Hippotraktor are BACK! An up and coming juggernaut on the Belgian scene, their debut Meridian was a real gem: modern-leaning progressive metal that felt like a breath of fresh air for how big and gutsy it sounded like.
I first heard of these guys when they played last year’s edition of ArcTanGent festival, and discovered that Stefan de Greaf from Psychonaut sang for them. That was more than enough for me to check out their music and their live show, which was ace. So I am very happy to report that Stasis, their new record, improves upon its predecessor in every way: a tight, creative take on modern prog metal composed of straight bangers from top to bottom.
Personally, when I go for some djent music, I’m mostly looking for good riffs, meaty guitar tones and the occasional nice melodies. A lot of it can sound a bit limited, but Hippotraktor‘s dynamic songwriting helps set them apart and offers a very fulfilling experience. They’re not just about the killer riffs and the cool melodies, and every song in Stasis is very engaging on its own right and it keeps itself interesting all the way through. The riffs are indeed killer, though.
The first song, “Descent”, is an instant favorite. Probably their hardest hitting song yet, and a perfect intro both to the album and the band themselves. While it is a high energy track, following tracks keep up the pace pretty well. “Echoes” manages to, ahem, echo a lot of the epicness that bands like Karnivool are good at and “Silver Tongue” amps up their melodic edge.
Hippotraktor leans heavily on the djentier side of modern prog, and I’d compare them to Tesseract or VOLA in some ways, as the modern production is used to really enhance the punchiness and energy of the music, and engaging melodic hooks make the music way more than a chugfest. In fact, I’m not sure I’ve heard any other djent-leaning prog this good since Tesseract themselves.
There’s plenty of other influences here too – “The Indifferent Human Eye” gives off major Tool vibes, and there’s definitely some modern The Ocean sprinkled here and there. While Stasis is a very solid album and a major step in the right direction, I do think that Hippotraktor‘s best work is yet to come. I feel that the band needs to grasp a more concise identity, as they still lack that certain something to make them truly unique. Their defining characteristic so far, in my opinion, are the grandiose, cathartic choruses. Most of them beg to be shouted along as loud as possible – the title track is a very clear example of this.
Still, Stasis is a triumph in every way. The music is engaging, intense, expertly produced and leaves a lasting impression on you. I can honestly see Hippotraktor becoming a household name in the modern prog metal scene if they keep improving their sound like they did here. This is a must listen for anyone into djenty prog, and is sure to satiate your meaty riff thirst!
