Founded on the expected principles of overabundant polyrhythms, melodic-to-harsh vocals and atmospheric ambience combined with ultra-modern production techniques, Torrington, Connecticut’s Millennia is a band that should be closely watched by music fans all around the world.
The band’s recent single, “Afterglow,” is a part of Prog Sphere‘s “Progstravaganza: Harmony in Complexity” compilation, and through its five minutes, Millennia serves Progressive Metal, slash, Djent affair, albeit with a fair amount of flair woven in. The polyrhythmic drumming, the jazzy chords, clean breaks and ambient sections so often displayed by TesseracT are all present. The guitarist (Daniel Dolecki) is in top form, providing both memorable, groovy riffs and unsettling melodies, seamlessly alternating between the two. The drumming by Dustin Pfaender alternately locks in with the guitars to power forward the band’s groove, or playing across and under the riffs in flurries of dead-accurate double kick.
The songwriting too, is in top form. Presenting a slower, more epic version of the established Djent formula, “Afterglow” weaves to and from, meandering through various sections and moods towards its inevitable climax and finale. The moody build-ups at times almost bring to mind the vintage work of post-rock acts.
The production is, in one word, immaculate. The single is at the forefront of high-tech production. The guitars are clean and clear when they need to be, and heavy and groovy the next moment. The bass is highly audible, and at times even a tad funky, bringing a presence and dimension not often felt in records of this style. The drums sound heavy and hard, and carry the band with a boom and a thud. Ambient synths float in and out of the background, providing sufficient atmosphere but never taking over the recording. Aaron Starr‘s vocal execution is also spot-on, never completely overtaking the show, but never sinking to the background.
This single shows a lot of promise from a band on the brink of extraordinary things, all wrapped up with epic songwriting tendencies and a great deal of talent. “Afterglow” is a truly promising release, and if Millennia continue to hone their style as they have obviously done over the past few years, they will no doubt become one of the genre’s most defining bands in the coming years.
"Afterglow" is a truly promising release, and if Millennia continue to hone their style as they have obviously done over the past few years, they will no doubt become one of the genre’s most defining bands in the coming years.
