Guest review of "The Migration" by Scale The Summit, written by Rob Penna, guitarist of The Dawn Chose Orion

I'm Rob Penna, guitarist for Denver, Colorado based progressive metal band The Dawn Chose Orion. Check out our new track "This Destination Unknown" at Facebook.com/TheDawnChoseOrionBand. You can also buy our EP, Resistance, by clicking here.

Buy this album

(links available the 11th)

Website

http://www.scalethesummit.com

Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/scalethesummit

1. Odyssey

2. Atlas Novus

3. The Olive Tree

4. Narrow Salient

5. Oracle

6. Evergreen

7. The Dark Horse

8. Willow

9. Sabrosa

10. The Traveler

From Houston, Texas to cross country highways, one of the hardest working bands out there today is back with their new album The Migration. This instrumental prog band’s fourth release continues to push boundaries and speed limits.

Throughout their short but distinguished career, Scale the Summit has released progressively complex and powerful albums. From the upbeat and pioneering Monument to the dark and moody The Collective, STS has shown their talent and proven they are a force in modern prog. Instrumental progressive music pretty niche genre that doesn’t get nearly the attention it should, nonetheless Scale the Summit holds force and moves beyond boundaries and has earned cross country tours with legends like Between the Buried and Me and Dream Theater.

Succeeding in a post Napster music industry takes more than just talent, it also take business intellect and passionate determination, both of which this band has in spades. Having the great opportunity to sit down and pick lead guitarist Chris Letchford’s brain was quite the eye opening experience. This guy knows the industry just as well as his musical theory and eagerly delivers tips on both. I thoroughly enjoyed learning both sides of our lesson which the whole band gives before shows on tour and over Skype. Just ask them. The guys are shockingly reachable for a signed, cross-country touring band. They are very willing to answer questions across all social media. Take advantage of this great resource to up and coming bands and the hard working example we all need.

Back to the music.

The new album is really a bound from their last album The Collective. 2011’s release was a wonderfully constructed atmospheric adventure but this new album is sped up, unwrapped and heavy. From the first track, you can hear the speed and precision STS has only hinted at in previous releases. Unison takes on a new meaning as you hear to Chris Letchford and Travis Levrier accelerate through complex melodic passages with evident ease. The new addition on this album Mark Michell, who’s perfect pitch plays an important part on many tracks. His harmonious prowess takes the forefront in well placed melodies all through The Migration.

From intense, progressive, headbanging metal to fun and light melodies that create the perfect soundtrack to a dessert drive. This release takes all the elements I loved from previous releases and adds and improves on them in one 10 track package with great album art provided by the amazing Duncan Storr that fits the theme perfectly. This is a must have summer album for road trips.