The Tesseract Megathread: Sonder Released

[Sermo Lupi]

Saw this interview pop up in my YouTube recommended feed: it's Tesseract (James and Dan, anyway) on the KScope podcast, which I gather was recorded right after their last rehearsal before the American tour.

I listened to it, and here's something that was interesting to me:

Interviewer: Daniel, of the new material then [...] what's been the most difficult track of the new material to get ready for live; and conversely, what's been the easiest?

Daniel: Well, on this tour we're only taking three new songs on the road. One of them we played quite a lot on our last tour--we went to the States and we supported Megadeth--which is 'Smile'. And it is a newer version, it's revamped for sure, it's a lot more energetic, so that was really easy to be honest with you. What are the other songs we're doing? Oh, 'Luminary' and 'King', I'd say the two singles, really, kind of makes sense, doesn't it? [Daniel finishes the question describing how he has a high note in Luminary that makes it difficult to sing live].

Interviewer: So this tour must have been booked a long time ago to get everything coordinated around the album, but from the outside it looks like--I imagine it's like a duck, where everything is looking really nice on the surface, but underneath everything's paddling away furiously--was this all planned? Or did this come together by accident?

James: Well no, it was planned, and this tour was booked and that then imposed a deadline on the record. So it meant that the record had to be done...probably slightly quicker than we would have wanted? But on the other flip side, it's good to have a deadline and just get it done. So yeah, we basically had to have it done by a certain point to do this tour, and after this we're going to festivals, and after that we do Australia and Europe.

Emphasis mine.

The reason why I bring it up is that, while it's certainly not earth-shattering news that a band should choose their singles to tour their new album, it would seem that the album was rushed a bit. That could explain its truncated length, and maybe also why they felt they had to change/expand 'Smile' since they'd been playing it so long already. I definitely think those three tracks are the highlights off the album, and while several others are still very good, the album as a whole doesn't feel as complete as, say, Altered State.

Anyway, just thought I'd share. Here's the rest of the interview; the bit I quoted starts at 13:57.

 

[RoRo56]

it would seem that the album was rushed a bit.

From what they've said over the last few years I don't think they've ever been happy with any album they released. They couldn't track live drums for Polaris or Altered State due to time/budget constraints and when they talk about One they mentioned how they had to make an album heavier than they wanted in order to get the right attention in the industry to give them a platform.

 

[rezafelayati]

I don't get this album. It's like it's at some weird half-way point between pure ambient and their usual style, but neither takes the lead so it just kinda meanders most of the time. Some ambient sections were cool, there were one or two good groove moments, but other than that this album's a bit of a mess for me.

The only song that I remember well and fondly is the last one, and it's 2.5 minutes long.

YES! that's what I also thought. As much as I love TesseracT, I felt that something's off with this album. I've been listening to the whole album twice and the only song that I liked so far is "King". I expect grooves like in "Eclipse", "Dystopia", "Singularity", or maybe the outro on "Survival", but I don't feel it on "Sonder"

 

[Veldar]

Hopefully the next release is all 5 of them in the room jamming everything out until it's done.

But I still haven't listened to the whole thing yet.

 

[Slunk Dragon]

I've been playing the album, on and off. Some of the songs are pretty damn good, but for me, the biggest pitfall is the lyrical content. Dan has a great attention to pitch, but he doesn't write meaningful lyrics at all. On some songs like Luminary and King, they're decent, but on Smile, it's just... so vague and so boring. Really takes away from the great instrumentation of the song.

 

[lewis]

it comes across like they are almost bored of the musical decision they have made.
Its just not heavy or groovy enough.
It has no identity really other than being "Ambient" in different ways.

First 2 albums are still great for me and the Polaris production is their best album sound.

I just wish they went for it more. All the songs feel like the same tempo as each other and as has been said, they now just meander through albums.

Maybe I need to be high or something to really appreciate their sound, but as a completely straight edge dude, it just isnt me so.

Acle is awesome though. Cool dude.

 

[Geraldo7]

I was tempted to give 'em a three star review after buying this EP on Amazon. Because this is what it is: an EP. Period.
Ofcourse Tesseract is no 3-star-band at all. But: I have listened to this many times now on my way to work (at least 45 minutes to munich when traffic is jammed). And i can listen to "Sonder" almost twice on my drive.

Thing is i really really love the first 4 songs. Lyrics i do not listen to, no native speaker here, that seems to be a plus here idk .

But wtf, what happens then? I hate song 6 and seven, no prob m8, this happens, but then the game is over. I mean, it is done? Three years between "Polaris" and "Sonder" – and now this? I would have expected one or two good songs after track seven and a 12-minute-masterpiece at the end of the longplayer, erhh disk. No wucking furries i will listen to the first 4 songs and the first half of the fifth again and again, but kind of strange, isn't it? Ofcourse, only my personal .

 

[Albake21]

I was tempted to give 'em a three star review after buying this EP on Amazon. Because this is what it is: an EP. Period.
Ofcourse Tesseract is no 3-star-band at all. But: I have listened to this many times now on my way to work (at least 45 minutes to munich when traffic is jammed). And i can listen to "Sonder" almost twice on my drive.

Thing is i really really love the first 4 songs. Lyrics i do not listen to, no native speaker here, that seems to be a plus here idk .

But wtf, what happens then? I hate song 6 and seven, no prob m8, this happens, but then the game is over. I mean, it is done? Three years between "Polaris" and "Sonder" – and now this? I would have expected one or two good songs after track seven and a 12-minute-masterpiece at the end of the longplayer, erhh disk. No wucking furries i will listen to the first 4 songs and the first half of the fifth again and again, but kind of strange, isn't it? Ofcourse, only my personal .

Honestly I agree with you a bit, it's definitely short and there is much more to be desired. It absolutely feels more like an EP than a full length album. Totally agree about the last songs too, they are kinda boring to me.

 

[Veldar]

Isn't rein in blood like 30 minutes & that's considered an album

 

[Albake21]

Isn't rein in blood like 30 minutes & that's considered an album

I don't consider 30 minutes to be an album IMO, but in the end it's up to the artist to call it an album or EP.

 

[Lukhas]

Isn't rein in blood like 30 minutes & that's considered an album

Likewise, in a promo video for the anniversary tour for Images and Words, Petrucci had expressed that despite what he was thinking at the time he's glad "A Change of Seasons" didn't make it on the record.
Depends of the density of material you're putting into an album. The duration of Reign in Blood works for the frantic playing there's on the record. Likewise, in a promo video for the anniversary tour for Images and Words, Petrucci had expressed that despite what he was thinking at the time he's glad "A Change of Seasons" didn't make it on the record, even though I&W is already just under an hour long. In comparison ...AJFA is twice as long as RiB with almost equally energetic playing on display and Metallica barely plays any song from it (One and Harverster of Sorrow excluded) because they drag on for too long. That, and because neither Ulrich nor Hammett can play the material on it anymore.

 

[RoRo56]

https://twitter.com/IAWEE_ZHP/status/992089546064986113

Seems that Dan is unable to perform at the minute due to laryngitis, so they played an instrumental set at one of the shows.

 

[Sermo Lupi]

Crazy. I'm sure some people were pissed, but I guess for a band that size, cancelling the show is the only viable alternative. Gives the musicians/hardcore fans a unique performance, at least.

 

[Veldar]

Crazy. I'm sure some people were pissed, but I guess for a band that size, cancelling the show is the only viable alternative. Gives the musicians/hardcore fans a unique performance, at least.

Tesseract have so many backing trackd live would you even notice?

 

[Tr3vor]

The only part I really got along with in the new album was the ending groove to smile. King was too edgy and rather lame. The rest of the album was rather unmemorable. Bringing back screams doesn't save you from boring music I guess.

 

[wannabguitarist]

https://twitter.com/IAWEE_ZHP/status/992089546064986113

Seems that Dan is unable to perform at the minute due to laryngitis, so they played an instrumental set at one of the shows.

Wow. I saw them the next day and Dan absolutely killed it. I'm personally not a fan of Sonder, but King and Smile are both better live than on the album. I think the same goes for a lot of Tesseract's material.

Tesseract have so many backing trackd live would you even notice?

That the vocalist isn't there? Absolutely.

 

[lewis]

I don't consider 30 minutes to be an album IMO, but in the end it's up to the artist to call it an album or EP.

we are in the same dilemma in my band.

We are recording our debut release that only has 5 songs (at around the 30 odd min mark), initially it was obvious to us to call it an E.P BUT, the recording/mixing etc is coming out sounding at a standard much higher than anticipated, we now are debating calling it an album instead.

plus "Debut Album" sounds better in marketing. Hmmm. More thinking needed haha

 

[Albake21]

we are in the same dilemma in my band.

We are recording our debut release that only has 5 songs (at around the 30 odd min mark), initially it was obvious to us to call it an E.P BUT, the recording/mixing etc is coming out sounding at a standard much higher than anticipated, we now are debating calling it an album instead.

plus "Debut Album" sounds better in marketing. Hmmm. More thinking needed haha

If it's your first ever release, I personally wouldn't waste your first release on an album. The problem is, you may not have a following right now, so it's better to release an EP, gain some following, and then use your first debut album. You can't put all of the eggs in one basket. Just my two cents.

 

[lewis]

If it's your first ever release, I personally wouldn't waste your first release on an album. The problem is, you may not have a following right now, so it's better to release an EP, gain some following, and then use your first debut album. You can't put all of the eggs in one basket. Just my two cents.

yeah true. Plus leaves obvious room to grow too in the eyes of the fans.

If its received well, you can then get "Wow these guys are great. This is just their EP too. Impressive debut. I cant wait until the album"

.........of course we have to be good first hahahahah

 

[Albake21]

yeah true. Plus leaves obvious room to grow too in the eyes of the fans.

If its received well, you can then get "Wow these guys are great. This is just their EP too. Impressive debut. I cant wait until the album"

.........of course we have to be good first hahahahah

Exactly! Haha good luck to you and your band.