Gisteren de oudjes wat progressieve metal betreft, vandaag een stel jonge wolven. Van bij de eerste noot is duidelijk dat het genre héél wat verschillende 'subs' kent. Hippotraktor is een pak agressiever, in-your-face, brutaal en dus ook hedendaags, mede dankzij zijn de invloeden uit post metal en groove metal. De vette grooves en riffs domineren, naast stuwende drums en natuurlijk hondsbrutale vocals. Toch is er ook ruimte voor subtiele wendingen en bridges, wat de dynamiek enkel ten goede komt. Als dit nummer de voorbode is van wat we op 15 oktober mogen verwachten, dan kan de tijd niet vlug genoeg passeren. Ik weet nu al wie er op Alcatraz2022 niet mag ontbreken in La Morgue! Meridian verschijnt op 1 5 oktober via Pelagic Records. lees
The power of music to conjure up images in the mind is as fascinating as it is undeniable - arguably, it is this very aspect of music that keeps us intrigued. Music, above all, makes us feel and experience things that are normally outside the scope of our ordinary lives. With their debut album Meridian, Hippotraktor explores these characteristics to the fullest, creating an expression of the sublime – a greatness beyond all possibility of calculation, measurement, or imitation - that reaches beyond the mere conjuring of images into the realm of high art and philosophy.
Ever since the release of their acclaimed debut EP P’eau (2018) these Mechelen-based musicians have been honing their craft in songwriting and production, building a new home studio to record future material while also expanding from a three-piece to a five-piece ensemble. By adding singer/percussionist Stefan De Graef (Psychonaut) and guitarist/singer Sander Rom (L’Itch) to their ranks, Hippotraktor has become a more versatile outfit able to employ a broader palette of sounds, taking the band’s earlier instrumental prog metal sound to new heights. Taking notes from the best moments in contemporary progressive and post metal, Hippotraktor captures the awe-inspiring power of nature - from the delicacy of the first falling leaf to the massive cosmic energy of the sun. By combining the big, catchy riffs and the rhythmical prowess of Gojira with the relentless but equally groove-loaded complexity of Meshuggah,
Hippotraktor is: Stefan De Graef (vocals, percussion), Sander Rom (vocals, guitar), Lander De Nyn (drums)
Jakob Fiszer (bass), Chiaran Verheyden (guitar)
