If an already progressive hardcore/metal band continues to progress in their songwriting ideas and concepts, is there anything left to really say about them? BECOMING THE ARCHETYPE are getting close to shortened-song BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME territory, but at only half-hog levels of low-key moments. Not quite ready to part with the occasionally chugga-chugga romp of guitars and delectable double-bass cannon fire, the group leaves you little doubt for their continued affinity of all things hardcore and metal. But man oh man are they are itching to show off their interests in melodic, near operatic vocal passages, electronic flourishes, and considerable psych/prog elements that stretch out into tense battles with the band’s otherwise’s gripping control on tight technical mechanics. And while MASTODON when through the same kind of internal test of wills during a multi-album run several years ago, BECOMING THE ARCHETYPE has neither the sustained melodic vocal presence or structured songwriting to make it much of a fair comparison… all of which is fine by me. There’s eleven tracks to Celestial Completion, but it’s unlikely you’ll be clamoring much for one over the other, as each comprises a piece to a 40 minute puzzle with more jagged lines than a seismograph.  BECOMING THE ARCHETYPE might be a bit guilty of over-thinking things on Celestial Completion, but you don’t have to suffer the same – just fire it up during a moment of downtime and listen to a band that’s running circles around an already impressive discography.

Solid State