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Previously I had only heard some of band's mid/late '90s output, which was not metal, and I didn't care for it at all. While this debut isn't particularly to my taste, it does hold my interest far more than the later stuff.
"Weird progressive thrash" is a decent overall descriptor, as it covers the three main components of the band's sound. There are straightforward Rush/Genesis progressive rock influences, progressive/technical thrash parts, and weirder musical influences and funky bass sections which are comparable to a more metallic Primus. Some of the quirkier musical ideas are vaguely reminiscent of Scatterbrain, but without the blatant humor--just a general oddball/eclectic atmosphere. Still, that doesn't quite describe everything at play here--there's a percussion-led industrialish track ("Corner Stone") and an acoustic ballad ("Alexander Vs. the Puzzle").
The big problem I have with this (and the majority of avant-garde and kitchen sink metal), is that while it makes a pretty coherent album out of quite disparate influences, it falls a bit short of being crazy and weird enough where I appreciate the listening experience itself. I think the straightforward thrashing parts are the best part of the CD (just check out the beginning to "The Chalice Vermillion"), so all the other stuff going on kind of detracts from that, even though I realize it's for the sake of creativity.
