Altesia 'Paragon Circus' Review

A review of the Altesia album ‘Paragon Circus’ - released on December 11th 2019

Altesia's debut album 'Paragon Circus' boasts sounds akin to Haken, Opeth, Leprous, BTBAM and Dream Theater. All of these comparisons ring true throughout, but the album is so much more than that. It is a beautifully woven, sprawling, epic tale that presents itself through weaving beautiful acoustic moments and harmonies, contrasting with the sometimes outright heavy and hard-hitting passages.

Now, I come across certain albums from time to time, and they take me by absolute surprise. The kind of releases that literally have me smiling ear to ear as I listen from start to finish, and this was one such album. It was the kind of thing I'd been waiting to hear for a long time without even knowing it, so thank you Altesia for making lockdown significantly more enjoyable with your great album! But without further delay, let's get down to it:

The first track, 'Pandora' is a beautiful, tender opening to the album. Beautiful harmonies and acoustic goodness paves the way for this song. For me, it acts as a kind of prologue to the rest of the album, giving you a moment of calm before the proverbial storm.

'Pandora' leads seamlessly into the next song 'Reminiscence' which instantly strikes a more sombre tone with piano and sorrowfully-picked guitars. The song does an excellent job of changing pace: moving from that sombre tone to heavy and gothic; passages with repeating riffs and sprawling solos - it feels like it's always changing direction in a bipolar sort of way. And I think that really works for it, you don't have time to dwell on anything, you're always moving forward through this fantastically gothic masterpiece. I really love the vocals in 'Reminiscence' too (and the whole album, truthfully). There's just something about them that suits the instrumentation and tone of the song so well; it reminds me of another great band 'Keor' in that way - the way the soundscape is enhanced by the emotive vocals that always seem to parallel the mood of the song. This is probably my favourite song on the album, it's unashamedly heavy in places, while beautifully moving in others.

'Amidst the Smoke' takes a more fast-paced approach from the start, it sort of jerks into life, before breaking into a melodic clearing that becomes more tempered and paced. I think the slower parts of the album (and this song in particular) compliment the harmonies and vocals really well, it all runs so smoothly together. Though there are solos and more crowded instrumental sections in the first half of this song, it works best for me when it keeps its reflective nature through the more gentle moments. It's the second half that kicks into gear with more momentum, showcasing funky organ solos before moving back into the gentler breeze that carried the song previously. The closing solo is simple and yet very emotive, working its way into my top 5 favourite solos of all time (alongside Delsey Hill, Ihlo, Haken and Marillion).

The start of 'The Prison Child' again throws you straight into the action. The heavy riff and high vocals make for a really powerful opening. The song is a brilliantly vast journey that touches on many corners: beautiful vocals, heavy instrumentation and complex riffs that dissipate into a tense build, call and response sections and masterfully-crafted solos. The vocals here again remind of 'Keor's debut album 'Hivemind'. There's also an excellent violin solo that made me smile in surprise - even in progressive music with all its elements I still find myself taken by surprise and asking myself - "can they do that? Why does that work?" and this was one of those glorious moments.

'The Prison Child' plays out really nicely into 'Hex Reverse' which pulls at the heart strings from the first word. The harmonies in the album are great, but this moment of isolated vocals with piano feels honest and beautiful. The rest of 'Hex Reverse' doesn't disappoint; it mainly takes a slower and more tempered pace than the rest of the album, and it retains its beautifully eloquent nature throughout, even when breaking out into its heavier side for the last quarter. 'Hex Reverse' is incredibly emotive, it feels mournful and sorrowful, especially with the twisting guitar solo towards the midpoint acting as a sort of lament. During the heavy breakout towards the end, we get some harsh vocals. Usually I'm not a fan of them but I make exceptions for when they're needed or when they really work, and this is one of those moments where it works - it feels like the perfect vengeful climax to such a deceptively sweet song.

The final chapter of the album 'Cassandra's Prophecy' is an amazing track; a true progressive epic. Not only the best track for bass on the album, but also a varied, eclectic track that evokes similarities to 'Dream Theater's 'Octavarium' epic, with long acoustic sections that recount a story, slowly merging into the familiar whining of strained electric guitars. Even at times of layered, busy instrumentation, 'Cassandra's Prophecy' never goes off track, never loses its way, and I think it's because the many different passages and sections to the song, while sometimes being repeated, never get boring. This track is also brimming with solos - guitar, violin, everything, and they all feel well balanced and spaced. There are some really empowering and motivating sections here that are usually instrumental, caused by the momentum and rhythm of the guitars that really get into your head and uplift you. And to finish it off, a justly climatic outro, played out with some gently picked guitars and the eerie static sound of a running vinyl. Fin.

'Paragon Circus' does a good job of incorporating stunning solos, acoustic sections and heavier passages that all fit well together, and contrast to create a beautifully varied and emotional album that allows for reflection, anger, and a whole lot of head-banging. It captures perfectly a gothic tone, littered with despair, but also some uplifting moments. The whole band works really well together, and though things get crowded at moments, they never get busy enough to overpower the song, every instrument has its space to breathe and work. The best moments are the quirky ones; the organ solos or violin solos, the off-beat sections that take you by surprise.

All I can think after listening to this album a few times is: why aren't Altesia more popular? Their debut album 'Paragon Circus' is an absolute standout release for 2019 and I regret missing out on it back then. It's the kind of album where every single note has me hooked - every single second matters and adds to the journey. Now I only give 10s to releases that do something extra, something that I often can't put my finger on. For Altesia, it's the quirky and fun sections that are woven so seamlessly into their music - even at times of darkness and chaos, Altesia manage to bring in sublime sections of upbeat solos and grooves. And for that, it earns itself a solid 10/10, and a spot in my heavy rotation. Don't miss out on these guys, I hear they're writing new material already! Thanks for reading!

- James Carstairs