Drawing inspiration from modern technical prog bands such as TesseracT, Karnivool and Periphery, The Parallax Method’s groovy, intricate riffs belie their influences.
Upbeat, and judging by song titles like Honey, I Shrunk The Squid, not ones to take themselves too seriously, the Derby band’s instrumental prog has more in common with earlier progenitors of the genre than their modern, drop-tuned descendants. In terms of direct comparisons, perhaps the closest would be the math-prog of Body Hound, though fans of technical guitar players in the vein of Guthrie Govan will also find a lot to like in Danny Beardsley’s elegant legato phrasing. Honey, I Shrunk The Squid has something of the new Godsticks record about it, which makes sense given the guitar style and the confluence between heavy prog rock and jazz-influenced rhythms here. Though The Owl is split into tracks following opener Welcome, One And Owl, it flows together as a continuous piece of music and is best enjoyed that way. This accomplished debut is the work of experienced, talented musicians and it’ll be interesting to see what The Parallax Method can muster over the length of a full LP.
