Friday: Tesseract - Dystopia

     Speaking of new albums (as I was the other day when I was wondering how you're liking the new Refused disc), what does everybody think about Tesseract's latest Polaris? You haven't had nearly as much time to sit with it as you've had for Freedom, but perhaps you've still got some first impressions?

     I've been a big Tesseract fan since One, so I'm maybe a little biased, but here's what I'm feeling so far: Polaris didn't blow me away right out of the gate. Definitely rock-solid, but not mind-blowing. It does, however, grow on me with each listen - not a "grower" in the traditional sense that you didn't really like something at first but then warmed up to it, moreso in the sense that it was something good, and just keeps getting better.

     That's where I'm sitting with Polaris right now; I'm still discovering all the little notes and nuances, increasing my enjoyment of the record every time through. We'll just have to wait and see where I ultimately put this one in Tesseract's catalogue, but for now I'll say I'm super pleased with album three. So pleased, in fact, that I can't really decide which song to point you towards today (since you've already had both of the singles) meaning I'm just going to start you at the start. Your Friday Tesseract song is therefore Polaris-opener "Dystopia". Press play and let the whole thing ride.

Saturday: Tesseract - Survival

     Maybe I should see a proctologist, because I seem to have a horseshoe up my ass. Any time I fall a little too far behind on my daily duties here at Loud Noises (which seems to be happening too much lately... but then, you know that...) the gods see fit to drop a new tune or two in my lap to get my wheels turning again.

     Such is the case with your Saturday song, the latest single from Tesseract's forthcoming third album Polaris. Once again, the name of the game in "Survival" is "groove", and the lads deliver a couple of whoppers in this track. I could really get behind an album's worth of this kind of big, slinky grooves. Come see what I think about Polaris in, oh, about ten days' time.

Monday: Tesseract - Messenger

     You all know I like to alliterate with the Metal Monday, but another start-of-the-week thing I sometimes do (though not in a long while, I don't think) is a New Music Monday. And wouldn't you know it, the heavens have opened again and dropped a tasty morsel into my lap. Thanks heavens!

     Another thing you should all know is that I like (as in, really like) both Tesseract and Dan Tompkins, so hearing Dan was back with the band was great, and hearing they had a new album ready for a fall release was even better. But now I've got the icing on the cake pumping from my speakers right this minute in the form of the first single from Polaris.

     And what a single! My only complaint? At less than four minutes, "Messenger" is perhaps a little short. But while it doesn't overstay it's welcome, it does bring the funky groove that's the Tesseract version of heavy, and that's exactly what I was looking for more of on this album. More, please!

     There are some mix and production issues, especially with the vocals, that people are getting butt-hurt about to varying degrees, but I think if you take "Messenger" as just a representative taste of Polaris and don't get too bent out of shape about every little thing, you'll be just fine. Or maybe I'm just a bit of a fanboy? Whatever, just check out "Messenger" already.