“Raise your eyes, notice me.”
It’s been over five years since we’ve heard from TesseracT in the form of a fully fledged project. While in the interim we’ve had a few bits and pieces scattered, such as their 2020 live album P O R T A L S, as well as some charity singles released in 2022, War of Being represents the first full body of work in half a decade, which is not an insignificant amount of time. That being said, it’s clear through this record’s rollout, from the music itself and (far, far) beyond, that the UK prog veterans haven’t been sitting idly by. Launching alongside a hefty amount of lore pieces, starting with but not limited to a fully fledged VR game title, War of Being is shaping up to be one of the most unique album rollouts I’ve seen in recent memory. However, the question still remains: after so much time away, can TesseracT still deliver on their historical brand of ingenious, groovy prog?
It has to be said that I wasn’t all too fond of Sonder. While it certainly contained some enjoyable prog tunes, it felt that the album was missing something. It didn’t help, too, that at just 36 minutes it was their shortest project to date, and didn’t feel nearly as substantial in quality or quantity than their previous endeavours. Still, though, there were glimpses of greatness in there. “King”, “Smile” and “Juno” in particular were standouts, providing some much-needed energy into an otherwise milquetoast progressive metal project. Because of this, going into War of Being I was hesitant, but cautiously optimistic about how they had developed their songwriting in the years since Sonder. However, from the moment I heard lead single and title track “War of Being”, all of my worries fell away in an instant.
Of course, over the hour of music that remained to be heard on War of Being there was naturally some space to falter, but the title track left such a remarkable impression on me that I could not help but be excited. There was this fiery, electrifying energy in Dan Tompkins’ vocal performance that I felt he hadn’t quite tapped into since the band’s seminal 2011 work, One. A truly dynamic performance, ranging from the most equally soaring and vulnerable of clean vocals, to some truly gritty and driven screams, there was something about “War of Being” that just felt complete.
Thus, approaching the main body of the record, my expectations had been raised a tad. Thankfully, I can say with absolute certainty that what TesseracT have crafted here has not only met, but greatly surpassed what I had expected and desired from them. From the moment that opening rager “Natural Disaster” graces the ear of the listener, it’s clear there is something else going on here beyond the usual proggy TesseracT fare. Chaotic, djenty riffing; violent shrieks and growls; pounding percussion – this is TesseracT at their heaviest and darkest to date. That notion is only confirmed just a couple of tracks ahead on “The Grey”, as Tompkins roars over a flurry of syncopated staccato percussion, with “Legion” following suit in a similarly ferocious fashion.
That’s not to say that War of Being detaches itself from the lush, proggy atmosphere that they’re known for – in fact, that stuff is all in here in spades, and only serves to bolster just how dynamic and masterfully crafted this thing is. “Tender” in particular stands out as one of the most impassioned and acutely emotional tracks this band has penned. Crescendoing from a point of sombre reservation to an explosively emotional conclusion, this is by far one of the most gorgeous and complete songs TesseracT have yet created. Earlier cut “Echoes” reinforces these notions, too, being one of the most abjectly planet-sized and impactful cuts across War of Being.
As we approach the final stretch of the record, we are greeted with an exercise in extremes. The largely slick, reserved and at times downright sexy groove strewn across “Burden” proves to give this penultimate track a unique place within an already diverse tracklist. Conversely, closer “Sacrifice” sees TesseracT approach the finish line in anthemic fashion, with one of the record’s most electrifying choruses, and some of its proggiest song structure. Acle Kahney and Amos Williams trade off slap guitar and bass licks here, ushering in a mid-section most reminiscent of the energy found on Altered State and Polaris, seeing the album’s nearly-10-minute closer explore a multitude of the band’s strongest and most dynamic sounds.
As a whole, to me it is almost undeniable that War of Being is TesseracT’s magnum opus. It truly feels as though the band have pulled from and wholly understood what has made each and every facet of their sound over the years work, and then expanded upon them to the nth degree. Each and every song across War of Being is dense, gorgeous, impassioned and chock full of groove, and it is an album that has not left my rotation since I first heard it. I can’t see it leaving said rotation any time soon, either. It may have been a long five years since Sonder, but if War of Being is emblematic of anything, it’s that TesseracT certainly weren’t twiddling their thumbs all this time. War of Being is an album that truly feels like it’s been half a decade in the making, and while I hope whatever comes next won’t leave me waiting so long, if this is the new quality standard for TesseracT, then I will wait for as long as is required.
9.5/10
War of Being is due for release Friday, September 15th via Kscope, and you can find pre-orders for the album here.