The dim hum of elitism is fading in the metal community, yet subgenre gatekeeping still flows in the bloodstream. Bangalore-based group Fallen Letters begs to differ. The 7-minute opener on their new debut album speaks the language of Opeth, albeit with accents of modern prog and nü metal. It’s tonally boundary breaking, and I love the sheer backbone in attempting such fusion. Welcome, blackened-death nü-prog metal.
The next track on Mindfractures – “Distant Lines” continues that nü-prog duality, with frontman Vishal Naidu delivering Taproot melodies, somehow cohesive atop an instrumental fit for Tesseract or Devin Townsend. While progressive music often stumbles into cheesy territory, Fallen Letters‘ natural conviction fully evades cringe. Where Dream Theater would give the ick if they included tabla, the Indian percussion on the intro of “Everdream” is the perfect extra touch.
Not every song on the tracklisting fully holds my attention, but there’s some huge moments needing praise. The Sleep Token eruption near the two-minute mark of “Submatrix” had me hitting rewind to listen again multiple times. I also didn’t expect a full saxophone solo on “Drenched” or classical guitar ending of “Beneath the Opaque Veil,” but damn, I fully embraced them.
“Monochrome Visions” dynamically crawls like late The Faceless, yet transcends to peak Gojira heights; it’s really smooth. And by the time I reached the closer “The Farthest Window,” I’m picking up influence of Tool, Alice in Chains, Porcupine Tree, Deafheaven, and Katatonia.
I’m feeling particularly open to the sound that Fallen Letters have executed here; I genuinely, really think they’re worth a listen for any open-minded metal listener. ‘Mindfractures’ is available on Bandcamp, mixed and mastered by Johan Martin (Ihsahn, Dark Tranquillity).