After conquering the stage, Phase Transition are back with their debut album.
Their first EP having caught the attention of Progressive Metal specialists, Fernando Maia (drums), Sofia Beco (vocals/violin) and Luís Dias (guitar) return to offer us In Search of Being.
The album opens with the lengthy Dichotomy, which starts calmly enough, but eventually reveals all its versatility, daring both energetic jerky passages and much more volatile ones, notably during Sofia‘s violin leads, alternating with her airy vocal parts. The riffs drift from quietude to heaviness with impressive naturalness, sometimes even flirting with Post-Rock before returning to their aggressive Prog that incorporates oriental touches, then Becoming, (R)evolution offers us another approach to their blend. The sound immediately becomes more energetic, adopting virulent Djent tones that fit in well with the vocalist’s speech, joined on the break by a cybernetic voice before the solo, then more modern touches accompany us through to Veil of Illusion, where the disturbing arrangements return. The sound is slightly slower, but still massive and syncopated, especially on the heady passages where the band goes wild, but the sound eventually fades out on its own and joins the gentle and melancholic Shadows of Grief, which lulls us gently into an almost soothing saturation. Vocal parts emerge here and there, shifting from English to Portuguese, but the rhythmic pattern is also ever-changing, offering a short blast section before returning to its cruising rhythm to reach The Other Side, which starts calmly enough, but tends to flare up, notably when Ricardo Pereira (Moonshade) joins in with saturated vocals, before the band resumes its journey, letting lead parts blossom from time to time, leading us towards the end of the album.
With their first production, Phase Transition had already offered quality work, but the band has redoubled its efforts, and is now establishing itself as a real player on the Prog scene. In Search of Being is sure to find its audience!
85/100