This is one of the most aggressively weird and undeniably fascinating metal records that I have heard in a good long while. For the uninitiated Kevin Hufnagel is perhaps the most important guitarist in the world of avant metal holding down positions in both Dysrhythmia and Gorguts. He has shaped a lot of what the guitar has come to mean in the genre, so a solo project from this dude is kind of a big deal. With decades of experience behind him and a legacy that is only growing, there is something strangely mesmerizing about this latest release, Messages To The Past.
There is a weird sense of poetry to this record that makes it mesmerizing and addictive. The lyricism of the guitar lines never feels forced but is rather a natural continuation of what the band has come to represent. There is a subtle compositional brilliance to Messages To The Past that only serves to make it all the more valuable as a sort of statement to where our scene is at and what our scene can mean. The way that Hufnagel has crafted this record doesn't just take you on a journey but it guides you from one peak to the next, always with an eye on what is to come next. This is the sort of album that goes far as a solid entity.
As you listen to Messages To The Past unfold it reminds us that there is much more to this band than meets the eye. It's rare these days to hear an instrumental record that also places a heavy emphasis on being a guitar record, yet in the ethereal soundscapes of Hufnagel's work it's still possible to pick out the influence of 80s shredders and hear the band develop ever further. Kevin Hufnagel has really blessed us with this one and it leaves me wanting to dive back into the discogrpahy of one of the 21st centuries pioneering guitarists.
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