Monstromax
People like this keep prog rock alive and well. This trio displays real ambition and musicianship that is reminiscent of Rush, King Crimson and others, but is also distinctly their own. I look forward to more releases from them.
Favorite track: Splinter.
The human species is stretched to its limits due to overpopulation and limited resources. The only hope to stave off impending disaster is to colonize among the stars. To aide in this goal, scientists look to the graviton, the hypothetical particle that mediates the behavior of gravity. Theoretically, the direct observation of the graviton could possibly allude to methods of harnessing and manipulating gravity. Hoping to bring this understanding to light, scientists have developed a manned craft that will shrink while maintaining the integrity of itself and its contents.
The pilot of this craft is the world’s first quantumnaut: a theoretical physicist whose mission is to shrink the craft down and directly observe the graviton, reporting his findings back to his team. However, there is a point of no return: If he becomes too small, he’ll never be able to return to full size and will forever keep shrinking exponentially into nothingness.
His heart beats heavy in his chest as the ship is activated. His colleagues become giants. Dust motes look like boulders, then asteroids, then planets. He sees bacteria the size of whales, molecules the size of buildings, and atoms the size of cars. He watches strong and weak forces play out in front of him, and witnesses ionic and covalent bonding first-hand. Still, he has yet to find the graviton.
As he begins to reach the limits of his craft, his colleagues urge him to return to normal size. But he thinks of the future of humanity, and in his heart he knows that he will not get another chance. He refuses to return empty-handed. Finally, as his equipment blares warnings, he spots what he is looking for. It is beautiful, nearly incomprehensible, but unmistakable. He observes, takes the data he needs and relays it to his colleagues. The stability of his craft begins to falter. At this point he knows he will not return. He wishes his team luck and continues to shrink into the void.
The quantumnaut sees many amazing things as he grows smaller and smaller: Elementary particles, quantum forces, things he knew his colleagues could never even dream of. Finally, he reaches the smallest size conceptualized by physicists: that of the quantum foam. As he floats among the bubbles of the very fabric of our universe, he peers into the bubbles only to find that all of existence is nothing more than a giant cosmic joke. He sees the same thing, over and over and over until infinity. In each bubble that makes up existence, he sees the entirety of the universe from which he came.
credits
released March 29, 2016
Josh Goldberg - Chapman Stick
John Tyler Kent - Chapman Stick
Josh Merhar - Drums
Mixed by John Tyler Kent
Mastered by Phillip Peloubet
All of the following was recorded at The Record Company in Boston MA:
Drums for tracks 1, 6, 7 engineered by Chris Zajac and Nicole Newman
Drums for track 2 engineered by Carl Stoodt
Drums for tracks 3 and 4 engineered by Chris Zajac
Live performance for track 5 engineered by Arjun Roy
GEPH is an instrumental progressive jazz metal trio riding the very cutting edge of contemporary music. With Josh Goldberg
and John Tyler Kent on Chapman Stick, and Josh Merhar on drums, the three of them sound as big as a five-piece, and work to expand the modern conceptions of arranging and composing in a heavy, intense and still succinctly musical format....more
Another stellar release from this long-lived ensemble. Though the King Crimson influence is obvious & that comparison unavoidable, these guys have made many great recordings that can't be categorized as 'mere copies'. The perfect balance of aggressive riffing and serene soundscapes. Stephen Roberts
An tempestuous post-rock journey inspired by the existential threat of climate exchange, "Triumph & Disaster" overflows with grace and grit. Bandcamp New & Notable Oct 9, 2019