Band:	Inquisitor
Album:	Clinamen | Episteme
Style:	Avantgarde metal, Progressive black metal
Release date:	December 01, 2014
Guest review by:	Alex F

01. Hearken, Memmius!
02. Hence The Mouthful Of Time
03. Quae Sint...
04. Evidence. The Inexorable Dowry
05. Of Waters And Circling Thetis
06. Peri Hermeneias

For those who feel that Enslaved is the only band currently putting out good progressive black metal, please enter the journey that is Clinamen | Episteme. Utilizing brave and uplifting passages juxtaposed with mournful sections of pure melancholy, Inquisitor have crafted a truly unique and versatile sophomore effort. Every facet of the album seems to be meticulously fashioned to provide a seamless flow throughout the entire work allowing the listener to become fully absorbed.

The songwriting on this album is among the best I have heard within my lifetime. The use of piano in every song does not feel even remotely out of place, and rather than detracting from the ferocity manifested, it adds an additional layer to the already complex web Inquisitor weave.

The album constantly straddles the line between the projection of raw emotion and the release of anger, which comes through most clearly in the riffing. While the cliches of modern black metal are present (even if only in a minor way), Inquisitor refuse to allow genre classifications to restrict stylistic experimentation within their music. Some chord progressions come straight from Jazz-instructional textbooks while others evoke a strong feeling of the avantgarde side of black metal (similar to Deathspell Omega). Despite the undeniably broad range of influences present in Clinamen | Episteme, none of it seems out of place, and much like the piano, each little aspect only further emphasizes the themes present.

The vocals seem to be a point of minor controversy, as they are not particularly visceral, and often employ a relatively high-pitched form of clean vocalization indicative of a wail or a cry. However, I find that they fit perfectly within the style Inquisitor have created, and a stylistic choice more similar to other bands of the style would prevent them from standing-out.

Clinamen | Episteme has managed to maintain my interest from the very first time I listened to it up until what must be its 25th play-through. It is a unique affair, but not experimental to the point of polarizing the audience very drastically. While some aspects in the album may not be as immensely strong as others, the entire album comes together marvelously and has proven to be one of the most addictive albums of 2014 for this reviewer.