Inner Odyssey (prog metal gem)

Prog Head

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Hailing from Quebec is a new Canadian gem INNER ODYSSEY. They play a versatile blend of progressive rock and metal. For a debut, ‘Have A Seat’ has a sensational level of creativity, an artful melding of depth and technical precision. Very impressive album from start to the finish. The first track begins with a Pink Floyd entrance. Then the style turns into hybrid of Dream Theater/Metallica. It casually flows into PT(at their melodic side). This is transformed to Opeth… :) But apart from obvious references the music of Inner Odyssey is a self-indulgence: with a soulful voice of Pier-Luc Garand-Dion, supported by other members. Excellent point is Vincent Leboeuf-Gadreau with his guitar mastery. The drummer Йtienne Doyon and bassist Simon Gourdeau lay down rhythms, the keyboards of Mathieu Chamberland add melodic color to cross a wide range of barriers… :cool:

http://www.360entertainment.ca/inner/player.html


Feel free to enjoy this invigorating debut. It ROCKS! Kudos to Inner Odyssey.

http://www.innerodyssey.com/


00. Inner Odyssey - Have A Seat - 2011 cover.jpg
 

Prog Head

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The more I listen to this album the more I like it. Tremendous stuff! On a global scale, I'd place Inner Odyssey as the NEXT BIG THING!
 

Prog Head

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Inner Odyssey has been signed with the Unicorn Digital label for the release of their debut album 'Have a Seat' (UNCR-5082). That will be available worldwide This Fall.
 

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OK... That's my own point of view. :)

I had great expectations for the second release from Canadian prog-band INNER ODYSSEY. Begs the trivial question: was it worth the wait? Yeah, 'Ascension’ is a fabulous affair! It can literally take your breath away. Beside graceful musicianship and terrific songwriting, young fellows bring artistic integrity. Each song blends perfectly with the concept of metaphorical journey through the life, accompanied by inescapable questions that depend on different age stage. Étienne Doyon is responsible here for the lead singing and percussion. The guitar textures (Vincent Leboeuf-Gadreau) are underpinned by bass department (Simon Gourdeau), while Mathieu Chamberland provides the keyboards intention. The album’s opener, ‘Why Am I Here (Ouverture)‘, slowly gains momentum, holding a vibe where nice chords are alternated by powerful work. This segues into ‘Something More’, larded with the guitar gimmicks, interspersed between agility of keys and tight rhythmic section. Thereafter, ‘A World Of My Own’, which is replete with sonic surprises and whimsical performance. The middle section contains Spanish-esque fragment. Next up, ‘My Purpose’ has enough room both for enchantment and for virtuosity. Heir, titled ‘Losing Your Mind’, sounds at times vigorous, at other moments fragile, but without losing sight of the common message. Again, the intertwining harmonies create a special palette. Drifting ‘Crawl’ exudes flavour, bound by the vowel system and instrumental passages. Then, things turn to ‘Lifelong Misery’, using a barrage of potent riffs and intriguing synthesizer lines, thrown in for good measure. Bass and drums battle it out amidst significant signatures. The flute is also present in the mix. Gentle ‘Introspection’ shows a sense of restraint that’s underscored by piano melody and the fine vocal delivery. Bursting out in a prog-metal style, instrumental ‘Retrospection’ gives offensive template. It's mighty and furious. By contrast, a smooth ballad ‘You Are Not Alone’ glides to soothe. Its melodic pattern can remind of the opening track. For the completion, comes versatile ‘Where It Begins, Where It Ends’ (Finale), a melting pot of cool ideas, featuring excellent placement of accents... :cool: In sum, I can rate this CD as the strongly recommended purchase! Just imagine, if Pink Floyd, It Bites, Porcupine Tree, Anathema, Dream Theater and Transatlantic got together and worked on one album - it would sound much like 'Ascension'.
 

Prog Head

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Inner Odyssey are currently working on the third studio album. Below you can see the new line-up of this Canadian band.

Inner Odyssey 2016.jpg

 

Prog Head

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The band's line-up has changed again. A title for the upcoming studio release is 'The Void'. More details will be confirmed as they become available.
 

Prog Head

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Prog Head said:
The band's line-up has changed again. A title for the upcoming studio release is 'The Void'. More details will be confirmed as they become available.
Click to expand...

If work proceeds according to schedule, 'The Void' will be released sometime in Fall 2019. This new CD features a total length around 50 min.
 

Prog Head

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Prog Head said:

If work proceeds according to schedule, 'The Void' will be released sometime in Fall 2019. This new CD features a total length around 50 min.
Click to expand...


The Void (front cover).jpg

Above you can see the artwork for upcoming album by Inner Odyssey, which is to be out on March 1st.

The full tracklisting:

1. Overhanging
2. The Reckoning
3. Into the Void
4. Don’t Walk way
5. I’m Fine
6. Endgame
7. Nemesis
8. Continue Without Saving
9. The Great Collapse.
 

Prog Head

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Prog Head said:

Now I've heard CD 'The Void' in its entirety. This album maybe somewhat more difficult to digest than two previous discs. One thing for certain, this is a quality work that definitely deserves to be reviewed. Probably, in coming month...
Click to expand...


Here it is:

INNER ODYSSEY have returned with CD 'The Void' which is a new evidence of the band’s uncompromising attitude toward creativity and self-discovery. Not contenting to just emulate the more widely known artists, Canadian five-piece strike out on their own path. Yep, I am fairly certain that Inner Odyssey represent a singular brand of fresh and imaginative modern progressive rock style. How to describe their latest proposal? This record defies a simple categorization, and there is no simple way to tell you what you find here, because no song is any one thing. Sometimes mellow sometimes potent, CD 'The Void' is full of diversity, intricacy, and abrupt metric changes. Each progression takes its time to develop, the vocals and instrumentation are provided with exciting contrasts. The band knows how to make this interesting from the very start till the finish. In result, they produce a terrific blend which combines gentle parts with more aggressive material and experimental explosive moments. Sure, one important thing to keep in mind, that with quality music at this level of complexity and performances, it takes attentive listens to really begin to appreciate the eclectic stuff. The reward comes with perseverance, focus and many spins of the disc. Then, you will admire the combination of the smooth lines and the harsh edges, the rich colours and shadings, convoluted textures, and how the parts fit together. So if you wanna get a quirky experience, giving the wide spectre of emotions, then you need look no further than here.


Inner Odyssey (line up).jpg
 
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