Apeiron Bound - Multiplicity - Album Review - Progressive Metal from Tampa, Florida, USA

Today, I explore the impressive world of Apeiron Bound, a promising progressive metal band hailing from Tampa, Florida. I was introduced to them with their debut studio album, Multiplicity, which was released on August 26, 2022, leaving an unforgiving impression on me that I don’t think I will be forgetting about for a long time.

APEIRON BOUND - My Sweet Stockholm [Official Music Video]

The theme of the song explores the horrific landscape of Stockholm Syndrome. Accompanied by hauntingly psychedelic visuals topped with dark lyricism and a bombastic cinematic prog metal soundscape, the composition explores the psychology of Stockholm Syndrome and abusers.

Music Video Credits:Video Artwork & Animation by Costin Chioreanu

Lineup:Andrew Stout - composer/guitarsMichael Calza - vocalist/lyricistPhillip Colacecchi - guitarsKyle Sokol - bass guitars/upright bassKristopher Huffman - drums

Stockholm Recording Credits:Andrew Stout - composer/guitars/synths/backing & choir vocalsMichael Calza - vocals/lyricistPeter Albert de Reyna - session bass guitars/upright bassJohn Galloway - audio engineering/programming/mixing/additional synths/backing & choir vocalsJack Kosto - mastering

Stockholm ChoirBrent Jernigan, Brandon Delpino, Cassandra Calo, and Joshua Corum

Lyrics written by Michael Calza

Today, I am writing about a very special project that has been sitting in my backlog for about two months, and the further I listened to their music, the more I was convinced of their ability and potential. Although I have positive things to say about the American gentlemen, I summed up everything in two factors that persuaded me: staying faithful to the origins of progressive metal and for being special with talented and skilled musicians.

Multiplicity is a long-play album of 12 complex progressive music pieces that focus on the early ’90s progressive metal era, bringing back memories from the early Dream Theater, specifically with their Images And Words and Awake albums, accompanied by influences of Stratovarius, Blind Guardian, and Symphony X. Unlike many other progressive metal bands with a similar focus, Apeiron Bound didn’t stop here and explored further the modern and post-metal world of progressive, death, and black metal genres, along with instrumental music and even soundtrack compositions. I felt delighted to have so much in common with this impressively talented band from Florida, especially with their concept which also introduced me to the world of progressive metal when I was in high school. I remember working really hard on my instrument to be able to play Pull Me Under, Erotomania, Another Day, after exchanged my Esp explorer guitar with an Ibanez S, thanks to John Petrucci. In this case, Apeiron Bound incorporates all the soft and heavy surfaces of their genre in a range that I don’t remember hearing before. They are special enough to pull off sounding as easy as Pink Floyd and as heavy as Lorna Shore in one concept as never done before.

Moreover, the collective is talented in a degree that this band cannot live without. It has been a while since I remember listening to a performance-based progressive metal music with fantastic guitar solos, monstrous vocal performances in different personalities, captivating synths and keys, and super prog drums that reminded of Mike Portnoy‘s Pull Me Under drum sound character. It feels amazing hearing all your heroes performed by a super tight band. Although they have intense and complex structures in almost every song, it took me by surprise how flawlessly the band delivered them. Their vocalist, Michael Calza, has a voice and attitude similar to a heavy metal living legend, Bruce Dickinson. From where Bruce left off, he took it further by adding the range of Hansi Kursch (Blind Guardian / Demons & Wizards) and the technique of Russell Allen (Symphony X), rounding out his mighty repertoire with vocal styles for heavier music similar to Will Ramos (Lorna Shore), and his way of handling singing death metal, deathcore, and blackcore. Since the band has the pushing-boundary mindset in their constitution, his band members also followed his steps in going against all limitations and exploring further, distinguishing themselves from the rest of the planet.

Also, the musical concept of the band encompasses both positive and dark vibes flawlessly, incorporating progressive metal, death, black, and sometimes djent and deathcore influences in its foundation. The songs have a strong bond between each other, making the listener imagine a clear picture similar to what we experienced when discovering Images and Words album for the first time. It is a passionate and dynamic journey, easily one of the most promising progressive metal albums of 2022, if not the best.

Apeiron Bound 2022 autumn lineup.

From left to right:- Kyle Sokol (bass guitar/upright bass)- Phillip Colacecchi (guitars)- Michael Calza (vocals/lyricist)- Andrew Stout (composer/guitars)- Kristopher Huffman (drums)

Photography: Jordan Kelly-LaviolettePhoto Editor & Artwork: Darcy Kelly-Laviolette

Shoot location at Litewave Media - Video Production Company Tampa

After listening to the entire record from start to finish for the first time today, I asked myself a very sincere question; “what I would wish for a band that earned the utmost appreciation and respect for their musical vision and execution, together with their attitude and perspective?”. First, I took some time to think, asked the same question to my friend Kandur. In this case, I guess the right thing to say would be telling them the importance of making now another, a better album that surpasses their first, and repeating the cycle until people start mentioning them while talking about the bests in the progressive metal world. Thus, I have to admit that I naturally have higher expectations from them. With Multiplicity, regrettably, they couldn’t convince me yet with their visuals and art direction.

In addition, I think Multiplicity seems to me as the first step on an ambitious journey for a few reasons, and one of them is the sound design. Although the production pulled off all the challenges flawlessly and simply sounds fantastic, it still has got a lot of room to improve. You come to this conclusion when you think about the vocalist, Michael Calza, who has got so much character in his singing reminiscent of the early 90s, with more than a few vocal personalities in his library, which is insane. Many times during my listen, I felt like listening to early Dream Theater in an alternative world where their vocalist was one and only Bruce Dickinson. So when I imagine myself producing this band, I see many things that make them special, that need more focus.

Apeiron Bound, performing livePhoto credit: Unknown

In the end, I wholeheartedly believe that Apeiron Bound can become a serious contender in the world of progressive metal in the future, and it only depends on the band’s determination and consistency. One of the most promising progressive metal albums of 2022 by one of the hottest prospects from Florida. A never heard of musical range in the progressive metal concept with a focus on the early 90s Dream Theater, seamlessly blending influences as gentle as Pink Floyd, as complex as Symphony X, as tight as Gojira, and as heavy as Lorna Shore. Strongly Recommended Metal by Metalhead Community. Thanks for reading.

Credits

released August 26, 2022

Apeiron Bound CollectiveAndrew Stout - composer/guitarsMichael Calza - vocals/lyricistPhillip Colacecchi - guitarsKyle Sokol - bass guitar/upright bassKristopher Huffman - drums/percussion

Multiplicity Recording CreditsAndrew Stout - composer/guitars/synths/backing & choir vocalsMichael Calza - vocals/lyricistPhillip Colacecchi - guitars/backing vocalsPeter Albert de Reyna - electric & fretless bassJohn Galloway - audio engineer/micing/programming/additional synth & backing vocalsJack Kosto - mastering

Guest MusiciansJon Pyres - piano & warm pad (#2)Angel Vivaldi - guest guitar solo (#3)Frank Sacramone - co-composer (#4 & #10)John T Sterling - additional vocal recording (#5)Cassandra Calo - choirs (#5)Brandon Delpino - choirs (#5)Brent Jernigan - choirs (#5)Joshua Corum - choirs (#5 & #8) & guest vocals (#9)Steven Mundinger - co-composer (#7) & additional synths (#8)Rich Gray - guest guitar & saxophone solo (#12)

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