaptive Daydreaming is just a rock-solid symphonic melodeath record, one that serves up riffs, hooks, and the occasional breakdown with deceptive efficiency. Guitarists Jonathan Fontaine and Alexandre Lépine ably provide crunchy chugs, rapid-fire tremolos, and clean rhythm parts as needed for each movement, and though they seldom take the lead for any big solos, that decision ends up being a wise one given the sheer density of textures already present. Bassist Marc Gervais mostly follows suit beneath them, though he has a couple of welcome moments in the spotlight, such as the intro to “Ars Moriendi” and a brief solo in the middle of “Inadaptation”. And overall, the band execute the heavier moments excellently, pulling off quick blasts of fury and slow, neck-wrecking breakdowns alike that stick around just long enough to make an impact before the orchestrations arrive to add a welcome layer of melody to the proceedings.

Sanguine Glacialis are also keenly aware of the role a strong chorus hook can play in even the quirkiest of prog metal, and Théberge delivers the goods every time. It’s somewhat astonishing how every single melody on here just works, from the crystalline descending lines that emerge out of “Malevolent Creativity” midway through to the wonderfully effective gothic melodrama that drips from the intro to “Burst in Flames”. Even that aforementioned goofy klezmer bit in “Resilience” (okay, especially that goofy klezmer bit) found itself stuck in my head numerous times over the past couple weeks. The bilingual English-French lyrics, too, are well implemented, and are worth a quick Google Translate from any non-Francophones such as myself. Dealing with themes of mental illness and self-imposed isolation from a harsh outer reality, they paint a picture that is as impressionistic yet undeniably evocative as the excellent cover art.

So far as negatives go, there really isn’t much to talk about.  I could see the argument for instrumental interlude “R​ê​veries Obsessives”, lovely as it is, to be cut, given the existence of multiple other brief piano-and-orchestra reprieves throughout the album, and maybe the lengthy, ever-shifting beast that is “Paracusia” could do with a minute or so of fat-cutting, but that’s about it. The only real criticism I could levy comes in the production. Now, full disclosure, I’m less of an audiophile and more of an audio-Philistine. I listen to music from MP3s on cheap headphones and am generally fine with it so long as it doesn’t physically hurt to listen to. I seldom check DR ratings before buying albums, or at all really. Yet even my unsophisticated ear can tell an album with as much stuff packed into it as this one deserves a bit more space for the lush orchestrations to breathe, and I can’t help but wonder how much harder its numerous emotional highs and lows would hit without them being compressed to high heaven. The bass is the hardest-hit victim here; aside from the spotlight moments I mentioned earlier, Gervais’ playing is almost entirely buried, and it’s a shame to hear such a clearly talented player being sidelined like this.

Production aside, however, Maladaptive Daydreaming is an absolute gem of an album, and one I can’t recommend enough. It represents a sizable leap forward in songcraft from a band whose reach had previously exceeded its grasp, one that utilizes the tactics of the “kitchen sink” approach just enough to create an engaging, adventurous, and dramatic rollercoaster ride of a listening experience. It’ll throw listeners for a loop, but not enough to eject them out of their seats. For those who are tall enough to ride, I’d encourage you to get in and hold on tight.

Recommended tracks: Welcome, Resilience, Burst in Flames
You may also like: Pensees Nocturne, The Circle, Dyssidia
Final verdict: 8/10

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

Label: Independent

Sanguine Glacialis is:
– Maude Théberge (vocals, keyboards)
– Jonathan Fontaine (guitars)
– Alexandre Lépine (guitars)
– Marc Gervais (bass)
– Jérémy Racine (drums)