Anguish is the latest offering from Fraktions and if you’re big on your prog and tech metal then this could be an EP that will be up your street.
This is an EP that is more of a slow-burner; it won’t immediately grab you and it takes a few listens to properly connect with it, but Anguish is something worth sticking with because it is a great EP. There’s a fantastic tone to the instrumentation and the flow of the EP is fantastic, with everything slotting nicely together – the way the EP is constructed is fantastic.
Introductory number Illusion slowly builds things up seamlessly into the first full-length track, Altercation, which features some lush keys and colourful guitar lines that pair up well with the heavier undertones, and later track Panic lives up to its name with clashing notes and harsh vocals (courtesy of Kaan Tasan from No Consequence) that feel like they shouldn’t work together, yet somehow the dissonance and noise works.
The only thing that Anguish falls a little short on is the vocals, however. There’s nothing wrong with them on a technical level, and they’re well-controlled, but they feel somewhat lacking in emotion and it’s a shame because there’s a lot of potential to be found on the EP. Otherwise, it’s a great listen and Fraktions are definitely a band to keep your eye on.
7/10
