A musical painting of sheer technical enlightenment.
There are few words that can fully describe what Canvas Solaris are actually about, putting a generic label on them is near impossible simply because they can fit into several. Dynamic and certainly unafraid to experiment, Canvas Solaris are an extraordinary 3 piece outfit of musicians describing themselves as 'brutal jazz' but with enough influences and sounds to throw them under thrash, progressive rock and also freestyle improvisation as well. The music is incredibly versatile, extremely hard to decode and understand while being a stroke of incredible genius at the same time. Completely instrumental, the band demonstrate fully well a capability to function without a vocalist and perhaps are better for it anyway, since a vocalist would be unable to keep up with the changing tides of sound that Canvas Solaris produce. Certainly, the music is extremely complex structurally with the time signatures changing constantly within the music at a rate not even the most skilled of vocalists would be able to contend with, thusly displaying incredibly advanced technical skill and talent. Canvas Solaris clearly display the years of experience under their belts with a much more diverse and textural sound than before within intricate arrangements and improvisations that will simply blow minds.
The opening track 'Panoramic Long Range Vertigo' kicks in with a heavy blast of progressive heavy metal riffs that race alongside rudimental drum fills that crack like a whip on skin, sharp and crisp as winter air on a cold night. In the first minute or so the rhythms and the time signatures must shift and change about ten times at the very least, and the smoothness of the way these changes blend in and out of each other is nothing short of amazing for the movements are so smooth that they are barely noticeable, the only indication a sudden movement in rhythm patterns from the drums. The guitars involved take it in turns to solo over energetic riffs, gradually upping the pace and flying over constantly improvising rhythms of sound. The track is always moving, evolving and shifting, every second holds something a little different making 'Panoramic Long Range Vertigo' impossible to become bored of.
'Horizontal Radiant' begins on a laid back and chilled theme, blending blues scale elements with the ever-changing movements of progressive rock in an elegant and sophisticated fashion. For the good majority of the track, the chilled out bass lines and guitars marry the synth ostinatos and melodies, creating a wavelength of sound perfectly suited to a lazy summer afternoon until the drums and guitars suddenly break the calm with an intense and sharpened edge of guitar chords and drum solos designed to redefine the boundaries of all that is improvised and progressive. The whole track changes key and time signature more than a formula one race using stunning bass improvisations, demonstrating perfect slap bass technique under riveting solos of intense melodic fashion while the feel of the song gains a sharpened and renewed edge as the heavier side of the music looms in. Mysterious and laid back 'Horizontal Radiant' displays perfect balance between heavy metal and the smooth sophisticated realms of jazz via perfect improvisation and a new dimension of technical skill. At eleven minutes long, one would think that this track would drag and drag on but the mood and feel changes so often it is almost like listening to four or five completely different tracks each equally brilliant in their own right.
'Vaihayasa' is a totally different track altogether fully demonstrating Canvas Solaris' dedication to music and open minded approach to different styles and cultures of music. It works solely around Indian ragas, using effects upon the guitars to create a truly exotic Asian appeal; the music is incredibly moving and ethereal, charming and elegant. Layered and incredibly complex the twinkling guitars work up and down the raga scales in enchanting fashion, now and then dipping into an almost Latin sound as the two soloing guitars dive and dart between note always weaving in and out of synth and drum work to create an airy, dreamy atmosphere. The whole track is a sheer display of diversity and musical genius, a real show of Canvas Solaris's ability to work with other genres and advanced technical skills to create something truly and utterly special.
'Penumbra Diffuse' has shown how artists continue to mature with experience and an open mind towards experimenting with different styles and aspects of music. They have reaped the benefits for dropping their vocalist, emphasising intricate arrangements and adding more textural elements through the use of keys making their music so much more refined and unique to anything heard before.