Review: Poly-Math ‘Something Deeply Hidden’
Poly-Math formed in 2013 and are from Brighton, East Sussex. They’ve had several line-ups during their lifespan, but the mainstay throughout has been founding member and guitarist Tim Walters (ex-Monsters Build Mean Robots) who is joined by bassist Joe Branton, keyboardist Josh Gesner and drummer Chris Woollison.
The band have quite a few releases to their name, debuting in 2014 with the La Unión De Roku & Demipenteract EP, 2015’s Reptiles EP, 2016’s full-length debut Melencolia, 2018’s House of Wisdom | We Are the Devil, 2021’s two-part The Cadaver Tomb, 2022’s Zenith, and now Something Deeply Hidden. This latest is, alongside the preliminarily released EP The Halting Problem, the first to feature Walters‘ intriguing abstract expressionist artwork, as well as a change of direction into something altogether more improvisational. A record of firsts, it’s coincidental as it’s also my first exposure to the group.
The Universe As An Engine’s eccentricity places it in the (Zeuhl overlords) Magma and early Utopia camp. It’s prog but of the zanier, unpredictable variety, rather than the drawn-out coma-inducing prog of Yes and Genesis. A decent scene-setting opener. One/Two/Three/Four Body Problem recalls the underrated genius of Blind Idiot God and their brand of punk-infused math-rock. Mahavishnu Orchestra fans will also find something to appreciate, as there is clearly some John McLaughlin influence present in the guitar playing, particularly on records such as Birds Of Fire.
No Such Thing As Now is one of the album’s longer songs and a good deal mellower than what has been heard so far. The keyboards offer an ethereal dimension, similar to Roddy Bottum’s work with Faith No More, meanwhile, the guitar playing is outstanding – fluid and devoid of the tedious virtuoso shredding common with Yngwie Malmsteen, Joe Satriani and their ilk. Euthyphro Dilemma initially has a seductively cool retro vibe that screams composer John Barry and the numerous James Bond films he scored. Before long, it takes the listener down a much more ‘gothic’ laden turn with creepier dark ambient elements, guiding the music along an unexpected yet welcome path.
excellently performed and crafted by all four members, making it an intriguing listen…
The bass on Spectral Dis/Order practically slaps in the best tradition of Jaco Pastorious and Robert Trujillo while the track, as a whole, seems to echo Mr Bungle’s self-titled and Disco Volante albums. In other words, there’s a ‘90s alt-metal heart beating beneath the chaos, and I’d even be so bold as to venture that this is one of the more ‘conventional’ sounding songs on the record. Chronostesia is interesting. There’s a Middle Eastern flavour to the music, and I have no idea if the band cares for System of a Down, but I could definitely see that band’s Vocalist Serj Tankian making a cameo appearance, a banger fo’ sure.
Finally, we have the longest track on the record at just over eight minutes, Terror Management Theory, with sublime guitar yet again from Walters that is not dissimilar to that of Robert Fripp (King Crimson), Greg Ginn (Black Flag, Gone) or even Saccharine Trust’s Joe Baiza. Fripp particularly comes to mind, especially on King Crimson’s heavier-sounding Larks Tongues In Aspic masterpiece and the avant-garde metal which was effectively pioneered on that album. This afforded a suitably stunning and epic conclusion to Something Deeply Hidden.
I’ll be honest, proggy math-rock doesn’t feature very often in my daily listening habits. However, I’m always up for the challenge, which is just as well, seeing as the record is exactly that, though it’s one which is excellently performed and crafted by all four members, making it an intriguing listen.
Label: The Lasers Edge
Band Links: Official | Facebook | Bandcamp | Spotify | Instagram
Scribed by: Reza Mills
