Band:	Ever Forthright
Album:	Techinflux
Style:	Djent, Jazz, Progressive metal
Release date:	July 12, 2024
A review by:	musclassia

01. Kickfun
02. Tambora
03. Rancho Cucamonga
04. Drop It Like Harambe
05. Cryptoface
06. Marquee
07. The Well
08. Miso
09. Techinflux

Ever Forthright are a bit of a cult band in the world of djent; a couple of promising demos paved the way for a self-titled album that made a serious impact on the burgeoning scene, only for the group to disappear into obscurity... until now.

The djent scene has been quite an incestuous one over the years as far as band membership and collaborations are concerned, and Monuments have been somewhat at the center of this. One of two bands (along with TesseracT) to gather momentum following the disbandment of another ‘one album and done’ cult band in Fellsilent (who featured both John Browne and Acle Kahney), the group effectively curtailed the progress of Ever Forthright after hiring their vocalist Chris Barretto. The departure of Barretto from Monuments and subsequent rumours that Ever Forthright was being revived seemed to be linked, but curiously enough Barretto does not appear on Techinflux, the group’s first album in over a dozen years; instead it is Mike Semesky (ex-The Haarp Machine, ex-Intervals, ex-Interloper and more) who handles vocal duties for a newlook iteration of the band.

It was only in preparation for doing this review that I gave Ever Forthright a listen for the first time, and it is a dense record. By that, I’m not referring only to its eye-watering 77-minute runtime, but also the complexity and intensity of their jazz-infused progressive metal sound. As discussed by the band in a recent podcast, the material that appears on Techinflux is comprised of tracks both dating back to the group’s early years (a much shorter version of the title track even appeared on their 2010 Demo) and also songs written more recently; to this end, current and former personnel from throughout the band’s existence are credited as songwriters on the album’s Bandcamp page, including session bassist on this album Jacob Umansky (also Intervals and ex-Interloper). The end result is an album that features music with the all-in songwriting of the debut, and also a more mature and accessible approach.

The album opens with an example of the former, as “Kickfun” has been said have origins dating back a number of years. It offers a surge of immediacy; once the ominous opening synth motif is accompanied by the full band, the aggressive drumming, contorting riffs, madcap rhythms, vicious vocals and crunching guitar tone come out the speakers like a kick in the head. The chorus is clean-sung (as someone unfamiliar with Semesky for the most part, there’s something to his clean singing tone that makes him a logical replacement for Barretto), and a synth-led second half does expand the track’s dynamic range, but the level of full-on aggression does feel like a bit of a callback to an era when records like Periphery and Gnosis were being released. Without being able to find the info myself, I wouldn’t be surprised to hear that the tracks “Cryptoface” and “The Well” also harked back to the band’s earlier years at least partially, given the belligerent aggression and technicality heard in large portions of both (curiously enough, despite the rather outdated titled, “Drop It Like Harambe” has a calmer vibe that feels more reminiscent of TesseracT).

While the intensity of these songs offers up some tasty moments, my attention during playthroughs has been most reliably captured by some of the longer and more dynamic songs bookending the album. “Kickfun” is followed by “Tambora” and then “Rancho Cucamonga”, possibly my highlights of Techinflux. With “Tambora”, there is a degree of intensity to its early stages with the imposing syncopated rhythmic riffs and heavier sequences, but even these have a degree of spaciousness to them, and the memorable guitar motifs, atmospheric electronics, and emphasis on clean vocals really help the song forge a clear and engaging identity, especially when it reaches a really satisfying and evocative cleaner sequence with melodic guitars around the 5-minute mark. The band’s jazz inclinations also come to the fore on this song; after that aforementioned melodic passage, the metal retreats, giving way to an extended jazzy passage with clean guitar noodling.

“Rancho Cucamonga” continues to emphasize the band’s more melodic side, right from the off with some warm and enticing synths; there’s more jazzy guitar playing, use of understated atmospheres during otherwise metallic sequences, and emphasis on memorability in the chorus, even while serving up some tasty djent grooves. The song’s peak comes later on; after a pleasant instrumental bridge, it builds towards a grandiose and emphatic climactic vocal moment, Semesky rising above a crunching and synth-laden backdrop.

The two other songs that worked similarly well for me as those two were the final pair of “Miso” and the title track. The former grabs some attention earlier on with a rather accessible alt-influenced chorus, but it’s the second half, containing delectable guitar arrangements and soaring vocals, that turns it into a standout song. At 13 minutes in length, “Techinflux” is pure prog and packs in a lot, from a piano introduction and more clean jazz playing, to moments of aggression and melody that remind of Periphery or Between The Buried And Me. A couple of really pivotal parts, including a riveting empassioned clean-sung sequence around the halfway mark and a properly brooding and groovy djent-heavy closing few minutes that bear a resemblance to a song like Periphery’s “Masamune”, turn this into another serious contender for the album’s best song.

Given how positive most of this review has been, I do find myself wondering why I don’t feel slightly more enthusiastic towards Techinflux. I think perhaps it loses its way a bit in the middle portion in terms of quality (“Marquee” is possibly the album’s most accessible song, but it’s also one I find has a tendency to irritate with some of the glitch elements, even though I’ve caught myself singing along when the chorus comes back in after the bridge), and also, while Semesky has some really good highlights on the album, there is a certain something to his voice that doesn't entirely click for me compared to a Chris Barretto, which does undercut some moments (such as the vocals in the clean building section in the second half of "Kickfun").

Still, with that all said, I have enjoyed this album enough to give it a good number of spins while preparing for this review, and due to its complexity, it has revealed some rewarding discoveries upon repeat listens. I also think that the increased approachability of the album compared with the self-titled debut works in its favour. On the whole, I would consider this to be a pretty successful comeback for a band that’s evidently had a long time to conceive this release; it will be interesting to see whether it serves as the starting point for a more sustained period of studio activity for the group, or if Ever Forthright just popped in to say hi with Techinflux.